Evidence-based vocabulary instruction in practice. We unpack 3 key recommendations from Dr. Beck’s approach to teaching vocabulary in grades K–2 and draw connections from research to classroom practice.
Collaborative writing is a practice that supports both student engagement and growth in writing skills. In this post we will highlight how we built collaboration when teaching a specific writing strategy, sentence combining.
For decades, teachers of writing have understood that intentionally building a classroom writing community is far more than just a way to help students work well with classmates and stay engaged, though these are worthwhile outcomes, too. In fact we know—both through our own action research and from empirical studies of numerous classrooms—that learning to write within a writing community is what ultimately leads to the success of individual writers.
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Sometimes students struggle with examining their lives in the deep and powerful manner it takes to write effective personal narratives. One of my students, Laura, exclaimed in frustration one afternoon, “Mrs. D., you have 50+ years of memories. I only have 11. How can I reflect like you do?”
We are noticing that Collaborative Classroom programs are aligned with developmentally appropriate approaches, and our students are developing a strong reading foundation due to the explicit instruction and a variety of opportunities to apply skills.
In Part One of this two-part blog series, I discussed the importance of teaching students the Opinion Writing genre and explored the goals of the Being a Writer Opinion…
Children love to voice their opinions, and when taught how, will often share them in writing. Some will even share their written viewpoints with very little instruction or…
In this spotlight, we highlight Lindsay Young, third grade language arts teacher at North Branch Elementary School, Michigan. Lindsay has been implementing Being a Writer for two years…
Words belong to everyone and no one. When we write, we’re taking a seat at the communal table—sharing a poem, arguing a point, telling a story, laughing and weeping, responding vociferously or reflecting on others’ contributions. Everyone deserves a place at the table.
We’re honored to spotlight Christie Graves, the Assistant Principal at North Rose-Wolcott Elementary School in North Rose, NY. In this interview, she shares her experiences implementing Collaborative Literacy and SIPPS (Systematic Instruction in Phonological Awareness, Phonics, and Sight Words).
I will never forget listening in on a peer conference with second grader Cruz and his writing partner more than two decades ago. Cruz had just finished reading…
As I admitted in Part One of this two-part blog series, early in my career, I didn’t confer often. If I did, it was only every once in…
The beautiful part of writing is that you don’t have to get it right the first time, unlike, say, a brain surgeon. You can always do it better,…
In March 2020 school districts across the United States announced closure, and teachers left their classrooms at the end of the day without resources, initially believing that they…
The executive director of the National Writing Project discusses best practices in writing instruction and the NWP's role in the development of the Being a Writer program.
“This is the gold we work for—we are crafting lifelong readers and writers!” —Morgan Huber The 2019–2020 school year was Morgan Huber’s first year teaching Collaborative Literacy to…
At some point in the past couple of weeks, all of us were expected to work and teach from home. It has been a sudden transition. I thought…
This is the third part of a three-part blog series that highlights the power of Being a Writer instruction. You can read Part One: Immersion and Drafting here. You can…
This three-part blog series highlights the power of Being a Writer instruction. You can read Part One: Immersion and Drafting here. Part Three will cover assessments in the program. Revision…
If you currently teach any of our Collaborative Classroom programs, you know that we appreciate the value of a read-aloud to support student learning across all instruction. In…