Category: Writing Resources

Posted on by

A Writer’s Magnum Opus

As the school year has only just ended, now is the perfect time to ask a beautiful question or two! As a writer, what has my student gleaned? What is the best lesson I passed on? What is my student’s magnum opus? And, as a teacher, what is mine?

So what exactly is a magnum opus? E.B. White demonstrates this beautifully. Charlotte’s Web begins with the tension of an ax. Life on the farm causes Fern to face life and death, “‘I don’t see why he needs an ax,’ continued Fern, who was only eight. ‘Well,” said her mother, ‘one of the pigs is a runt. It’s very small and weak, and it will never amount to anything. So your father has decided to do away with it.'” Of course, we know how the story goes. Fern rescues the runt and sets the action into motion.

But, let’s get back to the matter at hand, the concept of magnum opus. Toward the end of the story, in chapter 19, Charlotte refers to her egg sac as her magnum opus. But when Wilber thinks the peach colored cotton-candy like thing is a toy, Charlotte sets him straight. And in the process of setting Wilbur straight, Charlotte unpacks the term for us, “It is my egg sac, my magnum opus. Latin for great work. This egg sac is my great work—the finest thing I have ever made.” Charlotte’s sac, containing 514 eggs becomes a powerful representation of her legacy.

 

Later, in Chapter 22, almost at the very end of the book, E.B. White crafts a sentence so perfect, that I would deem it a magnum opus:

“It was the best place to be, thought Wilbur, this warm delicious cellar, with the garrulous geese, the changing seasons, the heat of the sun, the passage of swallows, the nearness of rats, the sameness of sheep, the love of spiders, the smell of manure, and the glory of everything.” ~E.B. White, Charlotte’s Web

Our Blackbird & Company students are continually constructing ideas—words to phrases, to sentences, to paragraphs, to essays. Now is the perfect time as summer saunters in, to look back on your student’s body of writing from the past year in search of a magnum opus! I’m certain you will be  able to pull a singular sentence from your student’s body of writing. One sentence that stand’s above the rest. Post the sentence up on the refrigerator, read it often. In so doing you are encouraging the student’s important work, but you are also reminding yourself that a significant part of being a teacher is inspiring, applauding, marveling in the work of the student!

 

~Kimberly

Posted on by

Writing a Personal Reflection

Imagine you are smack dab in the middle of the Middle Ages. It’s fall. September of 1290 to be exact.

Your mother wants you to be lady-like.

Your father wants you to get married for money.

One of the exceptional skills our high school materials endeavor to instill in students, is the art of writing a true reflection.

Often teachers drill into their young writers to never, NEVER  E V E R, write personally from the first person POV. Each week we challenge students to do just that! Writing a reflection of what is read, allows the writer to solidify ideas and opinions about what is being read. This writing helps writers glean personally from the story action. 

As we are so close to summer break, I want to share some of the best reflection I’ve read this school year. Tied to our Level 4, Catherine Called Birdy, Integrated Reading and Writing unit, I am certain Catherine impressed Kate. And a little part of me believes that this fictional character would find Kate equally impressive.

ONE.

The first three chapters of Catherine, Called Birdy, begin with Catherine introducing herself. Birdy, as she is called, is stubborn and loves to play pranks on people and be outdoors. I get the feeling she might be a tomboy from learning about her interests. Soon enough, as I started reading, she is indeed a tomboy who lives in the country, Stonebridge, England: “I, trapped inside, spent two hours embroidering a cloth for the church and three hours picking out my stitches after my mother saw it. I wish I were a villager” (1). Birdy doesn’t enjoy lady-like chores and would much rather be outside in the dirt, “I could be enjoying were I not in here sewing” (3). I love getting to know people on a more intimate level, so I particularly enjoyed the section where Birdy describes her family life. I became more attached to the characters, which brought more understanding of her personality. Birdy lives with her mother, father, and their nurse, Aelis. Catherine’s mother always seems to be pregnant, “Here in my prison my mother works and gossips with her women as if she didn’t mind being chained to needle and spindle” (4). Her father is quite strict and demands that Birdy marry into money, but Birdy really doesn’t want to grow up and be pressured to marry! She hisses in her journal: “When there is money involved, my father can be quite well spoken” (5). With their family nurse being supportive of Birdy and are quite similar, sharing the love of journaling. Birdy enjoys writing about her feelings, daily life, and, of course, commenting sarcastically about the people around her. I also journal about my day-to-day life and find it comforting to see the similarities. The first few chapters have intrigued me, and I am eager to get to know more about her lifestyle and how her relationship deepens with her family.

