teaching

Short Texts at Your Fingertips: Launching into Summer Writing

Written by Julie Wright & Elizabeth Keim

SHORT TEXTS AT YOUR FINGERTIPS: LAUNCHING INTO SUMMER WRITING

For the past ten weeks, we have offered a series called Short Texts at Your Fingertips.  One or two times each week, we provided teaching ideas around a different type of short text that is easily found in the home, so that no family feels under-resourced. The ideas we have shared were easily integrated into any curriculum and pedagogy, from Workshop to basal. If you are a caregiver, teacher, or curriculum director, these brief but mighty texts and lessons are our way of saying thanks. And our way of giving children authentic and enjoyable reading and writing engagements each day. For some, summer is already in full swing.  For others, summer is just a few short weeks or days away.  Regardless of when your school year ends, it’s important that students of all ages keep reading and writing across the summer months.  Last week we wrote about the WHY and HOW to create voluminous readers this summer!  You can read that post here.  This week we wrap up this series with the WHY and HOW to create voluminous writers this summer! A big THANK YOU to my friend and colleague for being such a great thinking partner and writing partner!

SUMMER WRITING

There is always lots of talk about summer reading.  Children take home books and reading lists.  Writing often gets a line or two at the bottom of the book list (e.g. “Don’t forget to write.”)   We would argue that writing needs equal attention.  Encoding is just as important as decoding and picking up a pencil can be just as easy as reading that short text.  Just as readers need daily practice, writers also need time and motivation to write.  There are lots of ways to incorporate writing into your summer plans. While some children can (and will) write and write and write, all children can create some short texts.   One of the most important ways to encourage writing is to make sure your young writer has ample materials and some great inspiration.  Read on for ideas!

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TRY THIS!

Step 1

If you are looking for some strategic ways to support summer writing, here are some possible pathways:

  • Read about authors and their writing process. Here are a few to get you started:

    • Reading Rockets has lots of videos of amazing authors talking about their work

  • Often some new writing materials to help motivate -- a new notepad or notebook and some beautiful new pens often helps, a lot. See below for more thoughts about this!

  • Correspondence is a great motivator.  A teacher or relative makes a great pen pal.  The correspondence can take place via text, email or mail.   

Step 2

Help students make a plan for summer writing.  Ask:

  • How many days each week will you write? 

  • How many minutes will you spend writing each time you write? 

Ask students what they want to write about.  Do they want to write:

  • Fiction or nonfiction?

  • Notebook entries

  • Poems

  • Letters or postcards or texts

Step 3

Ask students to identify different places to write.  Create a short list of places that might be a perfect place to write, such as:

  • The kitchen table

  • At the computer

  • At the park on a bench

  • Under a favorite tree

  • On the airplane or train

  • On the sidewalk with chalk

  • Anywhere and everywhere as long as there is paper and a writing utensil

Step 4

One of the keys to writing voluminously is to have writing supplies on hand.  Some supplies that promote writing:

  • Paper (lots of it)

    • Unlined (aka copy paper)

    • Lined

    • Construction paper, card stock, etc.

  • Pencils and pens (adults have their favorite writing instruments, encourage your writers to explore different tools)

  • Crayons, markers, paint (many authors need to draw first to “rehearse” their stories and other authors want to illustrate their words)

  • A stapler (and a staple remover) for making books

  • One or more notebooks (for catching all those great ideas and for taking places so there is always somewhere to write)

  • A computer (for those who want to write with a keyboard)

Step 5

Keep reading!  Writers get inspiration from other writers.  Use a loved author as a mentor and try to write in the same style.  Or write a sequel to a favorite story and another in the series.  Here are some other ideas to spark some writing!

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Step 6

Get some other ideas from our other blog posts.  Each one of them can inspire some writing.

Step 7

Get the writing out into the world.  Writers need to “publish” their work and have it read.  Some ideas:

  • Send a piece to a relative or friend

  • Post it on social media

  • Make an author’s video and send it to others to watch

  • Host a virtual (or real) book signing

  • Write a letter and send it off 

FOR MORE  RESOURCES, CHECK THESE OUT!

COMING SOON!

Short Texts:  Mighty Mentors That Move Readers and Writers Forward by Julie Wright & Elizabeth Keim (2022)

Co-planning a Mini-Unit to Wrap Up the Year with JOY!

I’ve had the pleasure of knowing and working with Shannon for the last few years. We share a common love of books and we are both self-proclaimed pen snobs — meaning we are both “pen-picky” and enjoy trying to convince one another that our favorite pen type is the best. Shannon is a continual learner — with an ongoing stream of inquiry. She’s a joy to co-plan with because she exudes happiness as she noodles ideas, thinks through wonderings, and creates ways to support her students — and her learning community — in collaborative, heart-felt ways.

