Reading COmprehension strategies
Choosing a Just Right Book
An approach to Balanced Literacy: My View, Lucy Calkins and mentor Texts
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Reader's workshop
Writers Workshop
Writer's Workshop is a teaching technique that invites students to write by making the process a meaningful part of the classroom curriculum. First grade students learn to write daily through varied activities. In Writer's Workshop, first grade students are exposed to the organization and thought required to create a story or write about a favorite topic and develop it into an understandable narrative with a voice and focus. First grade students shift from writing for the activity itself and presenting material to classmates, paying more attention to writing correctly and mechanics. Because they are allowed to choose the topic, students are motivated to create and complete works, however correct completion may be at the price of creative expression. Peer conferencing can become a central part to the creative process. The Writer's Workshop format includes story planning (possibly with peer conferencing), revision, teacher editing, and direct instruction in the mechanics of grammar. For the first grade student this teaching technique allows students the opportunity to develop expression, revision strategy, and skill in writing, and encourages them to try a few new things during the revision process.
Mentor TextsJust right for a mini-lesson, picture books make the perfect mentor texts to model writing skills. Use the books and suggested teaching ideas in these lists to model the traits of writing for your students.
Text Types Ideas Use these books to discuss imagination, creativity, main ideas, and the importance and relevance of specific themes. Organization These books model thoughtful sequencing and good beginnings and endings of paragraphs and plots. Voice Voice becomes loud and clear in these titles which employ a variety of imaginative perspectives and opinions. Word Choice Use these titles to exhibit the importance of word-choice in creating metaphors, playing with onomatopoeia, the preciseness of meaning, and the occasional use of nonsense. Sentence Fluency Model sentence fluency with books filled with lyrical phrases and rhythmically poetic lines. Conventions Spice up lessons on this dreaded trait with titles that bring fun to revision, punctuation, parts of speech. |