TWO.

The last few chapters intrigued me with the weird feelings of tension and stress. Chapters four through six, include the winter months from December through March. Birdy continues to write in her private journal about her day-to-day life, believing that girls are raised for chores around the house while boys have it so much easier, This quote is expresses her feelings: “The sun looked likely to shine yestermorn, so Gerd miller’s son and I left our chores undone and went to Wooton village where they were to hand two thieves” (47). In this moment, I knew Birdy and Gerd running off to Wooton to witness a couple of 17-year-old bandits get hung in front of the town was NOT an intelligent idea, “Never having seen a hanging, I could only imagine the huge hairy bandits with cruel scared faces, snarling and growling fearsome curses, whole we onlookers shrieked and shrank back in fears” (47). Birdy and Gerd couldn’t manage the witnessing.  Throwing up their breakfast, they sprinted back home. My breakfast coming up as well, feeling they needed to go home before any drama started! Birdy had never see someone get hung so she thought today would be the day but turns out not. I discover Birdy feels the tension of her father’s stress over money. As I read, I get a bit worked up, feeling the stress from her father. She worries even more that he may try to arrange a marriage for Birdy had to help with the family’s financial situation, but she rightfully expressed she doesn’t want to grow up and get married. Birdy realizes she needs to find something independent to decrease the family drama. She finds that the only independence she has is writing in her journal. My hope is that in the next few chapters, Birdy starts to feel less pressure while feeling a bit supported. Oh! how Birdy needs to feel supported in life.

THREE.

Section three brings hope. I feel like Birdy is turning a corner towards the end of spring, looking toward her future. As she journals that she can’t run away from all her responsibilities, I can relate to Birdy. In this part of the story, looking into the future with all the responsibilities that come along with getting older, I can relate, and this stresses me. A personal example is the thought of going to college. Experiencing big life changes like not living at home, and, of course, money. Birdy’s father continues to search for her a husband. Birdy’s true love isn’t finding a husband, but living free outside, playing in the dirt, with nothing to do with a husband. I wish Birdy’s father would stop pushing her to get married because she already confessed to him that she does not want a husband, “I pray the new year brings us joy and wealth, that George comes back for Easter and that Robert does not, and that God assists me in this marriage matter” (100). I find that as I read towards the end of the book, the mother isn’t as involved as the father. It bothers me. Is it because she is pregnant, over and over, or is it that the father, being the ruler, is the one in control, as Catherine’s mother is in the background completing womanly duties? The more I read, the more these thoughts come to mind. As the story goes on, Birdy confides in her journal, “Fought again with my father, God gave me the big mouth, so I think it can be so sin to use it. Even so, I plan to resume sulking instead of arguing- it is much easier on my face” (117). My hope is Birdy finds peace.

FOUR.

My moods were all over the place in the final chapters of Catherine, Called Birdy. First, I was sad. Then, I was worried. Thankfully, the story ended with a happy ending for Birdy which made me quite relieved! I was devastated, along with Birdy, that her father was making her marry a man with a shaggy beard, “I have been thinking about my own marriage. Once I dreamed of a handsome prince on a white horse decked in skills and bells. Now I am offered a smelly, broken-tooth old man who drinks too much” (136). Birdy didn’t know what to do in this situation so she runs to her uncle’s house, escaping her father. I start to get worried for Birdy and what will happen next with marriage. Birdy knew, “The northern shaggy-bearded pig has sent me betrothal gifts, which I, of course, refused since I will not consent to marry him” (140). I was worried for Birdy but knew she could make a good decision about what’s best for her. After thinking about what she wants in her future, feeling free, marriage, and becoming the woman she wants to be, Birdy soon realizes she can’t control everything in her life. What she can control is what kind of woman she becomes. Later, when her uncle brings her home and she discovers the shaggy bearded man had died from a fight while out drinking, my jaw dropped! Literally dropped! Birdy doesn’t have to marry him anymore! Instead, she is called to marry the old man’s son, Stephen. Stephen turns out to be an educated young man who she gets to know and realizes is very kind. She finally sees a bright future for herself where she learns her future won’t be perfect. Still, she knows she can carry her spirit. After so many struggles for Birdy, the ending of contentment was so comforting for me. I recognize her struggles. When we take the time for self-reflection, learning life isn’t always perfect and in a certain order, we can still be joyful and content with life.

Yes indeed, Kate! Your thoughts are well written and received!

 

~Kimberly

Posted on by

Puzzle in Some Summer Writing

Write a puzzle and do some math!

