Please consider the following prompts from the two chapters and respond to at least one of them.
Chapter 3: A Love of Words
Considering your own practice with vocabulary, whether it be content-specific or more general in nature, how do you come to learn words? What words do you know that you wouldn't know unless you came into contact with them in some special way? How can you help your students come to know words in the same, natural way that you came to know them?
Chapter 4: The Art of Specificity
"The bigger the issue, the smaller you write," is one of Fletcher's main points in this chapter. How might you help your students learn that concept. For example, this past September I had a student who wanted to describe and "adventurous" wedding she had attended. During the week-long celebration in the islands, they went ziplining, hang-gliding and deep-sea fishing, yet she would only describe it as "awesome." How have you helped your students, or how do you see helping your students get from "awesome" to "the swordfish, its tether a millimeter thick, leapt from the water with it's own determination to free itself from my determination to haul him in."
Teenagers love details: juicy, secretive, salacious, private, privileged tidbits are valuable currency. One way to deconstruct the awesome is to start with the some and then layer in the awe. I may ask them to respond to a prompt however they wish. Since the writing is for me, it is often task-driven and ordinary. But, then, if they work with a specific audience in mind--often a friend--and a purpose, such as to brag, the details will pour out. Shifting the intention and the authenticity changes the language. It is especially fun for me when students choose the audience and purpose because they not only try to outdo one another, but they also catch us off guard and force us to reach into our repertoire for each new audience.
ReplyDeleteChapter 3
ReplyDeleteI’m sure it’ll be no surprise to find that I learn words through the pleasure of reading and the art of conversation. I learned the expression, “freeze to the face”, from this text. I have already used it in two conversations. I had never heard this phrase before and, more than likely, I would not have learned it otherwise unless I read it or spoke to a climber.
I liked the quote Fletcher shared from Gary Paulsen, ‘Read like a wolf eats.’
I encourage my students to partake in the voracious consumption of words. Some words I choose. What’s more important, though, is that my students also have opportunities to choose their own words and plenty of time to read them.
I also encourage my students to talk to one another. Sometimes they are talking about what they are reading during in-class literature circles. Sometimes students are peer-editing work. Sometimes they are discussing a concept, quote, or important issue that has come up in their world. In summation, students have a chance to speak and debate with one another every day.
Chapter 4
This chapter was AWESOME. (Just kidding.) The question you pose is often the million-dollar question that I face with my students each year. I take a mixed-bag approach in dealing with the concept of writing small. One thing that has been successful for many of my students is to isolate the senses when writing. We look at photographs of startling, surprising or aesthetically pleasing images. Then I ask the students to describe the setting in a word or two. I get the dreaded “awesome” response. Then I challenge the students to focus on describing the image to someone who cannot see it. WHAT makes it “awesome”?
Chapter 3:
ReplyDeleteTeaching vocabulary is a tedious job—students dread it and I dislike teaching it. I think that vocabulary practices also kill the love of reading/writing. I am not sure what the correct way to teach vocabulary is except that the words have to be personal and not in isolation (having nothing to do with what they are currently reading). I try to have my students self-select words.—words that they 1. Do not know or 2. Find interesting (perhaps to use in their own writing in place of another more hackneyed word). Of course, they have to look up the definition and write their own context clue sentence. Also in their writing, they should use at least one vocabulary word they have learned through their reading. I think it helps them incorporate the words into their own world. I am not sure if this is what I should be doing. I only know that those vocabulary books where they have to complete a section every night, then I test them at the end of the week seems useless and causes more stress.
In my own world, when it comes to the area of vocabulary, I come across many words I don't know, even though I am an avid reader. When reading the Friere article, I had my dictionary out because, (although I am afraid and embarrassed to admit it here in front of other educators) there were many words I didn't know. I tend to write down the words I don't know and look them up later, or stop reading and look them up right there. Sometimes I feel it's important to my comprehension to understand what the author is trying to say and that word may be important. 7th grades will not do this though!
Betsy - I agree!!! In particular, I agree that, "words have to be personal and not in isolation."
