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Bouquet of Red Pens

The first day of fall is just around the corner! It’s Back-to-School season. Likely your students are close to completing their first CORE journal of the year. Now’s the time to offer a lovely bouquet of red pens.

“What’s your big idea?”

The purpose of writing is to communicate an idea. In order to accomplish this goal, students need to develop the skills and confidence that will prepare them to communicate that idea well.

Teach your students early on to read what they write.

Take this a step further. Hand them a red pen!

Before conferencing with your students, encourage them to read their first draft and to indicate mistakes they catch with red marks. Encourage them to look for misspelling, capitalization, and grammatical errors. They might not catch everything, but you’ll certainly be surprised what they will catch. Once they are confident, challenge them to consider word choice, to rearrange phrasing, to strike through redundancy, and to avoid what we writers call waffle!

All writing comes into being through a process:
1. First comes the IDEA. Without an idea, the writer will simply stare at the blank page.
2. Once there is an idea in the mind of the writer, the pencil steps in to translate the idea to words on the page.
3. When the pencil’s work is complete, the job of the writer is to become a reader. Encourage your students to READ everything they write—absolutely everything! It is often best to leave space between the “draft” and the “read” stage.
4. Next, make sure students use the RED pen as they read through the first draft of their idea. Teach them to look for spelling errors, for capitalization errors, and for grammatical errors. Beyond this teach them to use strong words, to fearlessly re-arrange, and to not be afraid to strike through unnecessary words.
5. Lastly, teach them to polish the draft, preferably in cursive.

There is NO substitute for consistently encouraging your children to write their ideas. No matter the level, kindergarten through high school, make sure your students are equipped with a pencil and a red pen. We urge you to courageously coach your students in the process of writing! Teaching your students to engage in the process of constructing ideas—to read what they write and use their very own red pen—will certainly teach them more about writing than hours and hours of deconstructive writing tasks.

Come June, your students will have not only brought shape to significant original ideas, but also learned to enter into the work that makes those ideas shine. More importantly, they will have gained confidence in their ability to communicate. Writing an idea is genius.

 

~Kimberly

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Back-to-School with Calendar of Days

Calendar of Days is designed to be the first thing you do to start each day. It’s the special “opening” activity designed to support observation skills, to apply math skills, and much more. For example when counting days, you have the tremendous opportunity to count by 2s, to count by 5s, to even explore place value as the number of days in school grow to groups of ten and beyond. This activity will become a morning tradition as your students count up and count down to summer! And all this is lovely learning is accomplished during gentle start of day conversation.

Each Calendar of Days bundle includes a teacher whiteboard, a student journal,  dry erase markers + eraser, and two thematic books tied to the calendar.

Each day the teacher whiteboard is filled  fill out, leaving room for student interaction, “What’s the weather like today?” Students move on to complete the journal each day, copying the whiteboard when necessary. On day 5 each week, students will create a small journal entry about a favorite day.
Each year, the Calendar of Days bundle includes two read aloud stories connected to days and weeks and months and seasons. During kindergarten, the books introduce the days of the weak and the weather. During first grade, we include two books to help you and your students explore gardening as connected to seasons. In the second grade, two wonderful books about more advanced weather and clouds are sure to inspire! The books are included as a springboard for you the teacher. Make them familiar. Read them often. Extend the new knowledge with creative activities.

Kindergarten

First Grade

Second Grade

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Writing New Words

“The difference between the almost right word and the right word is really a large matter—’tis the difference between the lightning bug and the lightning.” ~Mark Twain

All great writing begins with singular words. Vocabulary development begins in infancy. Babies move from babbling to utilizing whole words during the first year of life. Before entering Kindergarten, they are understanding and using a lexicon of around 5,000 words! As students begin to read, this vocabulary will increase exponentially.

Unfortunately, vocabulary development exercises often become disconnected from purpose. Words are singular, possessing significant specificity.

“I know nothing in the world that has as much power as a word. Sometimes I write one, and I look at it until it begins to shine.” ~Emily Dickinson

Challenging our students to actually use new words in their written ideas will guarantee that these new words are etched into memory. Actively igniting words—reading, speaking, and writing—is the art of communicating.

Over the course of the school year, Operation Lexicon will grow your student’s lexicon. Each week your student is presented with four words ABCeDarian style—four A words, four B words, four C words and so on—from the lexicon of a significant author.  Students will not only explore the words being used in the context of exceptional writing, but will employ the words in new ways. Setting your student on an adventure with words, not just any words, but the words great writers use, will help them understand just what words are worth.

