Growing Future Writers

            Writing at Cumberland Trace Elementary is a part of life, not just teaching to the assessed portfolio.  Students begin writing in our preschool program by talking about audience, purpose, and focus.  After reading specific genres they discus story elements such as: problem, solution, and character development.  When those students move into kindergarten the language of writing has already been established.  We are fortunate to have at least one teacher at almost every grade level who is a member of the writing Project Alumni: Patrice McCrary (kindergarten), Lisa Jones (first grade), Jennifer Clark (third grade), Elizabeth Jensen (4^th grade), Cindy Clark (5^th grade), Linda McKinney (counselor) and myself.  These wonderful writers/teachers of writing share their skills and love for writing with teaching partners.

            Because of our building-wide approach to writing instruction, as tied to reading instruction and writing to learn, our writing scores continue to improve.  Our school was redistricted in 2002 so our scores begin with that year.  We have gained 15.51 points in four years, rising from 68.96 to 84.47 (the state goal is 100 by 2014).  Gains in test scores are wonderful, but it is the individual student’s gain of writing knowledge on which we focus.  Three years ago we decided that special education students should not be locked into the novice level (lowest level of achievement on the Kentucky scoring guide).  If a student has a story to tell, then that student has a story to write.  The staff has worked with these students to help them first verbalize their thoughts and then slowly, methodically, purposefully help them learn the writing process. We have had no novice writers the past three years at the assessed grade level.

Another technique which has been rewarding for these students is drawing their story.  Many of these learners are visual; they put details in the picture that are not in their writings. Drawing is also somewhat of a break from the oftentimes physical and tedious act of writing. Anna always wrote just the minimum facts until I had her draw a picture of her personal narrative. In her picture she added characters she did not have in her story, expressions on faces, and a detail about the ride that was not in her story. The memory she had about the ride was transformed from, “I rode a roller coaster,” to the following paragraph:

                        I rode a really scary ride called the Raven, that’s a bird. 

                        There were; seats for three people across with a bar to

                        hold onto.  All of the people were having a good time

                        and smiling.  I was having a good time too.  I was in the

                        front car sitting in the middle.  It was a lot of fun.

            After discussing the details that were in her picture but excluded from her story she excitedly proclaimed, “If I add all of these details I will not be a novice.”  It is gratifying to see that the students enjoy writing, they enjoy telling their stories, and they enjoy working with the adults.  This fourth grade girl hugged me one day after a conferencing session and said, “Thank you for making me feel special, writing always makes me feel special.” 

            Another group of writers we have seen grow and blossom is the male writer.  We have decreased the gap between female and male writers to 1.63 points.  Believe it or not, they love to write poetry. In the past three years we have had several of our male students win poetry contests.  Some of our “tougher” boys shared some of their poetry and that really helped the others see that it was a cool thing to do.  Then all the boys wanted to share. Boys talking about important issues in their lives, such as: parents, friends, sports, hurt feelings, disappointments…. Yes, the impact of writing can be powerful.  When first told to write a piece of poetry Quincy completed the assignment doing as little as possible. His rough draft:

                                    Watching your favorite golfer hoping he wins.

                                    Hitting the golf ball and knocking it into the green.

                                    Walking after everybody hits to get the ball at the new spot.

Driving the get to the ball faster than walking so the game won’ take as long.

Putting on the green to get the ball

into the hole and getting bird-eye

Aiming to get a perfect shot and get a hole in one

Jumping after making a good shot close to the flag and the hole

Clapping after someone makes a good shot or the game is over

Counting the points to see who wins the game

Winning the state tournament by getting a bogie on the last shot.

During our conferencing session I discovered Quincy’s passion for golf.  He had forgotten about the poetry and was immersed in our conversation.  After much good dialogue I asked, “Do you think you could put any of that in your poem?”  His reply, “Oh yeah, the poem – sure.” Later he shared his revision with me.  He couldn’t produce a poetry piece until he put the passion he felt into his words.  Quincy’s revised poem:

                                                     Golfing

Watching, studying my favorite golfer,

hoping he wins standing up in my seat

                        eyes glued to the World Tournament Series

Hitting the golf ball and knocking it into the green

                        Getting ready to walk but thinking,  “Do they have carts?”