DeleteAlso - I just want to tell you that the reason I finally relented and bought a Kindle to read my books was because of the ability to highlight words and look up their meaning. I have to look up definitions all the time when I read!
Your post, and this topic, also made me start to wonder if students are struggling with vocabulary due to the reading of less challenging works? I listened to the following NPR podcast earlier this week that had me scratching my chin: http://www.npr.org/blogs/monkeysee/2013/06/11/190669029/what-kids-are-reading-in-school-and-out
Mentors
ReplyDeleteGrowing up writing led me to understand that assignments were given and my task was to complete them. How did I learn about writing? I learned when my teacher handed back my draft and pointed out the changes that needed to be made which were indicated by the red pen marks on the paper. Perhaps that is why I cringe everytime I see a red pen. For me it was a map of my mistatkes. Did I have writing mentors growing up? Not so much. There were words that others wrote, and I read. Words were my best mentors.
The art and craft of writing would change for me once I entered education on the other end of the spectrum as a teacher. That for me was the point where I acquired two of my most passionate mentors. Having had the priviledge of working with my second grade team partner, whose greatest advice to me was, write every day and model the good, the best, the bad, and the ugly of the writing process. Let your children see you fail and succeed as a writer because it is the process that helps children grow as writers. I hope that my students would tell you that they have seen all parts of the writing process, successes and failures. In addition, we write often, write together, and write independently. It is not a successful day, if we haven't had time to write in some way, at some point in the day.
Even before publishing her first book, Mentor Texts, I was learning from her. Part of who I am as a teacher, I owe in part to another influential mentor. One of many pearls that she so unselfishly shared, share good writers as often as possible. Show students good writing that they can see, hear,feel and try out. Students in my class would add that we listen to and share writing, both our own and that of authors in a text. Finally, I hope that they would say that I am passionate about learning, striving to do so each day which is apparent as my foibles are ever present. Would I say that I am a mentor? Perhaps a mentor in training is what I would say as I continue to learn and grow.
Chapter 3:
ReplyDeleteTeaching vocabulary is a tedious job—students dread it and I dislike teaching it. I think that vocabulary practices also kill the love of reading/writing. I am not sure what the correct way to teach vocabulary is except that the words have to be personal and not in isolation (having nothing to do with what they are currently reading). I try to have my students self-select words.—words that they 1. Do not know or 2. Find interesting (perhaps to use in their own writing in place of another more hackneyed word). Of course, they have to look up the definition and write their own context clue sentence. Also in their writing, they should use at least one vocabulary word they have learned through their reading. I think it helps them incorporate the words into their own world. I am not sure if this is what I should be doing. I only know that those vocabulary books where they have to complete a section every night, then I test them at the end of the week seems useless and causes more stress.
In my own world, when it comes to the area of vocabulary, I come across many words I don't know, even though I am an avid reader. When reading the Friere article, I had my dictionary out because, (although I am afraid and embarrassed to admit it here in front of other educators) there were many words I didn't know. I tend to write down the words I don't know and look them up later, or stop reading and look them up right there. Sometimes I feel it's important to my comprehension to understand what the author is trying to say and that word may be important. 7th grades will not do this though!
Chapter 3
ReplyDeleteWords for me, are a matter of interest. Was it always that way? Words for me are like a fine wine, the more I age, the more interesting they have become. Perhaps it is the importance of speaking well, as if your parents sent you to school for all those years, and you really did learn something wonderful. Or perhaps it is that the more I have learned to love reading and writing, the more words speak to me (pardon the pun). I totally related to different parts of the chapter where Mr. Fletcher describes how words are just fun to say, how we savor and save words for just the right time to be used in our writing. I find that to be true the more I write with and conference with my students, the more I think about words.