Of course students will be using new words to construct sentences. But, perhaps more importantly, students will construct narrative passages using the new words presented each week. One Crafting a narrative passage can be fiction or non-fiction, or, it can be something in between. Narration is a significant genre of writing where the goal is to tell a story. Story details can unfold in a linear or non-linear manner. Practicing this art form is a significant goal for students throughout all of education. Operation Lexicon provides an ongoing opportunity to practice this work simultaneous to acquiring a rich vocabulary.

Four Words from the Work of E.B. White

inquires, irksome, idyllic, injury

Set the Stage

Offering students a setting to spring from is a great way to begin. Here students were presented with information about pistachio groves and a little bit of pistachio lore. The lesson didn’t take long, just long enough to spark an idea.

Pistachio trees were introduced to the United States in 1854. Did you know most pistachios produced in the US are grown in California? Pistachios need a mild winter chill and healthy warm breezes to thrive. But coastal regions are not ideal. The pistachio is a small tree that begins to produce fruit during the fifth year after planting and only reaches full maturity after fifteen years. April frosts will kill flowers and cool summers won’t promote good kernel development. Favored by the Queen of Sheba, known as the smiling fruit, from the hanging gardens of Babylon, to the Venetian court, these bright green nuts have a rich history.

 

Get Writing

The following 175-word narrative micro-story was inspired by the essence of the above details. Students were encouraged to create a scenario with two characters, real or imagined, connected to a pistachio tree. The lesson concluded like this: “Now, use this information and the four words of E.B. White and begin your story in a world once upon a time, one fine day in fall…

One breezy day in fall, Monarch and Bluebird have an argument in the shelter of a pistachio tree.

Bluebird hungrily inquires, “Hey colorful Monarch! Are you delicious?”

Frightened and fibbing, Monarch replies, “No Bluebird! I’m bitter! My orange and black will mix together and make a most irksome ache in your stomach!” Feeling an ominous chill, Monarch coyly suggests, “Surely this idyllic tree is big enough for us both. Why don’t you take the shady side and I’ll live on the sunny side?”

Bluebird, pausing to decide if the butterfly is telling the truth, finally says, “But your colors are enchanting. I can’t let you go!”

“I’m warning you,” says Monarch. “You will regret eating me!” He flutters farther down the branch, distancing himself from the bird among the toasted foliage.

Bluebird hops closer for a second look. “Perhaps, on closer inspection, those stripes do look dangerous.”

So Monarch flutters, hidden on the sunny side of the tree among the leaves and smiling seeds, safe from injury, while Bluebird sings sweetly on the shady side.

 

~Kimberly

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SEVEN Tips for Unpacking Bridge to Terabithia

Bridge to Terabithia is a quintessential middle school read. It is tied to one of our CORE, Level 3 Integrated Literature and Writing units. By the time students reach this level, they are confidently journaling and writing their ideas inspired by great stories.  As the teacher, you have the profound opportunity to guide your students into the work of unpacking the story. During middle school, introducing the concept of themes and symbols and motifs conversationally adds richness to the discussion and depth to what is gleaned from the story. Following are seven tips for going deeper into this wonderful story.

ONE. Be WOWed!

As you, the teacher are WOWed, your students will follow.

First things first:                                       

                  Often, we are asked, “Do I have to read the book?” 

                  Our reply?  A resounding, “No, you GET to read the book!”

                                 (You won’t be WOWed if you don’t read the book!)

Our CORE Integrated Literature and Writing Journals are designed to free up the teacher to read closely alongside the student, unlocking the story’s treasure. This enables the student to journal observations and compose ideas inspired by the journey.

     No skipping pages!

Recently when Cathi and I began to prepare to deliver a close reading lesson of this wonderful novel, I broke the cardinal rule and skipped what I assumed was a “promo” blurb.  But no, I realized, upon reading that this significant passage reminds us that someone long ago hung a rope!

“A Place for Us” is actually an invitation to enter into the story’s world, the story’s wonder—”It was a glorious autumn day, and if you looked up while you swung, it gave you the feeling of floating. Jess leaned back and drank the clear rich color of the sky.” Then Leslie called to Jess, “We need a place just for us.” And so the world of the story is opened to us readers.

Thankfully, Cathi reminded me to NOT skip this introduction!

             Ask yourself, “What are the powerful points that bring shape to the big picture?”

What are the points YOU discover? What are the points your student discovers? Remember there is no right answer here. There are parameters—think about the characters, the setting, the plot, and all the words and phrases that help these fold together into a story—but within those parameters, there is room to explore.