Walking after everybody hits, to get the ball at the new spot

Deciding that taking the cart would be fast

Driving to get the ball, faster than walking

So the game won’t take long

Feeling spectacular going onto the green

Putting on the green to get

the ball into the hole, getting birdie

Readying for the putt, getting mentally prepared

Aiming, getting a perfect shot, getting a hole in one Jumping for joy

knowing that’s one of the best shots I’ll ever make

Jumping after making a good shot

close to the flag, the hole,

Getting set to putt, trying to sink the ball into the hole

Clapping after someone makes a good shot

Hoping mine can be better

Counting the points to see who wins the game,

Standing right next to the score keeper

Heart pounding with excitement

Winning the World Cup,

by getting a birdie on the last shot,

Jumping with joy, speechless

Finding the words, giving a speech,

Being the best golfer in the United States during 2006

Back at my same old house where it all began

Waking up form a wonderful, wonderful!  … dream

            The Gifted students are in a group called the Portfolio Pals.  I guess you could say it is a writing club, fashioned after a reading club.  We come together once a week to examine the writings of well-known authors.  Next we apply their strategies and techniques to our writing.  Then we share our writing with the Pals’ members for critique.  Because this group meets in the school library, many adults walk through and hear our conversation.  They are AMAZED at the language being used.  I have had adults return to ask me things like, “What did they mean by shrinking a moment?”  The students explain that they have to take a period of time and shrink it to the bare facts, to have an effective transition.  The Pals ask their partners questions such as: “Can you tell me what you want the reader to feel?”  or “Explain what your purpose is.”  Would you say this is growing writers, or completing portfolio pieces?

            During our Portfolio Pals meetings we use touchstones, good literature by accomplished authors, to show examples of what each tool looks like.  For example:  Frank Walker is a master with imagery in his poetry, Jane Yolen for exploding a moment, and Patrica Polacco for voice and details.  The poem, “Where I am From,” by Kentucky author George Ella Lyon, helps students put their short lives into poetry.  After reading Ms. Lyon’s poem, Courtney made a list of things she felt “made me, me.”  Her poem, gives the reader a glimpse of who she feels she is.

Where I Am From

(Adapted from George Ella Lyon)

I am from country music playing in my ear

Sounding soul-wrenching

From loving nicknames, Court Court and Princess,

That Mom and Dad call me

From planting beautiful mums in my yard

To make it look homey

From eating delicious turkey on Thanksgiving

With family members playing

From curly long hair, I inherited from Mom

Fun-loving attitude inherited from Dad

I am from Mom telling hilarious stories,

About me when I was younger

Turning orange from eating carrots, squash

Coloring myself blue with a permanent marker

From going to church singing, praying

Memorizing important memory verses

From moving house to house in Bowling Green

Wishing I could stay in just one

Great Grandmother Violet dying,

Crying when I remember

From sitting on the couch drinking hot chocolate

With family, a cold winter night

This is where I am from.

Another touchstone used was Jane Yolen’s, Owl Moon, to demonstrate exploding a moment.  Jennifer took this idea and applied it to her personal narrative:

                        There was a rustle in the weeds, we just kept working and

                        playing I said, “I guess it was just the wind.”  My sister

                        just nodded and kept working.  Then, out of the corner of my

                        eye I saw something jump out from the weeds and run right

                        at us.  I heard something that sounded like snarling.  I was

                        all confused so I opened my mouth to scream.  It came out

                        loud and clear.  Laura must have been confused too because

                        she started screaming with me. Out of all the commotion    

                        you could barley hear the dog barking like a wolf.   