To begin, hop on over to Red Hen Toys and pick up the Powers of Two puzzle. Of course, this Montessori / Froebel inspired material is designed to prepare students for more complex instruction down the line—area, fractions, exponential models and more. But for our summer activity, the goal is to integrate the activity into the art of writing.

Encourage students to freely explore, beginning with questions, questions they will write in a journal:

How many blue pieces are needed to cover the red? or How many pieces like the blue are needed to cover the red?

Here they will discover there is more than one way to communicate a very simple question. But more importantly, they will be engaging in active learning—reflection and problem solving instead of passive direct instruction.

They will discover as they explore and document questions, that each piece is half the size of the previous piece—a limited series! This is actually calculus. And the student who enters into the activity of journalling and puzzling, will be setting the stage not only for more advanced math, but also more advanced writing. This activity of slowing down and observing relationships between the puzzle pieces, will strengthen observational skills.

After all the questions have been asked and documented in the student journal, remove all the pieces in the frame and begin the activity of writing instructions for filling the frame:

Take the red piece and place it into the frame vertically flush with the right of the frame. or Take the red piece and place it into the frame horizontally flush with the bottom of the frame. This activity, you see, provides many iterations for crafting imperative sentences.

So pick up a puzzle, a summer journal, and pencil. Let summer writing begin!

 

~Kimberly

 

During the month of May we will hosting another Giveaway! A wonderful set of Just Right Readers by Kate di Camillo. Enter below daily to increase your chances of winning!


Just Right Readers Giveaway

Posted on by

What’s an ABCeDarian?

Of course how I stumbled upon this concept is poetry. The ABCeDarian is actually a very, very old form where every line, or each stanza starts with the first letter of the alphabet, depending on which alphabet is being followed—obviously not always English.  There are many examples in ancient Hebrew, and skipping forward to the middle ages, Chaucer, of course wrote his own, “An ABC” which is a translation of a French prayer modified onto an English ABCeDarian.

Fast forward think Dr. Seuss and his ABCs from 1963 where those two yellow dogs meander through the alphabet. For me, the desire to bridge the lofty poetic form with the likes of Dr. Seuss is HUGE.

Poetry begins in sound. The sounds of language. In English there are 44 distinct sounds—phonemes—created by the 26 letters in our alphabet. So with little ones, we begin here. But here’s the thing: please, PLEASE, let’s be more creative than the tired old ABC song!

We are very excited to be releasing a slew of ABCeDarian project for primary students on Print Shop. Right now we have a sneak peak, P is for Pumpkin, up for FREE. And this FREE offering won’t be FREE forever, so download while the offer stands. Come summer, we will be dropping an entire alphabet of projects—our ABCeDarian offering!

And we don’t envision the ABCeDarian theme being limited to little ones.  Think sentence writing, word games, poetry and so much more! When it comes to the ABCs the possibilities are limitless.

“My alphabet starts with this letter called yuzz. It’s the letter I use to spell yuzz-a-ma-tuzz. You’ll be sort of surprised what there is to be found once you go beyond Z and start poking around,” so says Dr. Seuss.

~Kimberly

Posted on by

Sentences that Shift Gears

To shift gears in a car, you need to press down on the clutch. To go from room to room, you walk through a doorway. To travel from floor to floor, you take the stairs.

To get from one place to another, you need a phase of transition. And writing is no different.

Transitions—between ideas, paragraphs, or even sentences—can be easy to overlook no matter what level the writer is working at. Although writers must use their judgement to determine what places need transitions, as a general rule, every topic sentence should contain a transition. And I’m not talking about “next” or “in addition;” these are transition training wheels. Let’s get less formulaic. 

Once students get to Levels 3 and 4, I expect to see a look back and a look forward in each topic sentence. The look back is the transition. It tells us where we came from, setting up readers to understand the relationship between the previous idea and our new idea. The look forward shows what we’re going to talk about next.

For example, in an essay on the curious incident of the dog in the night-time by Mark Haddon, we might open a paragraph by writing, “Just as the A-level maths exam serves as a symbol of stability in Christopher’s shifting world, Christopher’s system of counting yellow and red cars every morning gives him another measure of control.” The first half of the sentence looks back at the previous paragraph, which must have been about the A-level maths exam creating stability. While the topic sentence doesn’t start with a classic “also” phrase, it has a strong transition. The sentence establishes the relationship between where we’ve been and where we’re going. It looks backwards and forwards.