              Jump to the FORWARD written by Kate DiCamillo

“In afternoons the floor would fill up with great slabs of light, and it was very much like being in a dusty, book-filled cathedral. I read Bridge to Terabithia in one of those great squares of light; and the story, for me is forever associated with light.” Reading this brought to mind Emily Dickinson’s poem “A Certain Slant of Light” and the HEFT/weight that the poet describes is akin to Kate DiCamillo’s description here. Robert Frost’s poem, which is also alluded to in The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton is brought to mind too, “Nothing Gold Can Stay.”  Kate DiCamillo here makes an astonishing simile: “Bridge to Terabithia is like that room—brimful of light.” She goes on to remind us that something terrible happens. Something terrible. And then she reminds us that we CAN bear this terrible thing. This is the power of literature, it reminds us we are, “…loved and seen, too” (x).

TWO. Seek Out Rich Words

From the Forward…

Rent – to split, to be torn 

Brimful – full to the very top edge 

“We are devastated, emotionally rent. But still: we feel held, loved, seen. Someone trusted us enough to tell us the truth and because of that the room is golden, brimful of light” (xi).

To the middle of the book and beyond…

Wheedling – To flatter, to coax 

“‘Why can’t we charge some things,’ Ellie said in her wheedling voice'” (101).

THREE. Introduce & Explore Themes and Symbols and Motifs

Themes emerge as characters move through the world of the story. Themes connect readers to deeper conflicts that arise on the journey—shared humanity. Themes are NOT “morals” (recommendations on how to live / “moral of the story”) but rather, point to real ways we humans experience the world, archetypical ways. Themes demonstrate topics common to us all—love, conformity, justice, beauty, friendship, courage, power, family and so on.

In other words, it’s NOT a writer’s job to answer the world’s difficult questions, only to SHOW those questions clearly with their stories and allow the characters and the readers to journey through to the other side.

  • Cathedral —REVERENCE is a recurring theme that is pointed out by Kate DiCamillo in the Forward. Watch for this throughout the story.
  • LIGHT as a symbol is so often repeated in the story that it transforms into a motif, like wallpaper illuminating along the way.
  • GOLD  When Leslie and Jess help renovate, they want to use blue paint but end up using gold. Ultimately, Leslie compares the room to a magical castle.
  • How does FRIENDSHIP unfold?
  • How is EMPATHY strengthened?

Significantly, in Chapter 2, entitled Leslie Burke,  the character does not introduce herself until the very end: “My name is Leslie Burke” (22). Up until this point, Jess does not know what to make of this person, “The person had jaggedy brown hair cut close to its face and wore one of those blue-undershirtlike tops with faded jeans cut off above the knees. He couldn’t honestly tell whether it was a girl or a boy” (22). After a small dialogue he decides definatively that this is a girl, but is not sure why he makes this decision. So begins a beautiful unfolding of gender as theme, of childhood, of innocence that leads to friendship.

 

FOUR. Character Development

Characters weave readers into themes.

Look for passages of immediacy where deeper character traits and desires are revealed. In this story, Jess longs to be seen, to be known. He is trying to move beyond the reputation of being the “crazy little kid who draws all the time,” (4) he is trying to win a race, to make his father proud. What was his father like? We know right away he drove a pick-up. But what do we learn about his father that is implied by lines like: ” even his dad would be proud” (5) and “Old Dad would be surprised at how strong he’d gotten in the last couple of years” (6).  Later on when the familiar “baripity” can be heard coming up the road, Maybelle screams with delight. When her father opens the truck door, she climbs onto his lap, just then, Jess’s internal voice shares with us readers: “Durn luckey kid” (19). Jess longed for his father’s affection. And teaches us much about his father.

FIVE. Enlist the Built-in Teacher

What is the author doing with words?

Stylistic techniques of the author?

What do YOU discover…?

            Comments on Writing Technique

Following are some notes and tabs from Chapter 1 (and beyond).  Read these passages aloud and encourage your students to find similar moments in the writing that they find exceptional.

Examine the 4-sentence opening paragraph  that begins with onomatopoea. The length of the sentences are short short short and then long. And it is the long, last complex sentence that launches the reader into the complexities of this marvelous story. Read this paragraph aloud!

Check out the simile describing Mama “Mad as Flies” on page 1.

Find this sentence on page 2: “When you were the only boy smashed between four sisters.”

And find this one further on down the same page: “Even if it got unhandy at times.”

This marvelous sentence on page 2 is filled with exceptional words and repetition that lends a certain tiptoe rhythm: “The place was so rattly that it screeched whenever you put your foot down, but Jess had found that if you tiptoed, that it gave only a low moan, and he could usually get outdoors without waking  Momma or Ellie or Brenda or Joyce Ann.”

