Video Minilessons: Independent Writing Projects

One of my go-to ways to breathe new life into writing workshop is to invite students to create their own writing projects. This doesn't have to be complicated or time consuming. It can happen between units or in the middle of a unit. It can happen in one workshop or a handful of workshops. 

Trust me, invite your students to create their own writing projects, and their energy for writing will increase.

Below are two minilessons (one for primary and the other for intermediate writers) to springboard into a invitation for students to pursue their own writing projects.

I'd love to know how you breathe new energy into your writing workshop. Leave a comment and let us know!

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Lesson: WRITE YOUR BEST BOOK EVER (K-3)
Playlists:

Grades K-1
Grades 2-3
Routines
Launching Writing Workshop

Description: Launch writing workshop with students writing their BEST BOOK EVER! In this lesson, students are invited to consider the things they know as writers to write a BEST BOOK EVER. 

Special Notes: There is an explanation of the routine for "turn and talk" in the middle of this video.

Extra Resources: Check out the webpage I put together with the chart and inspiration boxes.

Lesson: WHAT WILL YOU MAKE IN WRITING WORKSHOP? (3-UP)
Playlists:

Grades K-1
Grades 2-3
Routines
Writing Process
Launching Writing Workshop

Description: Offer an invitation for students to create their own writing projects. Students consider audience, genre, purpose, and topic when developing writing projects. 

Special Notes: Make sure to create the chart to use in the minilesson, inspiration boxes for students, and to give students access to the WIP Brainstorm Sheet (found on the resource page).

Extra Resources: Click here for the chart, inspiration box explanation, and WIP Brainstorm Sheet on the resources page.

Video Lesson: Be a Brave Speller

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Lesson: BE A BRAVE SPELLER
Playlists:

Conventions
Grades K-1
Grades 2-3
Writing Process
Launching Writing Workshop

Description: Our youngest writers can learn to courageously stretch rich words to make their writing meaningful. This lesson provides a chart and a concrete way to share brave spellings, as well as conventional spellings. 

Special Notes: This video is longer than usual. The reason is because it is two parts. The first portion is designed to be the minilesson. It explains the chart and models how to use it. The second part is to be used before the share session. It explains how to celebrate brave spellings and share the conventional spellings.

Extra Resources: This lesson was inspired by Lisa Cleveland and Katie Wood Ray in their book About the Authors. When I saw the chart they made like this, it changed the way I talked with young writers about the words they used. I love that we can celebrate their spelling choices, even when it isn't conventional. I also appreciate being able to post the conventional spelling alongside the brave spelling.

After I created this video, I was doing a little thinking about extra resources to share with this lesson. As I was staring at the chart, I realized I used a "brave spelling" for afraid. Yikes!

My first thought was to redo the chart and the video. However, I had already shot another video for an online course where I discussed the importance of valuing approximations. 

The irony was thick.

In that moment I had a choice. I could redo hours of work to get it right, or I could embrace imperfection and keep moving forward. I wish I could say it was an easy choice.

It's never easy to put less than perfection into the world. 

I took a deep breath, rolled my eyes, snapped a selfie and decided it is more important to put this lesson in the world than to be shackled by perfection. I'm sure you'll use conventional spelling in the title of the chart you create for your room. *smile*

A YouTube Sensation {CELEBRATE This Week: 163}

I'm glad you are here to celebrate! 

Share a link to your blog post below and/or use #celebratelu to share celebrations on Twitter. Check out the details here. Celebrate This Week goes live on Friday night around 10(ish). Consider it as a weekend celebration. Whenever it fits in your life, add your link. 

Please leave a little comment love for the person who links before you.

*****

Last week I was walking down the hall at dismissal. It started as murmurs behind me.

"That's her."

"She's real."

"It's really her."

I glanced behind me and smiled.

Their eyes opened wide and one gasped. "It's you!" said another. "You're the writer who likes to help kids write."

I waved. "Hi guys! Have you been watching my videos?"

They nodded and held up their hands, with fingers stretched wide. "All you need is a hand to tell a story." 

"You really help us be writers. We like your videos."

"Thanks! I'm glad they're helpful."

They beamed at me. We were at the point of going separate ways. "Happy writing," I said, chuckling to myself.

One turned back and hugged me around the waist. "You're a YouTube sensation!" he said.

I giggled. A YouTube Sensation -- life doesn't get much better than this.

