Research
Writing Routines
Effective teaching includes teaching functional routines and procedures to students at the beginning of the year and using these routines to efficiently move through the school day (Leinhardt, Weidman, & Hammond, 1987) --As students become more familiar with classroom routines and procedures, additional instructional formats and more challenging work can be incorporated (Evertson, Emmer & Worsham, 2003; Good & Brophy, 2003)
When students can predict the events throughout their school day, they are more likely to be engaged and less likely to display problem behavior. One way to increase predictability in a classroom is to establish routines, early in the school year. (Kern & Clemens, 2007, p. 67) Effective teaching includes teaching functional routines and procedures to students at the beginning of the year and using these routines to efficiently move through the school day (Leinhardt, Weidman, & Hammond, 1987). Once students are more familiar with classroom routines and procedures, more challenging work can be incorporated. (Evertson, Emmer & Worsham, 2003; Good & Brophy, 2003).
How are routines affected in the education of students?
If we didn’t have routines everyday it could be considered chaos in our classrooms and there wouldn't be as much learned. Routines are naturally born from procedures that we learn and perform daily. Procedures explain the known process for carrying out exact task, for example walking in the hallway, or sharpening a pencil. Routines are the practices we form by echoing the same set of steps over and over. This holds true when learning to write. If we do not have the proper routines/procedures during our writing time students will not be as successful.
While using Daily 5 it is important to have students understanding how the process of Daily 5 writing works. Before sending students off on their own each day. When launching Daily 5 it is important to set a purpose for exercise.
I have students meet together to discuss and go over expectations, model appropriate behaviors, and set the purpose for the lesson or day. This is very crucial I have learned because it helps cut down on the confusion students get. The first time I was trying to set up my Daily 5 writing I didn't have students meet together the first couple of days before starting and students were so confused and it was chaos. The third day I began meeting before having students jump right in. Students were more understanding of the task and expectations for themselves.
A routine that stuck greatly with me with the writing process of daily 5 is having students put blanks under words they weren't sure how to spell. Or put blanks where they are missing a sound they are unsure of. This made a connection for me that I had with a parent recently with invented spelling. They wanted to know if it was best to tell the student how to spell the word or have them sound it out. I suggested that it is best for the student to sound out the word to spell. In fact, we now know that beginners greatly benefit from inventing spelling, which should be balanced with appropriate instruction leading to correct spelling. (Gentry 2000b; International Reading Association 1998; Snow, Burns, and Griffin, 1998).
Environment
A sense of community empowers students to hold others accountable for behaviors, learning, respect, and kindness. (G. Boushey & J. Moser 2014 p. 24)
The environment that our students learn in is so important to daily learning. Many students don't have stable, safe, or a clean living environment. Therefore, it is important for them to come to school and have that stable, clean, and safe environment to learn in.
Daily 5 Writing Environment Look Like
During Word Work, we focus on spelling and vocabulary work with children, creating a thoroughly literate environment that provides essential and often-skipped practice time. (The Daily 5, p 117) "The writing component of the Daily 5™ provides additional support children require to become effective writers. Its purpose is to provide daily writing practice."(The Daily 5, p. 107)
Writing workshop and Work on Writing within Daily 5 are not the same. During writing workshop we may focus on different types of writing and writing techniques must be learned based on our current unit of study. Children often use Work on Writing time within Daily 5 to continue work they started in writing workshop, but not always. Students comprehensively enjoy the freedom of choice that is part of Daily 5. It is then that they may do sustained writing of any form they enjoy.
Students may be working at desk, a small area in the room, or in individual spots. Within the classroom students are actively working, engaged, safe and secure at all times.
Choice
"We write to make sense of our lives." Steve Boolos
Giving Up Control
While reading about choice (Gail and Joan) talk about how hard it is for teachers to give up control in our classrooms. This is a difficult task for me to handle. Reading about how they give up control with student literacy and teach students to be independent helped me gain a more understanding of how it should look like.
While reading an article over student choice and control I realized how difficult it could really be especially with older students. With teaching first grade I hope to never encounter the severity that Beaton did, but I have had a couple try to write about killing animals in a graphic manner. Anyways, Beaton allowed high school English class free choice and gave up control on the topic they wrote about. In doing this she had a student write about getting high in the car and being pulled over. She helped this student change the direction of the writing because they would be sharing this with other members and it was not school appropriate.
In my example I have had a student write about a cow that was ran over on the road. There family picked it up off the road and later cut up to eat and freeze. It was very graphic for a first grader and I was very shocked at this writing. This was a complete shock for me as a teacher. I thought "I can't allow student choice because I have know control." How will I teach students to pick their own topic but tell them they can't write about what they want? This is so hard for me to handle but I just keep teaching and giving examples out loud to my students.
In reference to elementary-school students and writing, Graves (1994, 106) states, "Children need to learn how to choose their own topics when they write." When students are able to choose their won writing a teacher can expect more from students writing. I remember my first year teaching when I didn't allow my students as much free choice. I would always hear "Do we have to write that?" So I decided to allow my students to have more say in their writing topics and ideas. Once I started doing this my students were invested in their work and cared more about their writing.
Due to the common core state standards being pushed in our districts it is important to note students must learn to read, write, speak, listen, and use language effectively in a variety of content areas, the standards promote the literacy skills and concepts required for college and career readiness in multiply disciplines. (common core state standards initiative.) (2012). For the students to practice these skills in writing is just as important. I give my students choice in writing by making sure on particular days that the writing they have to pick from meets the standards to be taught and mastered.