More onomatopoeia on page 5: “…red mud slooching…”

And, in the end, Katherine Patterson profoundly uses onomatopoeia as motif to bookend the story: “Behind him came the baripity of the pick-up but he couldnt turn around” (132).

Watch for the em dash—that wonderful mark that can replace the comma, parenthesis, or colon. This mark is always more emphatic, more intrusive. And Katherine Patterson employs it throughout the story.

SIX.  Unpacking the Heart of Story

Pay attention to setting—where and when is the story taking place. This particular story takes place in a small town, Lark Creek, in rural Virginia post Vietnam in the 1970s.  Follow the path of the plot, follow the sequence of events  driven by the characters. This journey will lead you to the heart of the story.

And as stories go, this one is special—a bildungsroman. Don’t let anyone tell you its a simple “coming of age” story because Bridge to Terabithia is so much more. Bildungsroman is literary term. Here, bildung means “education” and roman means “formation”—loss leads to growth. Here maturity comes at a high cost.

SEVEN. Now Riff to the End

Reading a book is more like listening to music than it is comprehending with right and wrong answers. Reading a book is entering into an art form. And while it is true there are structure and scaffold we can become accustomed to, great stories are unique and lovely and full of wonder.

Eucharisteo is a Greek word that means to give thanks, to be thankful. Reverence.  This is the theme that holds this great story together. This reverence begins with the creation of Terabithia. When Leslie names this secret land, “Like God in the Bible, they looked at what they had made and found it was very good” (51). And with that delicious allusion, Katherine Patterson, sets the eucharisteo into motion.

Pay close attention to Miss Edmunds and Maybelle and, ultimately Mrs. Myers who have suprisingly significant, albeit supporting roles to play on the journey through this story.

Remember that the Bridge to Terabithia is a mighty symbol. Keep in mind the idiom “building bridges” is a phrase  overflowing with hope.

Then and only then will you be ready for Chapter 10, The Perfect Day, where tension builds and climax swells. Then and only then will you be able to hear Mrs. Myers: “‘Excuse me, she said, ‘this morning when I came in someone had already taken out her desk'” (159).  And then this: It—it—we—I never had such a student. In all my years of teaching. I shall always be grateful—” (159).

In that moment Mrs. Myers makes herself vulnerable, sharing her devastation at the loss of her husband. Jess is suddenly in the light, able to empathize, able to replace bitterness toward Mrs. Myers for gratitude. In that moment of tragic illumination, myth-busting occurs. Revelation. Jess is able to understand Mrs. Myers and Mrs. Myers is able to understand Jess.

 

~Kimberly and Cathi

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Let’s Talk Copy Work and Dictation

When it comes to learning to read and write, copy work and dictation activities offer students the terrific opportunity to practice newly introduced material and to review previously taught information. Incorporate this activity into your weekly lessons for Hatchling, Volume 1 for Kindergarten, Hatchling, Volume 2 for 1st Grade, and Earlybird for 2nd Grade.

Copy Work places the focus on what the student actually sees. Copy work always begins with reading, decoding what is on the page before picking up the pencil to write.

Dictation places the focus on what the student hears. Listening carefully to the phonemes (sounds) being spoken, tying to encode (write) what is heard to using graphemes (symbol) on the page is no small task! But utilizing both newly taught information, while simultaneously reviewing previously taught information will help students to move toward mastery.

So how is this accomplished? At first the exercises are limited to tools available to the student.  This silly sentence is for review only, utilizing short vowels, sight words the, on and to, plus consonant blends sw, tr, fr, and cl is just right for a student during the middle of Kindergarten:

Can the dog swim on the trip to the frog club?

This silly sentence reviews  short vowels, blends, digraph, utilizes sight words: the, a, and to plus utilizes new material long vowel pattern a_e.  Utilize a sentence like this for students at the beginning of 1st Grade:

Can the dog bake you a cake to take to the lake for the trip to the twin’s ship club?

By the time students enter the 2nd grade,  they will have been introduced to the whole gambit of phonics for reading and writing, will have learned to read and write a hefty collection of sight words, and will have practiced constructing all four types of sentences with Hatchling, Volume 1 and Hatchling, Volume 2. These students are ready to tackle passages from the books they are exploring.