I couldn't wait to tell my kids at home. Sam said, "We know you're a YouTube sensation, Mom. That's why you're my inspiration for my own channel."

I laughed. 

I was hesitant to create minilessons for teaching writers. I was worried I would be perpetuating canned writing instruction. I've been pleasantly surprised to learn the opposite is true. As teachers use my minilessons in their writing workshops, they see first hand how specific and tailored writing instruction makes a difference for young writers. Teachers have told me how their own minilessons have improved because they have my lessons as models. 

I think this is sensational, and the true celebration. Teachers and students are growing in writing workshops. I'm grateful to get to play a small part in more students being able to claim happy writing because of my YouTube channel.

You're welcome to check it out at the Ruth Ayres Writes YouTube Channel.

Thanks for celebrating this weekend!

How To Write a First Draft (Video Lesson)

Recently I created a video minilesson about how to write a first draft. As I was collecting resources, I remembered this collection of thoughts I wrote about writing drafts. I wanted to share it again because I think it might spark teaching points for conferring with writers who are writing a first draft, as well as follow-up minilesson ideas.

Although originally posted a few years ago, my experiences with teaching young writers how to draft have continued to confirm that these thoughts are just as true now as they were then. 

Here's a chart for a share session to collect ways students do their best when writing a first draft. It becomes a collection that encourages and inspires the entire writing community.

Drafts by Ruth Ayres (10/12/2011)

Today’s post is a collection of my thoughts about drafting. I hope it is applicable to a range of writers — not a specific grade level.

1. Drafts happen outside of the writer’s notebook. I like to think of the writer’s notebook as a tool for the writer and when we get ready to write something for an audience (ie: a draft) then that happens outside of the notebook. I’m sure there are other opinions about this, but that’s my thinking. I believe this for a few reasons: (1) If students draft inside their notebooks, then the notebooks fill up fast; (2) Drafts are for an audience and when students write outside of the notebook, it provides a concrete place to begin crafting with intention; (3) It helps solidify the idea of a writer’s notebook being a tool for the writer.
2. Writers write the best first draft possible. We do not make sloppy copies. We don’t ignore punctuation and put it in later. We write our best — the first time. Now, as one third grader shared last week, we don’t have to use our neatest handwriting on a draft, but we do need to do our best writing. I am on a mission to rid the world of the term sloppy copy.
3. Rereading is an important part of drafting. I’ve realized I reread more than I write words when I draft. I want to do a better job of teaching students to become proficient re-readers of their drafts.
4. Even though older students are more experienced, their drafts are still filled with approximations. They are attempting to write dialogue. They are attempting to paragraph. They are attempting to craft. Sometimes, as a teacher, it’s easy to forget the best writers take risks. When students take risks, there are going to be errors. I have to slow down and consider my words when talking with kids about their drafts in order to make sure I’m empowering them as writers instead of sucking the energy from their writing lives.
5. Specifically to the third graders I’ve been working with, I see their attempts at making their drafts look like books. They’ve added title pages (out of draft paper) and they staple their drafts with three staples to make a binding. To me, this shows they way they are attempting to take something they are comfortable with (making a book) and apply it to a new concept (writing a draft).
6. We’ve put four kinds of draft paper in play in the third grade workshops. Wanna see the draft paper? Click here for the four kinds of draft paper.
7. I’ve been impressed the way their understandings of illustration has lifted the level of their writing. I’ve also noticed they don’t choose the same paper for all the parts. Ali explained to me, “When there are more details in a part to keep straight, then I get a picture box page and sketch before I write. If I have the part in my head, then I just get lines. Sometimes I need just a small sketch for a character in the part, then I get the small box paper.”
8. Bode suggested copying lines on the back of each draft paper. “In order to get the picture in the reader’s head, I need more than a few lines for each part, especially now that you’ve got me thinking about character details,” he said. Later he showed me how he taped lines to the bottom of each draft paper, making more lines to tell his story.
9. I think when we empower kids to plan by drafting each part on a different page, it helps them focus their story and their writing to the most important parts. I’ve noticed less “bed-to-bed” narratives this year than in years past. 
10. Ultimately, I must remember to meet them where they are. I have to trust this is their best work and I can teach into what they already know, helping them to refine their drafting processes in order to become even more effective writers.

My offerings to encourage writers (and their teachers), because I'm smitten by the way writers work...

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