A DISCLAIMER OF SORTS

A few shared agreements:

  • As I co-plan with teachers, I’m not going to spend much time, if any, editing the videos.  This means it might be clunky at times.  You might get a barking dog, tech glitches, or family interruptions.  I hope you’ll be able to relate. Thank you, in advance, for assuming best intentions and for your understanding. In addition, not everything we do together is recorded.

  • The ideas shared in these videos are NOT “the way” or “the right way” -- they are just one way to approach the work.  I hope you’ll spend some time actively studying the co-planning conversation. As you listen, take stock of the ASSETS that emerge from the conversation.  Think about:

    • What’s the WHY behind our work?  

    • What moves are we trying to make in service of students?

    • Name the implications for your work going forward.  What might you adopt or adapt to fit your setting, interests, and/or needs?

  • Focus on process versus end product.  The work will continue to unfold even if it’s not captured on video segments.  If you check back into our shared documents, you’ll notice changes because our work is dynamic, not static, and will evolve across time.

HERE’S WHAT WE ARE UP TO

  • Shannon’s students have settled into a learning from home routine and are launching into their 8th week. Each week brings about new celebrations and new challenges.  

  • Shannon wants her students to end the year with a mini-poetry unit, celebrating reading and writing!

THINGS WE ARE THINKING ABOUT NOW

  • How do the enduring practices we use in the classroom translate -- or not -- to remote/digital learning from home?

  • What’s the WHY behind this mini-poetry unit?

  • What’s going to get kiddos jazzed up about reading and writing poetry?

  • What end demonstrations or learning celebrations can we co-create with students to honor their work?

VIDEO

If you are interested in watching a coach and teacher co-plan — working as THINKING PARTNERS in response to the unique times we are currently experiencing — check out this video.

SOME REFLECTIONS

  • What poem types will be new/unfamiliar to students?  What poem types will feel like “old friends”?

  • Will students write poetry on paper or on the computer?  They have options so I’m wondering what they will choose?  

  • Will students illustrate some of the poems they write?

  • Is there a way to help students collect all of the poems they are reading and writing [a binder or folder] to keep them organized at home?  If so, maybe they could be used to inspire reading/re-reading poetry over the summer.

OTHER LINKS & RESOURCES

Our DRAFTY, dynamic, in-motion, evolving plans: Julie & Shannon: Co-planning Mini-Poetry Unit

Small Group Plans:  Small Group Reading & Writing Lesson Plans to Adopt, Adapt or Improve [During Remote/Distance Learning]

Short Texts at Your Fingertips:  Poetry

If you want to learn more about Shannon’s classroom, check out her blog!

IDEAS TO CHEW ON

As most educators would agree, working from a distance is not the same as in-person experiences. In my work as a consultant, it’s not unusual for me to work across the miles with teachers. In fact, most of my consulting contracts include some form of this type of professional learning, particularly as we prepare for our work together in the classroom. Planning and working across the miles is how we often get a jump-start to our work together. The difference, of course, is the work we are typically planning is NOT from a distance. So, that is where we are trying to make a shift.

I’m in good company when I say we are all kind of tired of this by now. However, with so many unknowns about what school will — or should — look like in the fall, we are using this spring as a dress rehearsal of sorts. We are asking:

  • What’s working? What’s clunky?

  • Who are we reaching and supporting in ways that are making a difference?

  • Who are we concerned about? What don’t we know that we should know?

  • How will we stay connected and minimize the “distance” that separates us?

  • How will we create compelling, sophisticated learning experiences that take into account our foundational beliefs and practices in ways that nature and inspire students?

Two pieces I’ve recently written that might be of interest are:

Until next time — keep at it! You’ve got a whole crew of educators cheering you on because we know the spirit and camaraderie surrounds us all! Reach out if you’d like to chat about ways I might be of service and support your efforts!

From Ed Consultant to Teacher Mom: Reflection #1

I’m sure many of you are just like me — going from “working outside of the home Mom” to “teacher of her own kiddos Mom”. Wow — what a difference just one week makes! My family is in the epicenter of it all—Westchester County, NY. While none of us are directly impacted, as of today, by having COVID-19, we feel the weight of this pandemic in ways we couldn’t have imagined a week ago. It’s a strange tug-of-war. We feel the pressures of this virus, while feeling blessed that we are currently virus-free, have one another, our home, food in refrigerator, books and board games on our shelves, and a little fresh air flowing through the kitchen windows.

