---

CRAFT LESSONS: TEACHING WRITING K-8

 

 

  PAGES 105-138 IN THE CRAFT LESSONS TEACHING WRITING K-8BEGINS WITH A QUESTION AND ANSWER SECTION. IT PROVIDED IDEAS OF HOW TO STAY ORGANIZED IN THE CLASSROOM AFTER YOU IMPLEMENT THE WRITING PROGRAM.THE BOOK SUGGESTED THAT STUDENTS' WORK COULD BE USED AS A BENCHMARK AND GUIDE. A LIST OF CHILDREN'S LITERATURE BOOKS WERE INCLUDED IN THIS SECTION.

GRAFT LESSONS TEACHIN WRITING

 

    IN CHAPTERS 14-43, THIS BOOK FOCUSES ON WRITING IN K- 2. CHILDREN'S STORIES SHOULD HAVE A BEGINNING, MIDDLE, AND ENDING. THEIR ST0RIES CAN COME FROM PERSONAL EXPERIENCES.  STUDENTS SHOULD BE ABLE TO RETELL THEIR STORIES.  PICTURE BOOKS CAN BE USED TO HELP THEM VISUALIZE THEIR SETTING AND CHARACTERS. THESE BOOKS CAN ALSO ENHANCE THIER IMAGINATION IN WRITING.

    THE BOOK OFFERED IDEAS FOR THE MINI-LESSONS. THESE LESSONS ARE VITAL TO BUILD A STRONG WRITING  AND READING FOUNDATION. I THINK THIS BOOK CAN BE HELPFUL TO USE IN SECOND GRADE AS STUDENTS GO THROUGH THE DIFFERENT STAGES OF WRITING.

CRAFT LESSONS

 

  THE AUTHORS OF THE BOOK CRAFT LESSSONS ARE RALPH FLETCHER AND JOANN PORTALUPI. IN THE FIRST THIRTEEN PAGES OF THEIR BOOK,THEY EMPHASIZE HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO READ ALOT IN ORDER TO BECOME A GOOD WRITER. THE AUTHORS FEEL THAT CHILDREN SHOULD BE SURROUNDED BY BOOKS IN THEIR LIVES. THESE BOOKS SHOULD BE ALL TYPES OF LITERATURE, SUCH AS FOLKTALES, POEMS,AND SONGS.

THE AUTHORS FEEL WHEN A CHILD FIRST STARTS TO WRITE WE SHOULD BE AS POSITIVE AS POSSIBLE. WE SHOULD TRY TO UNDERSTAND THE WRITER INTENTION. WE SHOULD ENCOURAGE THE CHILD TO EXPRESS WHAT HE IS TRYING TO SAY EVEN THOUGH WE MAY NOT UNDERSTAND THE WRITING.

THESE IDEAS ARE VERY HELPFUL TO USE WITH BEGINNING WRITERS.

TEACHING STUDENT-CENTERED MATHEMATICS

 

    FRACTION CONCEPTS ARE ADDRESSED  IN CHAPTER 9. STUDENTS OFTEN AT THIS STAGE RESORT TO RULES AND STOP TRYING TO UNDERSTAND. iN THE PRIMARY GRADES THE USE OF MODELS TO EXPLORE FRACTIONS ARE NECCESSARY.

ALGEBRAIC REASONNG HELPS THE STUDENT DO LOGICAL THINKING AND MAKE GOOD PREDICTIONS. STUDENTS NEED TO KNOW HOW TO EXPLAIN A PROBLEM. THEY CAN DO THIS BY DRAING PICTURES OR USING A NUMBER LINE.

FINDING AND USING DATA SHOULD INVOLVE COLLECTIONS THAT THE STUDENTS ARE INTERESTED IN. STUDENTS NEED TO KNOW HOW TO INTEREPT THE DATA.

CHAPTER 12 DISCUSSES THE PROBABILIY CONCEPTS. EXPERIMENTAL PROBABILITY CAN BE USED AS AN ESTIMATE OF THE EXACT PROBABILITY OF AN EVENT.

 

TEACHING STUDENT-CENTERED MATHEMATICS

    

     CHAPTER 5 ADDRESSES THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE FRACTION CONCEPT. THE AUTHORS DISCUSS THREE TYPES OF MODELS IN THIS CHAPTER. IT IS SUGGESTED THAT THE THESE MODELS BE USED AS MANIPULATIVES FOR THE STUDENTS. CHAPTER 6 DISCUSSED HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO BE ABLE TO ANSWER SIMPLE CONTEXTUAL TASKS. STUDENTS SHOULD HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING OF FRACTIONS BEFORE RULES ARE STRESSED.