As writers, we operate with the assumption that we have some pretty smart readers—but that doesn’t mean they’ll always make the same leaps in logic. We writers must make connections between ideas clear and explicit.

Transitions show how you got to where you are!

Remember: look back and look forward in each topic sentence and you will seamlessly HOOK your readers! They will thank you for it!

Posted on by

“No Dropped Quotes”

“What do we want?”

“No dropped quotes!”

“When do we want it?”

“Now!”

This is a frequent exchange I have with my students. As an essay teacher, dropped quotes are one of the banes of my existence. A dropped quote is when a writer plops a quote into a paragraph with no context, attribution tag, or analysis. “They look like this, and they confuse readers.” As writers, we can never assume that our readers will follow our same train of thought; we have to guide them through every leap in our logic. 

Here’s the anatomy of a well-integrated quotation:

Context, attribution tag, “Quotation,” analysis (author’s last name and page number).

Example: In The Westing Game, when Mrs. Wexler tours the potential new apartment, she thinks to herself, “Just wait until those so-called friends of hers with their classy houses see this place,” revealing her materialistic and shallow approach to life (Raskin 3). 

In this example, the writer leads the reader through quote interpretation. The reader understands where in the story the quote comes from and what purpose the quote serves in the argument, which is to show Mrs. Wexler’s materialism. 

We introduce this skill, and provide five scaffolded opportunities to practice and master this basic essential of MLA style  in Introduction to Composition: The Essay, Volume 3. So let’s make our reader’s job as intuitive as possible.

So please, “No dropped quotes!” 

 

~Claire S.

Posted on by

When You Don’t Know How to Write

I’ve never met a child who doesn’t have imagination. But, tragically, I’ve met many a child who is deprived of the tools that allows the imagination to play via pencil on paper.

I occasionally cross paths with older students struggling to read. But when it comes to crossing paths with students who are struggling to write, I am bombarded!

I wholeheartedly believe that we should be teaching students phonics for BOTH reading and writing from an early age. We should be offering our kindergarten students beautiful books and the best technology for learning—the pencil!

Ted Hughes opens the tale of The Iron Giant like so: “How far had he walked? Nobody knows. Where had he come from? Nobody knows. How was he made? Nobody knows”.

The sentences are simple. True. However, in this gorgeous opening, the author creates an atmosphere of mystery. We want to read on. There is rhythm in the way he ordered his Question / Statement pairs.

Our 3rd graders should be reading and considering wonderful passages such as this one. And these passages should be sparking ideas in their mind.

Our methodology begins in kindergarten and progresses through high school. Students will begin their English Language Arts journey learning and practicing and mastering phonics for both reading and writing. In the second grade they will be equipped to begin a tradition of reading great stories independently, journalling ideas along the way. By the time the child reaches 3rd grade, it’s time to read gentle literary chapter books like The Iron Giant and journal their way through the story, composing a hearty paragraph sparked by imagination every single week.

But what happens when the student is not taught the important relationship between reading and writing? What happens when a child’s imagination is left behind gasping for breath?

Recently I received the following writing sample from an upper elementary student. The teacher shared that this sweet human told her she had no idea how to use paragraph form and that she went on to ask, “Should I use punctuation?” 

Like many students around this country of ours, this student fell through the cracks in public school so her parents moved her to a private school. Finally, right before she will enter middle school, her parents are putting her in the good hands of a teacher who will make a difference. “This student has never been seen,” that’s how Jennifer put it. This teacher will make a difference because 1) She understands the tools required to read and write and think well; 2) She understands that remediation requires individualization, mentorship, and community; and 3) She, like me, believes that curiosity leads to imagination and imagination sparks creativity and creativity leads to motivated students.

Work is GOOD. Every student has important work. This important work is the work of learning to write ideas.

So what happens next for this student?

The Wonderful World of Phonics

She will be guided on an amazing journey.

Examining the writing sample above, I will venture to say there are holes lingering from the 1st grade! This student has likely mastered consonant and short vowel sounds. But I see no evidence that she has mastered consonant blends or digraphs.  I see evidence of simple sight word mastery: and, the, have. There are the “W” words: would, what, with, want.  We see a handful of phonograms: or, ea (though even those seem to be learned visually, “popcorn”). This passage opens with the singular pronoun “I” uncapitalized!  What I don’t see are concise sentences. I don’t see the variety of vocabulary I’d expect from a student in the spring before middle school. I don’t see a BIG idea. What I DO see is squelched potential.

The goal is for Jennifer to place this student into the remediation program right at the point where there is no evidence of mastery. I’m guessing she will need to begin with consonant blends.