Sizing Up the Situation

Like many, we spent the weekend trying to better understand the situation so that we could get our groove on and make a plan. Who knew that things could [and would] change in half day increments. With the majority of my spring consulting work rescheduled to a later date due to school closures, I shifted gears and began thinking about what each of my own kiddos would need and want, both in the short and long-term.

Getting Our Groove On

When I’m trying to get my groove on, I start by noodling plans. I write notes, make lists, create bullet points, and doodle along the edges. Most of my lists are unreadable by others — because they are filled with my thinking and emotion strung across the page. This week’s noodling was no different. The ideas were sort of like an advice column to myself— ultimately giving me guidance [and permission] for how I could navigate the transition from Ed Consultant to Teacher Mom for the weeks ahead. Here are some highlights of things I’m reminding myself to consider:

PROFESSIONALLY

Remind myself it’s okay…

  • To adjust my professional writing schedule a bit — I’ll get it all finished.

  • To not jump at every online PD opportunity that’s circling about social media this week — it’s overwhelming and kind of makes me feel like I should be doing more than I am already doing. It’s hard to squeeze it all in when I’m are working hard to educate my own kids at home while juggling professional obligations. Sometimes taking a break and clearing the noise is good for the brain and soul.

  • To not offer up a bunch of online PD for my educator crew — they’ll understand and many are in the same space as me. They will reach out if they need anything because that’s what THINKING PARTNERS do.

  • To put myfamily first. They need me and I need them.

PERSONALLY

Remind myself to…

  • Do something kind for my better half. He’s working hard out of the home so that I can work hard in the home.

  • Focus on all 3 of our kiddos — they each need similar things and they each need different things [all of which might depend on the day]

  • Spend time across each week creating opportunities for all of us to do things focused on

    • Our HOME [clean things out, organize, donate]

    • Our FAMILY [playing games, putting puzzles together, cooking]

    • Our SELVES [hobbies, passion projects, things that bring us joy]

    • OTHERS [connecting with friends and family via letters & video]

Making a Plan

As for our at home learning time, well it’s definitely under construction.

For my college freshman, who just started her 2nd semester, that means giving her time and space to process a loss—the loss of coming home and the loss of saying goodbye to new friends [painful]. This also means a time for unpacking all of the college stuff that made its way back home [didn’t we just drop all of that off?] and getting set up for online, distance learning for college level coursework.

For my middle, it’s about figuring out what he needs and wants — and how to get his voice in it all so that he’s invested. It means digging through the bookshelves and finding some of his favorites and being open to all of his interests, even if they don’t particularly inspire me.

For my little, it’s about feeling out his feelings. He’s watched and listened to too much newsfeed and he’s a process-oriented kiddo. This means taking a step back, disconnecting a bit from all of the information, taking stock of all the facts, and honoring the things on his worry list. It’s also about getting his hands and brain busy — he’s a build-it, create-it, design-it kind of kid!

All of this will take time.

What’s Ahead…

Tomorrow my middle and my little launch our learning-at-home together. We plan to start our day with pjs + hot cocoa while we read, write, play Nab-it, and create some Origami. As the day unfolds, we’ll make a new recipe and go outside for a long walk with the Bernedoodle who is ever-so-happy about all of his humans-at-home time!. This is where we’ll start. Who knows where all of this will lead. We’re making the most of these tricky times — feeling thankful for so much along the way!

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Creating Entry Points #1: Try Using a Photograph to Spark Curiosity & Interest

SOME BACKGROUND [SHARING MY ROOTS]

Many moons ago, I was a self-contained, intermediate teacher. I loved teaching, loved my kiddos, loved my colleagues and my school. From day-to-day, my students helped breathe life into the work I was doing. That was especially true when the work was extra hard—navigating school initiatives, trying to understand state and district mandates, making sense of curricula, and staying on top of the never-ending, to do list on my teacher clipboard.

Those days are vivid in my mind’s eye because it was the same time my firstborn, Sydney, showed her beautiful face to the world. I was a proud, new, working mom [missing my baby fiercely] which resulted in a daily quick share during Morning Meeting, referred by my students as “Sydney Story Time”. I shared stories about Sydney throwing Cheerios all over the floor, her refusal to keep baby socks on her feet, her babbles and first words, and descriptions of lost toys in our backseat. My kiddos learned a lot about Sydney, but they also learned a lot about me and the things that were important in my life.