    CHAPTER 7 SUGGESTS THAT STUDENTS SHOULD HAVE  A CONCEPTUAL UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN FRACTIONS AND DECIMALS. CHAPTER 8 DEALS WITH THE CONCEPTS OF GEOMETRIC THINKING. THE

AUTHORS REVEAL THAT THERE ARE LEVELS A STUDENT GOES THROUGH IN ORDER TO UNDERSTAND GEOMETRY. THE TEACH NEEDS TO CHALLENGE THE STUDENT THROUGH WRITING. THE STUDENT NEEDS TO BE ABLE TO EXPLAIN WHAT HE IS DOING. TEACHERS REALLY NEED TO INSURE THAT STUDENTS KNOW THE BASICS OF GEOMETRY, BEFORE INTRODUCTING HIGHER LEVEL CONCEPTS OF IT.

   THES CHAPTERS WERE VERY INFORMATIVE AND I FEEL MUCH OF THE INFORMATION CAN BE USEFUL

IN THE CLASSROOM.

TEACHING STUDENT-CENTERED MATHEMATICS

 

      CHAPTERS 1-4 STRESS THAT THERE IS MORE THAN ONE WAY TO SOLVE A PROBLEM. TEACHERS SHOULD ALLOW FOR STUDENTS TO SOLVE THEIR PROBLEMS IN WAYS THAT MAKE SENSE TO THEM. THE AUTHORS GIVE AN EXPLANATION OF THE USE OF DIAGNOSTIC INTERVIEW TO DETERMINE  WHAT THE STUDENT IS UNDERSTANDING. ACTIVITIES ARE PRESENTED TO HELP STUDENTS GET A BETTRR UNDERSTANDING  OF LARGER NUMBERS. THE STUDENTS CAN BE ALLOWED TO DO ACTIVITIES THAT WOULD HELP THEM MASTER NUMBER FACTS. THE AUTHORS OF STUDENT-CENTERED MATHEMATICS ENCOURAGE THE USE OF CALCULATORS. THE AUTHORS DISAGREE WITH GIVING TIME TEST TO SEE IF A STUDENT HAS MASTERED NUMBER FACTS. STUDENTS LEARN IN DIFFERENT WAYS. I FEEL THE AUTHORS GAVE SOME GREAT STRATEGIES TO MEET INDIVIDUAL NEEDS IN THE CLASSROOM.

THE READING WORKSHOP MANAGEMENT, MINI- LESSONS, AND STRATEGIES

   THE LAST CHAPTERS OF THE READING WORKSHOP  ADDRESS THE INDEPENDENT TIME. THE AUTHORS STATE THAT THIS A PHASE IN THE READING WORKSHOP WHERE CHILREN GET AN OPPORTUNITY TO READ THE BOOKS THEY SELECT. IT IS IMPORTANT THAT THIS BE DONE  IN A MANNERLY ORDER.  DURING THIS TIME THE TEACHER SHOLD BE IN CONFERENCE, CONFERRING AND DISCUSSING BOOKS WITH STUDENTS, OR DOING GUIDED READING WITH STUDENTS WHO THAT  NEED EXTRA HELP. SOME SUDENTS MAY HAVE SORY CHAT AT THIS TIME.

   THE TEACHER SHOULD ENSURE STUDENTS CHOOSE A VARIETY OF GENRES, WHEN SELECTING THEIR BOOKS. DURING THIS TIME SOME SUDENTS MAY CHOOSE TO READ WITH A PARTNER.THE STORY CHAT SHOULD BE A TIME WHEN

STUDENTS DISCUSS THE BOOK , SHARE QUESTIONS, AND MAKE CONNECTION BETWEEN THIS BOOK READING OR TO THEIR OWN LIFE EXPERIENCES. FLEXIBLE GROUPS SHOULD BE FORMED AT THIS TIME. THESE GROUPS SHOULD BE FORMED ACCORDING TO STUDENT NEEDS.

