BIG IDEAS! newsletter

December, 2010

Greetings!

Smekens Education is moving!

In between eating turkey and visiting family, we have packed up our home office and warehouse to move to our new location--an historic commercial building just a block from our home. The planning and renovation have been a year-long project that will conclude with an official December 10 move-in day.

Now, with just hours before the move, we've all been on a cleaning spree. For those of you who know me at all, you know I love to organize. My two favorite things are the recycle bin and my label maker! This has been a very cleansing couple of weeks here at Smekens Education. Not only am I doing it, but so are Brady, Liz, Lisa, and Courtney. This moving process has forced us all to purge files and sort piles.

As excited as we are for our new digs, we're also thrilled with the notion of providing you, our favorite teachers, with more resources to better support your literacy needs. Watch for upcoming additions to our staff and website changes in the months to come!

Happy Holidays!

P.S. Despite the move down the street, we will maintain our same business phone number (1-888-376-0448) and the same mailing address (P.O. Box 332, Warren, IN 46792).

Main Idea!

Seeing the 6 Traits within the new Common Core Standards

Several of you have emailed asking how the 6 Traits of writing fit into the new national Common Core Standards (CCS). I have color coded the new K-12 language arts standards (for writing and language conventions) to identify the skills listed by the most significant trait they target. Each grade level utilizes the same color key:

Skills that fall under the trait of ideas are all in blue text.

Skills that fall under the trait of organization are all in green text.

Skills that fall under the trait of voice are all in pink text.

Skills that fall under the trait of word choice are all in red text.

Skills that fall under the trait of sentence fluency are all in orange text.

Skills that fall under the trait of conventions are all in purple text.

For those of you working to weave the 6-Traits language into your writer's workshops, this will give you a guide as to which trait to label each skill and where to fit the skill within your year-long bulletin boards. This color-coded document will also help you organize the mini-lessons within your Trait Crate.

Of course, those of you familiar with the 6 Traits know that the same skill can target more than one trait at a time. For example, "vivid description" improves word choice and also adds to the ideas and details. Not to mention that such description can add words, elongating the sentence, consequently improving the sentence fluency. So keep that in mind as you read through the color-coded CCS; some skills could have been identified with more than one color.

Color-Coded Assessment Rubrics

Throughout our most recent series of regional workshops, I have shown a series of writing rubrics also color coded by trait. These included the:

Indiana ISTEP Writing Application Rubric and Language Conventions Rubric
- ISTEP Grades 3-4 rubric
- ISTEP Grades 5-12 rubric

Indiana English 10 End-of-Course-Assessment Rubrics (Writing Applications and Language Conventions)

ACT Rubric

SAT Rubric

Each of these is downloadable and includes the same color key for the 6 Traits as used within the Common Core Standards. Take note of the unequal distribution of color within the rubrics. For most state and national writing assessments, students can typically earn a passing score for their execution of the traits of ideas and organization. This typically includes communicating interesting ideas in a clear and well-developed body. Add to that a solid beginning and ending with a middle that flows in a logical order. The emphasis on first-draft writing is always on the traits of ideas and organization. Be sure your writers know this!

Although many rubrics mention word choice, voice, and/or sentence fluency within the scoring criteria, it's usually not essential in the passing levels. NOTE: These expectations increase within the "exceeding" or "pass-plus" levels.

Content Area Idea!

Collecting Research

Penguin Photos When first studying a new concept or subject, students can learn a lot about a topic by simply "reading" images. Studying photographs is also a great way to initially teach English Learners and/or struggling readers about a content-area topic, too.

For example, if you were conducting a research unit on penguins, you might create a photo array. Students could begin their research by listing all they know about penguins based on the images:

Penguins are black and white.
Penguins feed their babies beak to beak.
Penguins move by walking or sliding on their bellies.
Penguins walk in a line.
Penguins use their flippers to "fly" out of the water.
Penguins hold their eggs/babies on their feet.

After sharing this idea with teachers earlier this fall, Fairview Elementary fourth grade teacher Deb Conley in Sherwood, OH found images related to her content-area concepts of study. Visit our Idea Library for Deb's photo arrays.

It doesn't take long to build a photo collection on a topic if you utilize Google Images. Simply type in your topic of study and hit "search." Whether it's penguins, the rainforest, Shawnee Indians, Salem witch trials, or any other concept, you can find oodles of visuals online for free! Just copy and paste the images into a Word document to share with your students. Or, for those of you with SmartBoard technology and Internet access, just go to the website with your students and view hundreds of images simultaneously. (Of course, make sure your security settings are "on," and/or consider previewing the keyword search to ensure the images are appropriate.)

Primary Idea!

Strategies for helping spelling perfectionists

Some writers are open to sound-stretching and writing out a word using their best spelling. But then there are your perfectionists--those who only want to write words correctly. This is an admirable quality, but it can also stifle a young writer. If they limit their writing to only words they can spell, then their writing vocabulary will be skimpy.

Trying to meet the needs of her perfectionists and still push for bigger/better word choice, Alice Spingola (Evergreen Park School District 124 in Evergreen Park, IL) shared this idea. First she encourages her perfectionists to write weak words spelled correctly, with the notion that they will go back and replace them after they finish their thought. (Students need a chance to get their ideas down before they forget what they were going to say.) But the trick is to have them write their "weak" or simpler words lightly in pencil so that erasing isn't difficult. For example, one student wrote: My teddy bear is a brown color.

Then during a follow-up writer conference, Alice helped the student apply his phonics' skills to replace the weak word with the stronger one he didn't know how to spell. (NOTE: The child knew "brown" was a weak word, thus he wrote it lightly. He really wanted the word "chocolate" but needed some support to spell it out.) This particular student revised the sentence to read: My teddy bear reminds me of a chocolate Hershey's kiss.