In those days being digital was a 2 or 3 step process. Once a week, I added a picture to my narrative to add to the storytelling experience. My students would gather around our desktop computer to view the “Sydney Picture of the Week”. As I shared the play-by-play descriptions that accompanied the picture, my students would smile and laugh and ask questions and give advice. I knew I was onto something meaningful because if I was out of the classroom and missed Morning Meeting, my students expected 2 “Sydney Stories” upon my return. It was pure joy.

Each day during Reading and Writing Workshop, my students had 2 big chunks of work time where they were doing the work of READING [reading texts they chose] and doing the work of WRITING [writing a lot]. Among others, we had 2 goals that were consistent across every unit, every day. They were:

  1. EYES ON PRINT, EYES ON PRINT, EYES ON PRINT to build reading volume.

  2. PENCIL TO THE PAGE, PENCIL TO THE PAGE, PENCIL TO THE PAGE to build writing volume.

“Sydney Stories” often became entry points for my students’ reading and writing experiences. It was not unusual for a few details to show up in my students’ Writer’s Notebooks. Sometimes students recounted the events from Sydney’s point of view. Sometimes fictitious details were added. Other times, students would write a similar story, but change the main character or add a new ending with a twist. There were even times when a few students would launch some research and create things, based on something that was shared, which is how I acquired homemade, baby-safe, hanging toys in the backseat of my car.

SO WHAT? WHY DOES THIS MATTER?

Kids want to know their teachers. They want to know about our experiences, talents, fears, family happenings, and the adventures of our daily lives. It’s reciprocal because we want to know our students in the same way. As the years passed, I expanded my Morning Meeting share to include lots of things about me— interesting things about my extended family, my passions, and curiosities. My sharing often inspired students to want to to do the same, giving everyone ongoing opportunities to learn about and know one another.

EFFICIENT & EFFECTIVE PRACTICES STAND THE TEST OF TIME

Recently, our family got a new puppy. Oh my…. it’s like having a toddler in the house! Here’s Denver, our 16-week old Bernedoodle.

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As an instructional coach who visits schools, I often need to create opportunities to learn about students and ways for students to get to know me. Earlier this week I was working with some amazing 4th graders. To launch our work, I shared Denver’s picture above along with these details:

  • My family got a new puppy.

  • He is 16 weeks old.

  • His name is Denver and he is a Bernedoodle.

  • He came from a breeder in Indiana.

  • His mom had a litter of 7 puppies.

  • When Denver runs across the yard, he sometimes does a little somersault because he’s in that clumsy puppy stage.

Students broke into small groups for about 7 minutes to discuss anything they were thinking about. The room was full of productive chatter. Some students talked about their own pets. Others listed wonderings they had about Denver. During Reading and Writing Workshop, students were given several choices. They were invited to read or write something that they were previously working on OR they could do some work in response to Denver’s picture. During a quick brainstorm, we generated this list together of some possibilities.

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Denver’s photo sparked curiosity and interest, but the key was students’ choice and autonomy in what they did [or didn’t do] after my quick share. Some students talked more about their own experiences with puppies. Some students researched about Bernadoodles and other points of interest. Some created lists of questions while others wrote Denver adventure stories. Most importantly, some went about with their own reading and writing projects because that is how they chose to spend their time. These 4th graders are just getting started—I can’t wait to see where their literacy journey takes them!

TRY THIS: USE A PHOTOGRAPH TO SPARK CURIOSITY & INTEREST

  1. Find a photo/image that is meaningful to you [family member, recent experience, something from nature, etc.]

  2. Project the photo/image so that students can see it and share a few details about it.. Note: If time permits, give students time to talk about the photo/image and/or ask you questions about it.

  3. Explain that during Reading and/or Writing Workshop, students will have time to read or write something related to the photo/image you shared OR they can read or write something they were previously working on.

  4. As a whole group, brainstorm some possible reading and writing ideas.

  5. Give students time to read and/or write.

  6. At the end of Reading or Writing Workshop, give students an opportunity to share what they’ve been working on [whole group or small groups].

  7. As students share, listen in and kidwatch so that you can use this data/intel to impact your focus for instruction in the days to come. CONSIDER: Ask students if they would like more time to read and write using the photo/image as inspiration OR if they have had enough time. If students would like more time, plan accordingly based on students’ interests/needs and your school/district curricular calendars.

SOME TIPS

  • Invite students to bring in a photo/image to share with the class. If there’s time and interest, give students an opportunity to read and write from classmates’ photos too!

  • If you are an administrator or instructional coach, consider asking colleagues to bring in a photograph to share during a staff meeting. They could:

    • Form a small group and talk to colleagues about their photo.

    • Do a quick write about their photo or any photo in the room.

    • Brainstorm ideas about ways photographs/images could be used in the classroom to bolster reading and writing volume.

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