Move from gentle:

“One winter morning Peter woke up and looked out the window. Snow had fallen during the night. It covered everything as far as he could see.” ~from The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats

To more complex:

“They made such a noise that Michael came running, waving his arms and blowing his whistle. He planted himself in the center of the road, raised one hand to stop the traffic, and then beckoned with the other, the way policemen do, for Mrs. Mallard to cross over.” ~from Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey

 

As students get older, progressing to CORE Level 1, Level 2, Level 3 and beyond,  passages from books are longer, words and phrasing becomes beautifully complex:

“His sympathy made tears spring to Lina’s eyes. Doon looked startled for a moment, and then he took a step toward her and wrapped his arms around her. He gave her a squeeze so quick and tight that it made her cough, and then it made her laugh. She realized all at once that Doon—thin, dark-eyed Doon with his troublesome temper and his terrible brown jacket and his good heart—was the person that she knew better than anyone now. He was her best friend.” ~from The City of Ember by Jeanne Duprau

FIVE Tips to GUIDE the Exercise

ONE. Create a Copy work/Dictation Notebook. Pre-bound composition books work great as a space to house this work. Date each entry and skip lines between entries. Dedicate a single page for longer entries.

TWO Type up what is to be copied or dictated.

THREE. READ! For copy work, the student reads the sentence or passage aloud slowly before beginning to copy. For dictation, first read the sentence or passage as a whole. Next begin reading phrases slowly, encouraging the student to repeat when necessary. Having your student read aloud  before beginning copywork, or repeating dictation when necessary will help to be present in the activity and to press what is being learned into memory.

FOUR.  Don’t hover over the student! Don’t interupt with corrections during copy work or dictation. Letting mistakes happen will help you to assess what the student has actually mastered.

FIVE. When the copy work or dictation exercise is complete, ask the student to re-read what has been written. If there are no mistakes—Bravo! If there are mistakes point them out and have the student re-copy, mistake free. Remind them that mistakes are opportunities to learn.

Thomas Edison once said:  “I have not failed one thousand times. I have successfully discovered one thousand ways to NOT make a light bulb.”

 

~Kimberly

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Intersection of Science and Writing

Research writing for middle school moves from research of people to research in the field of science! Over the course of eight lessons, students will explore and research the diversity of the animal kingdom—journalling what they learn each step of the way.

Have you heard of Carolus Linnaeus?

His life’s work will inspire you.

All living things can be ordered according to their common biology. Classification allows scientists to explore levels of similarity, dissimilarity, and interconnectedness of cells, systems, and structures. The first level of classification is the Kingdoms. There are five: Protista, Monera, Fungi, Plantae, and Animalia.

Here’s how this writing unit is organized:

Week 1.

SORTING IT ALL OUT

The unit begins with an introductory section for students to begin gathering information that will enable them to enter into more advanced non-fiction research writing. In this case the culminating research writing is conducted in the five kingdoms of life, from simple living things to more complex—Kingdom Monera, Protista, Fungi, Plantae, and Animalia.

Week 2.

TAXONOMY THROUGH THE AGES

In this section, students will continue to gather information that will enable them to understand the history of classification which will, in turn enable the student to, beginning in Week 4, conduct more advanced research and write an expanded, information packed paragraph tied to one of the Five Kingdoms of Life. This week culminating research writing is biographical.  This assignment can, of course, be differentiated—from simple paragraph to expanded paragraph to essay.

Sample Prompt:

RESEARCH PROJECT

Read: Classifying Living Things
» Page 27 – Linnaeus and His System

After reading the above assignment, use books or the internet to do your own additional research on Carolus Linnaeus.

Use what you learn to write a paragraph about him on the following page.

Week 3.

THE FIVE KINGDOMS

Week 3 provides the final informational notes that will set students, geared up, to write about living things through the Five Kingdoms of Life.

Weeks 4, 5, 6 7, and 8.

Weeks 4 through 8 provides the scaffolding to enable students to conduct research in each of the five kingdoms—Monera, Protista, Fungi, Animalia, Plantae. While this unit is topical, the goal is not necessarily teach biology but to help students acquire the vital skill of note-taking and the knowledge necessary to write a non-fictional idea. Simply think of the student workbook filled with the student’s new knowledge (“the notes”) as a springboard to the writing. Each week the writing can be differentiated—simple paragraph to expanded paragraph. Expand the research two more weeks, compiling one paragraph for each week (4 through 8), add an introductory paragraph, plus a concluding paragraph and, voilà, at the end of week 10 your student has completed an essay entitled: The Five Kingdoms of Life.

 

~Kimberly

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Extending Storymaker

Storymaker teaches student writers to craft an amazing HOOK!

The HOOK is a topic sentence that inspires writers to write their ideas and encourages readers to read on. The subtle distinction we are making between the topic sentence and the HOOK is this: Think of a literal fishhook that catches the reader and makes them want to read on. A great HOOK might be charged with sensory details or concrete examples. It may be full of imagery and action!

Storymaker is designed to HOOK 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grade students into the art of narrative journal writing. With three terrific thematic options to choose from—Farm Tales, Fairy Tales, and Fun Tales—the possibilities are endless.