The end result was a strong sentence, but to achieve it the student didn't wait for the teacher to help him. He was able to proceed in his writing with a first-draft strategy that accommodated his perfectionist personality. Great idea, Alice!

For more strategies to encourage students to utilize independent spelling strategies, check out this link.

Upcoming Workshop!

Dynamic Mini-Lessons for teaching reading & writing

With winter upon us, we're already looking ahead to spring with two workshops you won't want to miss. I'll be offering another power-packed duo of days which will highlight just what you've been requesting--more mini-lessons.

Delivering Dynamic Mini-Lessons in Reading will provide teachers with an opportunity to learn how to create 10-15 minute reading mini-lessons that will engage students. We'll talk about how to spiral through reading comprehension strategies and so much more.

Delivering Dynamic Mini-Lessons in Writing gives teachers a chance to learn my 4-part rhythm for mini-lesson delivery and see "live" sample mini-lessons. We'll take time to look at how to match skills within genres and ways to make skills stick through a mini-lesson series.

Join me for one or both of my Dynamic Mini-Lesson days!

Reading Idea!

More on Text Features

Students often perceive text features as decoration or filler. They don't read text outside of the gray body paragraphs. However, text features serve a purpose. They are there to provide the reader additional information. It's imperative that students see text features as more than eye candy!

Consider modeling the power of text features with high-interest texts like a page or two from the Guinness Book of World Records or even the front and back sides of sports trading cards. Click here for a sample card with questions that target QAR.

If you want students to actually read the text features, consider only asking questions about the content within them. Have them pull details from text features, or draw conclusions based on facts within the text features.These could make for a great literacy station or a fabulous activity for morning or bell work. We've got to get our students to read text features and glean the information offered within them. These are NOT decorations.

Vocabulary Idea!

Two activities to review essential terms

When you're ready to review several essential vocabulary terms at once, here are two great activities that Instructional Coach Dylan Purlee (Clark-Pleasant Community Schools in Whiteland, IN) recommends.

I have...who has? Many have tried I Have... Who Has as a math computation activity. Students each get a card that has a math problem on it and the answer to a different problem. They have to listen for a math problem that computes to their answer. It might sound like this:

Student 1: Who has a 5 x 9?
Student 2: I have 45. Who has 9 x 3?
Student 3: I have 27. Who has 6 x 9?
Student 4: I have 54. Who has...

Using this same concept, Dylan created a series of cards that include a vocabulary word at the top of the card and a definition to a different word at the bottom of the card. When reviewing science terms, the activity may sound like this:

Student 1: Who has a liquid that falls from the sky?
Student 2: I have rain. Who has frozen precipitation that gently floats to the ground in winter?
Student 3: I have snow. Who has tiny pellets of ice that fall rapidly when it is cold outside?
Student 4: I have sleet. Who has...

To keep all students fully engaged even after they have said their term and definition, Dylan gave each a handout with the entire "conversation" typed out. He typed out the Who has definitions, but left the I have statements blank to be filled in.

Dylan also challenges his students to write vocabulary riddles. For example:

I show up in a story when you don't expect it and sometimes you can't understand me.
If you read me carefully, then you can make good predictions.
I help the author build suspense and can keep the reader guessing.
I give you "hints" throughout the story.Who am I?

Answer: Foreshadowing

These riddles require the writer to truly understand the term in order to think abstractly. (Such an activity also utilizes personification, point of view, varied sentence lengths, varied sentence beginnings, and varied sentence types.) Love these ideas, Dylan! Thanks for sharing.

Middle School/High School Idea!

Creative Literature Responses

A strong literature response goes beyond a summary. Students need to demonstrate understanding by not regurgitating the plot of a novel, but rather by adding new insights. They need to apply their understanding by thinking beyond just what the text said, but also thinking about what it meant. This thinking requires inferencing, drawing conclusions, evaluating, and synthesizing the text.

To encourage her students to think beyond the text itself, Southern Wells High School language arts teacher Chea Parton found a way to get students to apply what they learned about characters and plot in a creative way. She developed a series of high-interest literature response activities and then allowed her students to choose how they'd like to demonstrate their learning. Below is a list of a few of the options:

Pretend you are one character in the text. Write a letter to another character utilizing the perspective and point of view of your chosen character. Answer specific questions, clarify actions, etc. Remember to stay in character. (Using the details from the text, know the character's personality and write as if you were this person.) What would this character wonder? What would he want to know? What does he want to say to this other character? What would he celebrate? What would he complain about? What would they share with one another? Is there anything both of these characters experienced that only they would understand?
If this text was made into a movie, what would the soundtrack include? Select 5-8 songs and create the mixed CD, along with the cover, and liner notes. Within the liner notes, write one to two paragraphs describing and explaining where each song would occur in the movie's plot (reference specific scenes, chapter numbers, and/or page numbers). Also provide examples and evidence of why each song is a good fit for that part of the novel.
Imagine this text was to be made into a movie. Who would be cast as each of the main characters? Be sure to explain why each actor/actress would be the best choice to portray each character. What about them (e.g., physical traits, personality, past roles, reputation, etc.) makes them perfect for each role?
Throughout the novel, several characters face physical conflicts and personal struggles. Select one of the main characters and write 2-4 diary entries (minimum of a half page per entry). Write from the perspective and point of view of this single character. Think of these entries as a place for the character to think out loud and work out his emotions in the privacy of a diary. What would he be thinking about? What kind of advice might he want or need?