Just got done hanging out with Lucy Calkins at PD....

[FourSquare]

......she still cannot tell me where the grammar and mechanics come in with her writer's workshop units (CAUSE THEY DON'T), but apparently this will all be fixed in the *NEW* Common Core Units of Study....Now By Grade Level! Conveniently available for sale next month!

$hit is about to get Real with these Common Core writing standards. Some of the grade level samples she had for "expected" writing were waaaaay above what the kids at my school are doing. I'm actually really excited for it, but I think we'll be rough going for a few years. Mostly I am concerned with time. I need like a 3 hour literacy block!

What do you guys do for writing? I still have kids who still don't capitalize "I" by itself. I need to get better in this area. Calkins wasn't terribly helpful.

[monsieurteacher]

I despise Lucy Calkins style. I'm not a fan. Having said that, I don't really know what the answer is for writing. I'm doing a book study on Writer's Workshop right now.

[czacza]

My district cut ties with TC a few years ago but we still follow a workshop philosophy.

[FourSquare]

Originally Posted by monsieurteacher

I despise Lucy Calkins style. I'm not a fan.

Oh, she's totally crazy.....but I like to think I can get something out of any PD. And my school paid for it.

[monsieurteacher]

I agree with you. I have to say that the district went crazy with everything Lucy in K-2 (maybe K-5)... that year, our test scores took a MASSIVE nose dive. I like the idea of small moments, but I just never really got the feeling the kids were getting much from her units of study.

[knitter63]

This is a major problem in our district. It appears that NOONE teaches grammar anymore, and only writing workshop. Thus, we have horribly written pieces that are graded for their ability to write the piece according to the workshop. (i.e. is it a personal narrative? Did they peer edit? )
I am all for writing workshop, BUT grammar MUST be taught.

[monsieurteacher]

I think there's room for grammar in the writing workshop.

[readingrules12]

Lucy Calkins had some good ideas, but her canned programs really leave some huge holes in the writing process. I think there are some things to learn from her, but a 100% Lucy Calkins approach, in her canned programs, isn't something I'd recommend for anyone.

I have yet to find a writing program that is a panacea. There are 3 books that I have that have some excellent ideas that I do draw from that might help.

1. Writing Process Activities Kit: 75 Ready-to-Use Lessons and Worksheets for Grades 7-12 (I think it should say grades 5-9)

2. Don't Forget to Write for the Elementary Grades

3. Literature Based Writing by Bruce Hansen

I also use Lasting Impressions by Shelley Harwayne, but that book has more theory than the applications you might be looking for.

Sentences on the board in the morning in DOL still help my students with items such as capitalization, punctuation, and grammar.

Good Luck to you. :-)

[FourSquare]

Originally Posted by readingrules12

Sentences on the board in the morning in DOL still help my students with items such as capitalization, punctuation, and grammar.

Does it though? I feel like I did this every morning last year and my kids transferred very little into their actual writing. I need to find a way to make it stick.

Calkins was good for laying out the Common Core expectations, divided nicely between narrative, persuasive (K-5) or argumentative (6-8), and informational writing.

[smalltowngal]

Originally Posted by knitter63

This is a major problem in our district. It appears that NOONE teaches grammar anymore, and only writing workshop. Thus, we have horribly written pieces that are graded for their ability to write the piece according to the workshop. (i.e. is it a personal narrative? Did they peer edit? )
I am all for writing workshop, BUT grammar MUST be taught.

Originally Posted by monsieurteacher

I think there's room for grammar in the writing workshop.

We're finding this at the high school level too. Both English teachers and myself are amazed at what the students don't know when it comes to grammar. I remember being in 4th grade and diagraming sentences. The upper level (Jr/Sr) teacher started having her students diagram sentences this year and she thinks that it has helped some.

Originally Posted by FourSquare

Does it though? I feel like I did this every morning last year and my kids transferred very little into their actual writing. I need to find a way to make it stick.

Calkins was good for laying out the Common Core expectations, divided nicely between narrative, persuasive (K-5) or argumentative (6-8), and informational writing.

I know when I taught 2nd grade, the DOLs did help students transfer that knowledge to their writing. And it's a big part of the state writing tests.