Also, I think that vocabulary journals have helped me to understand the importance of learning words. When using vocabulary journals within the context of a story that we are reading, the students become more interested in words and how they are used. It opens the door for conversations which then help the students to understand the importance of knowing what they are reading. So often I hear students read and encounter an unfamiliar word just continuing to roll right over it, yet as of late with the vocabulary journals, students are more inclined to inquire about the meaning of words and how an author has chosen a certain word for a purpose. This is an ongoing process which has to be closely linked to our writing as well. When reinforced in several areas, the importance of words takes on a greater significance.
Sometimes it is as if I can hear my students thoughts when I get excited about a word that they have chosen. The look on their faces that says, "Oh no, here she goes again. It's all about the words!" True to my heart though, I do feel that if the model is caring and excitement about words, then perhaps it will begin to rub off, work its magic on its own. Will it work for all? No, I know that it won't, just as not every math strategy works for every student. Some will be affected and will think more about words, and perhaps in time, others will too. At least that is what foolishly carries me onward, hoping to affect change.
Chapter 4
ReplyDeleteHaving read Ralph Fletcher's book A Writer's Notebook each year to my fourth graders, I pause when it comes to his chapter on writing small. As I read his chapter in What a Writer Needs, it became increasingly clear to me that writing small is the art of subtlety. Rather than coming to the forefront and sharing the topic, it is using those small, oh so important details to set the stage. Perhaps it was the examples, or the clarity with which this was discussed, but somehow its importance seemed to much more evident. Also, a lovely tool to show how an author can weave and intricate story with delicacy as opposed to hitching a banner to the back of the plane and hitting the reader over the head with it. Writing small is a technique that I need to experiment more with, be less hesitant with trying it out. Several of the examples shed light on the gracefulness of this writing technique which needs to added to my notebook as I experiment more with it. The young girl speaking of her mother's voice as it grew quieter and the fourth grader that shares her sad days, touched a place in my heart that has inspired me to work to incorporate this strategy into my writing repertiore.
Chapter 3 – A Love of Words
ReplyDeleteChapter 3 demonstrated the powerful impact having a love and appreciation of words can have on one’s writing. I feel as though I have a strong appreciation for words, but I do not think that I convey this to my students in the most effective way. My first thought to remedy this problem is to share passages from books, articles, poetry, etc. to demonstrate how the use of (the right) words can augment our writing.
Chapter 4 – The Art of Specificity
Fletcher explains how the use of specificity can make “writing become beautiful.” He also goes on to say that specific information is needed to help the writer “animate even the most tired and tedious text.” This is a dilemma that often plagues my students, especially when writing in the expository mode. Although the students must include specific details to score the highest within the “content” area of their writing rubrics, it still proves difficult for many of them to add an appropriate amount of detail. The best way I know how to address this issue is by asking students probing questions when I see that their writing lacks detail. What kind of day was it during the battle? Was it sunny? Cloudy? What color was Washington’s horse? Could you use this information to drive home a point about Washington’s role in this particular battle? The probing usually helps, but in the future, I may incorporate examples of detailed writing to help demonstrate my point.
Chapter 3: We focus on two main areas of study in my reading support classes: comprehension strategies and building vocabulary. The students are usually engaged for the most part when it comes to the reading comp, but vocabulary for them is mostly memorization. It wasn't until late in the year when we started our rendition of "words with friends" that I noticed their use of vocabulary words in homework sentences went from "I asked my mother what the word X means." to full contextual application. The discussions simply embraced the strategy of making connections. So when we came to the word "remote" I would tell them a story about how my sister had a funny nickname for the remote control, we would discuss why it was called a remote control, they would share their own connotations of the word remote, and only then would we read the actual definition. It took some time to get through a unit, but I weighed it out and realized that I'd prefer they really own a minimum of words as opposed to just renting the ones in the text.