Each week the primary goal is to craft a HOOK by combining:

One HOOK starter:  “Everyone agreed except…”

One Character in Situation card: “carrot writing a story”

One Setting card: “in a treehouse”

There are a myriad of possibility with these three parts! Encourage your students to play around with the phrases and to add, subtract or change connecting words. Here are a few possibilities:

1. Everyone agreed except the carrot writing a story in a treehouse.

OR

2. Everyone in the treehouse agreed except the carrot writing a story.

OR

3. Except for the carrot writing a story, everyone in the treehouse agreed.

OR

4. Except for the carrot writing a story about the treehouse, everyone agreed.

OR

5. Once upon a time, except the carrot writing a story in a treehouse, everyone agreed.

Remember to help your students think about the last sentence being just as important as the first. Remind them that the goal is for readers to be surprised, for readers to want to keep thinking about the story they just read. We call this the TWIST at the end. Here are a few endings that might hold up to the above HOOK:

In the end, as the carrot finished reading the story written in the treehouse aloud to all the other vegetables, there was a moment of collective silence and then a roar of whistles and clapping!

OR

Everyone agreed that Carrot writing the treehouse story was not a good idea, but in the end they all agreed they were wrong.

Sometimes, once the HOOK is composed, offering a TWIST for students to write toward helps them bring shape to an idea with a beginning, middle, and end.

Following are some ideas to be creative with story-making.

Create a Collaborative Story
Here the teacher begins collaborating on HOOK crafting as above on a whiteboard. This is the HOOK demonstration. Once the HOOK is settled upon, students copy it into the journal and the fun begins—What happens next?  Continue gathering ideas up to 5 story details composed together into sentences. Create one sentence to end—the TWIST.
Student creates the HOOK + 3 Story Detail Sentences & the Teacher Writes the TWIST at the end
Sometimes knowing that a treat is waiting at the end of the journey is all the motivation our student writers need!
Round Robin
Students each create an original HOOK in their journal.  Journals are passed around. Classmates reads what is written so far and adds a sentence in the friend’s journal. Keep passing  until there are 6 sentences including the Hook. Journals are then returned to the student to read and create a closing TWIST.

 

Everyone has stories to tell. Help your students tell them well the fun way with Storymaker.

 

~Kimberly

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Introducing Composition: Easy as 1, 2, 3

Great essays have the power to encourage, empower, and enlighten. For this reason, essay writing should not be treated as simply a mechanical endeavor, but rather, as a pathway for the writer to communicate the depths of the heart and mind.

Big ideas can be communicated through a range of writing genres in both prose and poetry. It is vital that students discover and explore the potential of all genres. Some writing describes, some narrates, some exposes, and some persuades. Some writing is simply meant to entertain. All writing has the power to inform.

Utilizing our CORE units—Earlybird through Level 3—students will encounter weekly prompts that challenge them to not only write, but also to care about their ideas. By the time they reach the end of elementary, they will be confidently composing expanded paragraphs utilizing many genres including the five big ones: Descriptive, Informative, Narrative, Observational, and Persuasive.

In middle school, as students press into CORE Level 3, they are ready to journey into an introduction to formal composition. We have created three introductory volumes that introduce students to essay form, then guide them into the art of composing the descriptive and the literary essay—both of which integrate an expository element, requiring the student to investigate an idea, evaluate evidence, and develop the idea in a way that is authentic to the writer’s voice and engaging for the reader. After all, producing clear, coherent, and creative writing that captivates the reader is an ultimate goal.

Each of the following units contains five lessons designed to be completed over ten weeks. This said, we’ve built in opportunity for the important work to be slowed down to fifteen, even twenty weeks.

Volume 1 – Essay as Structure: Become an Architect!

This exploration of essay form will introduce students to the strategies and stylistic techniques that will enable then to compose authentic essays.  Students will not write essays in these five introductory lessons, but rather do a deep dive into essay form, gathering stylistic tools along the way. The word essay derives from the French infinitive essayer meaning “to try” or “to attempt” something. Ultimately the purpose of an essay is to wander through an idea, it is an opportunity to try to communicate that idea within a specific structure. Writers utilized essay form long before educators made the form mandatory, overshadowing the original intent that the form was to shelter an idea and not the other way around! Think of Michel de Montaigne, Francis Bacon, Thomas Paine, Louisa May Alcott, George Orwell, Virginia Woolf—I am certain these great writers were more concerned with the idea to be communicated than the form that would shelter the idea. All you have to do is read an exceptional essay to see this truth—try E.B. White.

When it comes to composing essays, Form Follows Function is paramount!