 

 

THE READING WORKSHOP MANAGEMENT, MINI-LESSONS, AND STRATEGIES

   

 IN CHAPTER FOUR OF THE READING WORKSHOP THE AUTHORS FOCUSED ON THE IMPORTANT OF EMPHASIZING TO THE STUDENT PRODECURES, ORGANIZATIONAL, AND WHAT IS EXPECTED OF THEM. THE FIRST FOUR TO FIVE WEEKS OF THE MINI-LESSONS SHOULD BE DEVOTED TO THIS. IN ORDER FOR THE READING WORKSHOP TO BE A SUCCESS, IT IS IMPORTANT TO HAVE SMOOTH TRANSITION FROM ONE ONE STATION TO ANOTHER. IN THE FIRST TWENTY DAYS MINI-LESSONS SHOULD ALSO INTRODUCE THE STUDENT TO WHAT GOOD LISTENER DO, WHAT THE READING WORKSHOP IS ALL ABOUT,CHOOSING FAVORITE BOOKS,QUIET READING (BOOK NOOK), BOOK SHARING,CHOOSING THE BOOK THAT'S RIGHT FOR YOU, WHAT TO EXPECT IN THE READING CONFERENCE, AND READING WITH A PARTNER.

 IN CHAPTER FIVE OF THE READING WORKSHOP BOOK, THE AUTHORS DISCUSS FOCUSING THE MINI LESSON ON STRATEGIES AND SKILLS. THE AUTHORS OFFERED SEVERAL EXAMPES OF MINI LESSONS THAT WOULD TEACH STRATEGIES AND SLILLS. MODELING AND DIRECT TEACHING ARE CRITICAL. IT IS IMPORTANT  TO TEACH WHAT EXPERT READERS DO BEFORE, DURING, AND AFTER READING. THE TEACHER SHOULD DEMONSTRATE READING STRATEGIES TO THE CLASS. IT IS IMPORTANT FOR THEM TO KNOW THESE STRATEGIES IN ORDER TO BECOME GOOD READERS. STUDENTS NEED TO ASSOCIATE THESE STRATEGIES AND SKILLS WITH BOOKS, NOT WORKBOOKS OR WORKSHEETS.

 

 CHAPTER SIX ADDRESSES MINI- LESSONS ON LITERARY TECHNIQUES. STUDENTS SHOULD BE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO VOICE THEIR COMMUNICATE AS MUCH AS THEIR ABILITY WILL ALLOW THEM TO ANALYZE LITERATURE. THE STUDENT SHOULD FOCUA ON CHARACTERS, SETTING, PLOT, AND THEME. THE AUTHORS GAVE MANY EXAMPLES OF TOPICS THAT COULD BE CHOSEN FOR THE MINI- LESSONS ON LITERARY ELEMENTS

THE READING WORKSHOP MANAGEMENT, MINI-LESSONS, AND STRATEGIES

I FOUND CHAPTERS 1-3 OF THIS BOOK VERY INFORMATIVE. THE AUTHORS DID A VERY GOOD EXPLAINING THE STEPS IN IMPLEMENTING

THIS PROGRAM. THEY POINTED OT THE ADVANTAGES OF THE READING WORKSHOP AND COMPARED AND CONTRASTED IT WITH TRADITIONAL READING PROGRAMS.IN THE FIRST THREE CHAPTERS OF THIS 

BOOK THE AUTHORS EXPLAINED THE TIMING AND PURPOSE OF EACH OF

THE WORKSHOP SESSIONS.

THE PURPOSE OF THE 10-15 MINUTES MINI-LESSON IS TO TEACH STUDENTS STRATEGIES AND SKILLS THAT ARE NECESSARY FOR

BECOMING GOOD STRATEGIC READERS.STUDENTS GET AN OPPORTUNITY TO READ

INDEPENDENTLY AND CONFER WITH EACH OTHER.THIS CAN BE DONE IN SMALL GROUPS, WITH GUIDED PRACTICE OR IN PAIR GROUPS.FORMAL ASSESSMENTS ARE NOT USED IN THIS PROGRAM.INFORMAL ASSESSMENT SUCH AS RETELLIN CAN BE USED. IT IS IMPORTANT TOBE ORGANIZED,HAVE A WELL-STOCKED CLASSOOM LIBRARY AND A DESIGNATED AREA FOR A READING NOOK.PARENT SHOULD BE KEEP KEPT WELL-INFORMED ABOUT THEIR CHILD'S PROGRESS IN THE WORKSHOP