Effective teaching includes teaching functional routines and procedures to students at the beginning of the year and using these routines to efficiently move through the school day (Leinhardt, Weidman, & Hammond, 1987) --As students become more familiar with classroom routines and procedures, additional instructional formats and more challenging work can be incorporated (Evertson, Emmer & Worsham, 2003; Good & Brophy, 2003)
When students can predict the events throughout their school day, they are more likely to be engaged and less likely to display problem behavior. One way to increase predictability in a classroom is to establish routines, early in the school year. (Kern & Clemens, 2007, p. 67) Effective teaching includes teaching functional routines and procedures to students at the beginning of the year and using these routines to efficiently move through the school day (Leinhardt, Weidman, & Hammond, 1987). Once students are more familiar with classroom routines and procedures, more challenging work can be incorporated. (Evertson, Emmer & Worsham, 2003; Good & Brophy, 2003).
How are routines affected in the education of students?
If we didn’t have routines everyday it could be considered chaos in our classrooms and there wouldn't be as much learned. Routines are naturally born from procedures that we learn and perform daily. Procedures explain the known process for carrying out exact task, for example walking in the hallway, or sharpening a pencil. Routines are the practices we form by echoing the same set of steps over and over. This holds true when learning to write. If we do not have the proper routines/procedures during our writing time students will not be as successful.
While using Daily 5 it is important to have students understanding how the process of Daily 5 writing works. Before sending students off on their own each day. When launching Daily 5 it is important to set a purpose for exercise.
I have students meet together to discuss and go over expectations, model appropriate behaviors, and set the purpose for the lesson or day. This is very crucial I have learned because it helps cut down on the confusion students get. The first time I was trying to set up my Daily 5 writing I didn't have students meet together the first couple of days before starting and students were so confused and it was chaos. The third day I began meeting before having students jump right in. Students were more understanding of the task and expectations for themselves.
A routine that stuck greatly with me with the writing process of daily 5 is having students put blanks under words they weren't sure how to spell. Or put blanks where they are missing a sound they are unsure of. This made a connection for me that I had with a parent recently with invented spelling. They wanted to know if it was best to tell the student how to spell the word or have them sound it out. I suggested that it is best for the student to sound out the word to spell. In fact, we now know that beginners greatly benefit from inventing spelling, which should be balanced with appropriate instruction leading to correct spelling. (Gentry 2000b; International Reading Association 1998; Snow, Burns, and Griffin, 1998).
Environment
A sense of community empowers students to hold others accountable for behaviors, learning, respect, and kindness. (G. Boushey & J. Moser 2014 p. 24)
The environment that our students learn in is so important to daily learning. Many students don't have stable, safe, or a clean living environment. Therefore, it is important for them to come to school and have that stable, clean, and safe environment to learn in.
Daily 5 Writing Environment Look Like
During Word Work, we focus on spelling and vocabulary work with children, creating a thoroughly literate environment that provides essential and often-skipped practice time. (The Daily 5, p 117) "The writing component of the Daily 5™ provides additional support children require to become effective writers. Its purpose is to provide daily writing practice."(The Daily 5, p. 107)
Writing workshop and Work on Writing within Daily 5 are not the same. During writing workshop we may focus on different types of writing and writing techniques must be learned based on our current unit of study. Children often use Work on Writing time within Daily 5 to continue work they started in writing workshop, but not always. Students comprehensively enjoy the freedom of choice that is part of Daily 5. It is then that they may do sustained writing of any form they enjoy.
Students may be working at desk, a small area in the room, or in individual spots. Within the classroom students are actively working, engaged, safe and secure at all times.
Choice
"We write to make sense of our lives." Steve Boolos
Giving Up Control
While reading about choice (Gail and Joan) talk about how hard it is for teachers to give up control in our classrooms. This is a difficult task for me to handle. Reading about how they give up control with student literacy and teach students to be independent helped me gain a more understanding of how it should look like.
While reading an article over student choice and control I realized how difficult it could really be especially with older students. With teaching first grade I hope to never encounter the severity that Beaton did, but I have had a couple try to write about killing animals in a graphic manner. Anyways, Beaton allowed high school English class free choice and gave up control on the topic they wrote about. In doing this she had a student write about getting high in the car and being pulled over. She helped this student change the direction of the writing because they would be sharing this with other members and it was not school appropriate.
In my example I have had a student write about a cow that was ran over on the road. There family picked it up off the road and later cut up to eat and freeze. It was very graphic for a first grader and I was very shocked at this writing. This was a complete shock for me as a teacher. I thought "I can't allow student choice because I have know control." How will I teach students to pick their own topic but tell them they can't write about what they want? This is so hard for me to handle but I just keep teaching and giving examples out loud to my students.
In reference to elementary-school students and writing, Graves (1994, 106) states, "Children need to learn how to choose their own topics when they write." When students are able to choose their won writing a teacher can expect more from students writing. I remember my first year teaching when I didn't allow my students as much free choice. I would always hear "Do we have to write that?" So I decided to allow my students to have more say in their writing topics and ideas. Once I started doing this my students were invested in their work and cared more about their writing.
Due to the common core state standards being pushed in our districts it is important to note students must learn to read, write, speak, listen, and use language effectively in a variety of content areas, the standards promote the literacy skills and concepts required for college and career readiness in multiply disciplines. (common core state standards initiative.) (2012). For the students to practice these skills in writing is just as important. I give my students choice in writing by making sure on particular days that the writing they have to pick from meets the standards to be taught and mastered.