Writers must focus first on the function or purpose of writing—the idea. Once the idea is drafted in rough form, the writer digs back in and applies mechanics—corrects misspelling, capitalization, punctuation, embellishes word choice, improves syntax, and so on. Writing is a process.

The goal with this first volume is to offer students an understanding of the form, its purpose, and potential, while simultaneously offering exercises that will enable them to elevate their voice in preparation for Volume 2 and 3.  Learn to meander through an idea in a constrained manner, explore the role of threes in writing, the HOOK, the THESIS, and much more.

Volume 2 – An exploration of the Descriptive Essay.

During elementary, students have learned to craft expanded descriptions. Descriptive essays take describing to a new level. When writers explain the differences and similarities between two topics or ideas, this is descriptive writing with an expository punch! Here, the writer gives a complete explanation of the topic at hand, providing evidence, examples, and even background history. This because, the ultimate goal is to try out an idea that is set forth via a thesis statement. Expository writing, of course, has a clear purpose: to educate the reader.  As example, students will embark during the first week on a journey that will enable them to Write an Orange. In order to develop a thesis they will explore the concept of orange, explore some science of the color and the fruit, they will even consider a famous quote by Vincent Van Gogh:  “There is no blue without yellow and without orange.”

Over the course of five lessons, again designed to be completed in ten weeks but easily adapted to longer, students will journey with Volume 2 into the work of bringing shape to an original idea conveyed in the form of an expository description, a descriptive essay.

Volume 3 – The Literary Essay

Students are mentored through each step of the process as they compose five original literary essays in response to five exceptional small tales—beginning with a prompt, brainstorming, crafting a thesis and developing the idea through the self-edit and final draft. The literary essay is, of course, expository in nature because the writer will be exploring topics encountered in great stories to provide information gathered from a close reading. While the student essayist will decide which information—character development, themes, symbols and so on—is to be presented, the information is presented not as opinion, but as wonderful factual information gleaned from fiction that applies to the non-fictional realm. The student essayist will explore the literary work from various angle, providing information in an objectively creative manner.

Introductory essays will spring from the following stories:

  • The Tin Forest, by Helen Ward
  • Grandfather’s Journey, by Allen Say
  • The Story of Ferdinand, by Munro Leaf
  • Train to Somewhere, by Eve Bunting
  • Letting swift River Go, by Jane Yolen

Let me leave you with an important quote from E.B. White:

“If there were something that was less than nothing, then nothing would not be nothing, it would be something – even though it’s just a very little bit of something. But if nothing is nothing, then nothing has nothing that is less than it is. Writing is an act of faith, not a trick of grammar.”

I think what he is saying, more eloquently than I ever will is: Form Follows Function!

Your students will transcend benchmarks as you challenge them to write their ideas!

 

~Kimberly

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Yes, YOU can teach writing!

We’ve all seen scaffolding set up around a building during construction or renovation, right?

Scaffolding is simply a temporary support.

When it comes to learning to write, our students need scaffolding. And that scaffolding is a partnership: Blackbird & Company + YOU!

But I often cross paths with parent-teachers who feel ill-equipped to teach writing.

Each and every time I say, “YOU are equipped to mentor writing! Trust me. You are…”

I go on to share the reality that writing is NOT calculus. Writing is an art form. Then I ask, “Do you like to read (even a little bit)? If so, this equips you more than most to mentor student writers.” That’s right, more than most.

Let’s go back to “writing is an art form” and begin there. Everything you’ve ever read and everything you ever will read began as an idea in someone’s mind. So when you approach a student’s idea as a reader, you will be doing exactly what happens in a graduate school writing workshop!

When it comes time to read your student’s first draft, rough draft, sloppy copy, whatever you want to call it, the task at hand is to ask yourself, “What is my student’s BIG idea?” From there the task of helping your students communicate concisely and creatively. Your task, as writing mentor, is to mine for the idea that has been drafted, and to excavate as if you might score a diamond! The thing is, you likely will if this is your mindset.

During the mentor/student conference, have the student read the draft aloud. Use your red pen to correct spelling and punctuation errors along the way, as the idea is being read. Put a friendly little check mark atop sentence fragments, run-ons, or places that are missing something. Discuss these areas after the student has finished reading. Often during the read aloud the student will catch little errors. Keep the conference caring and consequential.  Consequential, yes. Think of it like this: The consequence of not using the red pen is the shrinking of the student’s idea! Remind your student, the red pen is a friend!

You don’t need to hold an advanced degree in writing to be a writing mentor.

