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Teaching TIps 101

What's the Purpose: Process or Comprehension?

12/19/2017

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Because of the increased accountability of high stakes tests, the writing process sometimes becomes a secondary focus when preparing students to write for a different purpose. Helping educators find value in various purposes of writing can be a challenge because of the change in process. One assesses the process while the other assesses comprehension and the intricate details of a specific standard. There is definitely a place for each type of writing. Let’s quickly talk about what the writing process entails. Here is a brief description of the five stages of writing.

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Each of the stages helps students progress to continuously improve their writing based on a prompt or a task. This writing assignment could require a piece of text or not. For example, “Write an essay describing your first experience on a roller coaster.” This prompt does not require students to read a piece of text, in order to complete the assignment.
Now let’s talk about writing, as it appears on a standardized test. Usually, students have allotted time in which they are expected to complete a writing prompt. The difference is that this prompt is solely dependent on a piece of text that is provided. Students are expected to respond to a genre specific prompt, in which they are expected to refer, cite, or quote information from the provided text. For example, “Think of the passage that you just read, give your opinion about which roller coaster is the best and why.”
Providing students with practice on various types of writing is essential in helping them understand the connection between reading and writing. We can help students understand that they can become better writers when they become better readers. These two things go hand in hand.


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Literary & Informational...should they be treated the same?

12/14/2017

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A student cuddles into the corner of his classroom and opens his favorite book. He buries himself into the pages as he randomly laughs loudly every few minutes. In another corner is another student sitting at a table with several books open. Next to her is a highlighter and sticky notes. It seems as though she is completed glued to every detail on the page. These are two great students, but are reading for two different purposes. The writers of the Common Core Standards made a distinct difference literary and informational text. There are several specific skills that live in each of the type of texts and it's important that student know the difference. I often see FREE resources that allow students to practice reading literary stories and identify the main idea. No, no, no, no, please stop! Creating misconceptions for struggling readers can hinder mastery of various reading skills in the years to come. Be intentional with teaching students skills that can be found in literary or informational texts. Yes, there are a few skills that cross over but MAIN IDEA is not one of them. As educators we are layering a stronger foundation in each student's learning and we slow progress when we have to undo concepts that they have mastered. Our job is so important in our students' engagement with both literary and informational text.

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    Equipping educators with the necessary tools is the biggest factor when improving student achievement. The strategies and resources shared are to help educators reach their greatest potential. Students can be great and educators are the vessels that help with equipping them to contribute to the world around them. Great teachers think alike, so feel free to share, post, or respond! 

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