Our toolkit of phonics includes all the tools needed to engage students in the process of remediating both reading and writing skills. It provides the teacher with all the tools necessary to guide the student into the wonderful world of phonics. Our curriculum, rooted in Orton-Gillingham wisdom, is user friendly and affirming for the older student who needs additional direct instruction and independent practice to shore up skills. We’ve included all you need to know about phonics, a placement guide, plus lesson guidance each step of the way.

Once Jennifer has this student working systematically at her personalized level, she will begin practicing phonics for reading and writing. After a few short weeks this student will be placed in a Level 1 CORE (grade 3) Integrated Literature and Writing unit and begin applying what she is learning. A few weeks after that, she will begin One True Sentence: Parts of Speech to learn the wonderful roles words play as she constructs sentences.

Every journey has a beginning. I’m thankful for teachers like my friend who dare to lead such expeditions.

C.S. Lewis said, “You can make anything by writing.”

Think about it.

Not if you don’t know how.

 

~Kimberly

Posted on by

Why the Writer’s Checklist

“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.

How?

Hand them a Writer’s Checklist!

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.
Our checklists will support students at various levels to re-read and edit as they progress through CORE Level 1 (3rd grade), Level  2 (4th and 5th grade), and 3 6th – 8th grade) to re-read with purpose.

And the best part, they are FREE! Click through to Print Shop to download.

Posted on by

Spring into Writing: Introducing The Writing Mentor

Style is one of the most important elements of writing—but how can you teach something that’s so personal, so impossible to quantify? It can feel like trying to explain Yosemite to someone who’s never seen a mountain or forest. Or describing how to perfect banana bread to someone without a sense of taste. 

That’s where Blackbird & Company’s Tools of Style comes in. These guides provide training wheels to practice using rhetorical devices—the tricks writers use to tell their stories well. And newly supplementing our Tools of Style guides are the new downloadable Printshop resources, namely The Writing Mentor. 

By using The Writing Mentor in conjunction with Tools of Style, young writers learn to ride the proverbial bike in scaffolded increments. They start by watching someone else ride a bike, then get on it themselves with a parent’s steadying hands holding them upright, and pedal until suddenly they’re riding under their own power. 

Perhaps the best guidance we can give our student writers, is to challenge them to write like a painter.

Imagery is vivid and descriptive—figurative—language that helps readers see pictures in their mind while reading. Take a look at Print Shop on the website, where you can download this Writing Mentor lesson, for a limited time, for FREE. Your students will learn through a masterful example of imagery. They will practice by sprinkling imagery into scaffolded sentences. And, ultimately, get creative by crafting five imagery-filled examples that. they will then shape one into a singular poem. 

If you can make your reader feel like they’re there, if you give them the means to smell freshly-cut grass and taste the tang of frozen yogurt on their tongue, you have accomplished something great indeed. Get into imagery—use The Writing Mentor!

 

~Claire S.

Posted on by

Just Sit Down and WRITE!

“The BEST thing is just to write; to sit down and write, to begin doing it and not to be scared by the blank page.”                                                      ~David Almond

As we SPRING into writing, it’s always good to take advice from the authors we are reading. Let’s fact it. The blank page is intimidating. David Almond has experienced this and is generously encouraging us to stare down that blank page and to fill it with our ideas. This is, first and foremost, what writing is all about. Grammar and mechanics, and syntax and style follow.

Writing is a courageous process.

David Almond goes on to remind us that our ideas are a gift, “We have each other, and our stories twist and mingle like the twisting currents of a river. We hold each other tight as we spin and lurch across our lives. There are moments of great joy and magic. The most astounding things can lie waiting as each day dawns, as each page turns.”

He reminds us to explore, “Writing will be like a journey, every word a footstep that takes me further into undiscovered land.”

He reminds us to be brave, “We have to allow ourselves to see what there is to see, and we have to imagine.”

He reminds us to play, “And what is wrong with playing with words? Words love to be played with, just like children or kittens do!”

Then, he gets to the crux of it: “Then what shall I write?

I can’t just write that this happened then this happened then this happened to boring infinitum. I’ll let my journal grow just like the mind does, just like a tree or beast does, just like life does. Why should a book tell a tale in a dull straight line? Words should wander and meander. They should fly like owls and flicker like bats and slip like cats. They should murmur and scream and dance and sing.”

I love that: “Words should wander and meander.”

When we read books, we are inspired. We grow our precious fund of knowledge. But we also, if we dare listen, learn valuable lesson about the art of writing!
~Kimberly