You DO need to keep in mind that ideas are the substance of art, and as such are subjective in nature. Writing is always meant to be read. Approach ideas, not as a grammar-and-mechanics-patrol-person, but as a reader who wants to be intrigued and inspired. Being intrigued and inspired will motivate you, the writing mentor, to simply protect and promote the idea at hand.

The scaffolding inside each of our Discovery Guides, supports your students in the important work of writing.

Whether your child is in the 1st grade learning to encode simple ideas while mastering advanced phonics and constructing the four types of sentences, in the 3rd grade learning to construct sentences using the eight parts of speech,  in the 6th grade being introduced to essay form, or in the 11th grade exploring intermediate composition and constructing persuasive essays, we’ve got you!

Our scaffolding provides step-by-step guidance that inspires students in the writing process, while equipping you to support them each step of the way.

~Kimberly

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Research Writing Informs and Inspires!

Who was? What is? Where? When? Why?

These are the questions that writers ask as they read for information. Research writing is a unique writing genre where students simultaneously gain knowledge and share ideas to inspire readers to do the same.

Research writing begins in 2nd grade with Taxonomy of living Things: Introduction to Animals. Over the course of 13 weeks, students will be guided into the work of learning about the animal kingdom, journaling their discoveries along the way. This opportunity to research will not only help them to gain knowledge, but also to springboard into the realm of early non-fiction note taking and the writing of complete factual sentences.

From there, students are ready to move into Research People in grades 3 through 6. A great place to begin research writing is by adding two Research People units to your 3rd grade back-to-school writing plan. The d’Aulaire books,  published by our friends at Beautiful Feet Books, are just right for the 3rd grade entry to research writing. Take Lincoln for example,  the quintessential embodiment of American possibility in his myth-like rise from rail-splitter to Chief Executive and Emancipator of the oppressed. What better way to start off learning to write a biographical essay—YES, a biographical essay!

Each of the Research People units takes the prep and guess work out of the process of writing the biographical essay, so you can enter the process as a mentor, inspiring your student to glean and gather ideas as they read for information.

Students will grow a vocabulary specific to each famous person, will review the plot of the weekly reading in a handful of complete sentences, and most importantly, learn to brainstorm and narrow down ideas in a topic wheal as they tackle constructing each of 3 body paragraphs over three weeks. On the fourth week, students will be lead into the construction of an opening and closing paragraph (three sentences each) which will bookend the body paragraphs.

Utilizing the Research People units year after year, you will mentor and inspire as your  students become increasingly independent. If you are familiar with the rich history and beauty of the d’Aulaire books, you might consider purchasing the Superset here. Moving into 4th through 6th grade, we have a wide selection of exceptional people for your student to write about—John Muir, Rosa Parks, and Mr. Rogers and more. Scroll through to discover.

When students arrive in the 7th and 8th grade, informational reading moves from biographical, historical research to science reading and research. When students engage in non-fiction reading and research writing, they are not only tackling benchmark reading + writing skills, but also gaining cross-curricular knowledge. At this level, students have become very independent, and, because each self-contained unit is organized with a familiar supportive scaffolding, you will, once again, be supported in the role of writing mentor!

As with all research writing, students will begin with a great question: Have you met Carolus Linnaeus?

His life’s work will inspire you. All living things can be ordered according to their common biology. Classification allows scientists to explore levels of similarity, dissimilarity, and interconnectedness of cells, systems, and structures. The first level of classification is the Kingdoms. There are five: Protista, Monera, Fungi, Plantae, and Animalia.
This unit can be easily incorporated into your spring semester. Over the course of five lessons, students will explore and research the diversity of the animal kingdom. They will gather knowledge that will connect to many corners of the field of biology, and they will posess a journal chalk full if information to apply to a great many writing projects: a persuasive or compare/contrast essay, a lyrical poem, even a non-fiction inspired narration. Pick up a copy of our Taxonomy of Living Things unit today!
And last, but not least, Elemental Journal, will guide students on a wonderful voyage through the mysteries of the periodic table. What at first looks like an unapproachable block of numbers and letters begging to be decoded, will be opened up to discovery in an easy and interesting way. Each element has its own quirks and purpose. As students engage in the ongoing work of decoding the table, they will marvel at the diversity of these building blocks of the universe. Students will not only summarize and organize information, evaluate, interpret, and draw conclusions, but more importantly, learn to strike a balance between original information and original ideas. Embarking on an exploration of the periodic table is like traveling across an amazing landscape full of surprises.

And it all begins with a simple question: What do stars and human beings have in common?

Elements, of course!

Everything you can imagine is made of elements — an octopus, a basketball, and each of us humans!

Blackbird & Co. research writing units are designed to foster inquiry, spark imagination and get students writing in the non-fiction realm.

 

~Kimberly