            One of our author studies focused on Patricia Polacca and her book, Pink and Say.  Through voice and details the reader sees a character, isn’t just told about their character.  Anne-Thomas used that example of writing in her personal narrative when she “showed” us her fear.

                        I walked back and forth in the living room with butterflies

                        in my stomach.  My eyes were sagging like when I haven’t

                        had much sleep.  My throat was tight like when I

                        want to cry but can’t.  I was chewing on my necklace

                        as I was shaking from the inside out.

            Students reflect on the tools they have been taught through touchstones and how they have improved as a writer because of the exposure to their writings.  Morgan writes in her reflective piece:

Reading books has also helped me improve my

                        writing.  Good books (touchstones) give me ideas that

                        I can use in my stories.  Bad books helped me by

                        showing me what not to do.  George Ella Lyon’s poem

                         “Where I’m From” inspired me to write my poem. 

                        A  book,  Authors of Today, Authors of Tomorrow,

                        that contains proficient pieces written my former

                        students at C.T. inspired me also.  Hearing these

                        examples made me want to write my own pieces to

                        proficiency.    

Nikhil wrote in his reflective piece:

                                    My favorite piece is my personal narrative

                        which is called,  “The Indian Times of Nikhil.”  I

                        like it because I tell of my trip to the top of a

                        mountain.  The author who inspired me is John R.

                        Erickson, the writer of Hank the Cow Dog.  Reading

                         his books has helped me organize my piece from an

                        exciting beginning, to an interesting middle, and

                        having a thrilling end.

            The touchstones can be used as a full-class lesson or as a mini lesson.  Mini lessons are planned after analyzing student work (sample is included).  Teachers at all levels use the Kentucky scoring guide when analyzing student work.  That is not so unusual; many teachers across the state do this.  But, our students also use the scoring guide as a tool when conferencing with their writing partner.  They talk the talk; they highlight examples in their writing of idea development or insight, and marks where the purpose is stated.  Students keep all copies of rough drafts and reflect on improvements that have been made.  Teachers also do their own reflecting, “What do I need to teach next?’  “What is the next mini lesson?” Sometimes the mini lessons are whole class; other times they are small group.  The lessons come from the weaknesses seen in rough drafts.  Then the students are allowed to see the teacher work through the process during revising.  I call this, “Think Talk.”  As I am applying tools from a mini lesson to one of my pieces (on an overhead or Active Board) I talk my thoughts.  When students see that teachers have questions, second thoughts, and get writer’s block just as they do, they are not afraid to admit their weaknesses.  We learn together in a safe environment.

            Analysis is used to improve the writer, the teacher, and as a monitoring system.  Fourth grade, the state assessed level, formally scores portfolio pieces using the state analytical scoring guide.  The non-assessed grades of fifth and sixth hold a less formal scoring session using the same scoring guide to place scores on all required pieces and to analyze the writing program. Because the amount of emphasis placed on writing is not as great at the fifth and sixth grade levels as it is at the fourth, the scores are usually lower.  But scoring analytically helps each teacher reflect on classroom instruction. Working folder, which contains scored pieces, are passed from one level to another.  Teachers, students, and parents can see student growth through these folders. Primary grades, also non-assessed levels, use the Continuous Progress Report as a guide for scoring and analysis. All grade levels have district writing time lines to guide their instruction (an example is included). The time lines were developed by the twelve district elementary Curriculum Coordinators.  Eight of the twelve are also Writing Cluster Leaders and two are Writing Project Alumni (Karen Alford and myself).  Much more writing takes place then what is required through the time line.

            Yes, we want to raise our writing scores, but we try to focus on the student as a lifelong writer not just a producer of portfolio pieces.  I have a sign in my room which I have shared with my students, “Teach the writer, DON’T tell the writer.”  By sharing this with students they keep me honest.  When I move from teaching to telling, they let me know about it.  Good writers want writing to be a natural part of their lives, not just during the dreaded portfolio year. We teach writers to be lifelong writers.

--Denise Henry, Project VII