ReplyDeleteChap 3 A Love of Words
ReplyDeleteONOMATOPOEIA, The kids I work with love this word, they love finding "it" in their reading and using these words in their writing. I've read so much about vocabulary instruction i.e. teaching words in isolation vs. teaching words in context. In most cases I just look at the lesson or situation and decide how to do it. We don't spend much time talking about what we thought a word meant, I found out those discussion take on a life of their own (and hog time!) We look at words and expressions and look for clues i.e. roots, endings, context or we make up sentences using the word/words. We do take interesting words from our reading and put them in our journals for use in our writing or discussions. Even if the kids misuse the word in their writing and conversation, it gives us a chance to talk about the word again. I do worry that we don't spend enough time on words and the limited vocabulary really limits kids' understanding of stories and also stifles their writing.
In my own reading, I guess I'm similar to others who have commented...I write down unknown/unfamiliar words and look them up.I find I have to do that to understand what I've read and also it gives me a chance to add words to my vocab. I don't see this "word interest" in too many students. They seem content to skip over words. I don't think it's so much that they don't see the need to understand what they are reading, it's just not a habit or an interest for them.
"Response to Chapters 3 and 4, Ralph Fletcher"
ReplyDeleteChapter 3 - "AMAZING" - That is the word that hits me in the face every time I hear it. Everything to my students is "AMAZING." It shows up in their writing, in their classroom discussions, in our personal conversations. The new Justin Bieber album - "AMAZING," the senior prom - "AMAZING," the first season of "Keeping Up with the Kardasians" - "AMAZING," Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream Speech" - "AMAZING." I cringe and feel my head swell. The pressure builds up. "One of these things is not like the others...one of these things just doesn't belong." I try very hard to break them. I have made the word itself illegal. I have circled it thousands of times in red and purple pens. I have spent precious minutes in class demonstrating how ridiculous it sounds. First kisses are amazing, getting a new puppy is amazing, the grand canyon is amazing. It is not the word that hurts me, it is the way it is used. We play games in class and I try to have students come up with different ways of saying amazing. It takes time, but it is well worth it. In the end they all understand.."AMAZING" is really an amazing word - but there are better ones out there.
Chapter 4 - "The bigger the issue, the smaller you write." I understand this and I like it. It reminds me of one of my favorite writers - Hemingway. One summer I read everything Hemingway wrote. I read it in chronological order. I started with "The Sun Also Rises." I loved it., finished it in three days. Next I went to "A Farewell to Arms." Even better. It hit me - the description of war - of love. Beautiful. I finished it in a day and a half. Next I moved on to "For Whom the Bell Tolls." This was where I got lost. Hemingway stopped being Hemingway. His sentences were more complex. It was almost like he was trying too hard. I got lost. I trudged through and worked on it. There is still a bookmark in it somewhere before page 150.
I like to think that simple writing is strong writing. Authors can get lost in the details, using language that doesn't even pop up on Microsoft Word thesaurus. Why do words need six syllables to be complex. When students ask me how long a paragraph or paper should be I always say the same thing...."as long as you make it." Clear and simple language is a lost art ... clarity is the most important thing I can teach my students. I always tell them about a book I started. The sentences were complex and now it's just a bookmark holder.....and nobody want to write a bookmark holder.
My daughter, Kate, is a budding entomologist. At eight years old she cherishes her pet Madagascar hissing cockroach, “DJ.” Although I do not share her passion for bugs, I am fascinated by the study of etymology, a subject I’ve embraced later in life. I find the origins of words fascinating, determining their definitions, gratifying. As a result, when one enters our family’s bathroom they will find a “SAT word and definition” shower curtain enveloping the shower. I want both my daughters to love vocabulary as much as me, if not more. We play games like Scrabble and Bananagrams and all unique words are praised and their originator revered. When learning the words, I find that my visual intelligence is my best ally. Drawing pictures and creating vocabulary cartoons worked wonders solidifying meanings of words for me across the curriculum. In addition to using both drawing and gaming strategies with my students, I provide as many multiple intelligence-centered opportunities as possible. We use vocabulary words as often as possible during the school day and encourage students to actively look for these words in their “real world.” Each morning, after SSR, we ask students if they have any “Communique Challenges.” Students eagerly raise their hands and share that they just came across the word “jostle” in their SSR book or their mother told them to stop being an “instigator” with their younger sibling the night before. When students recognize these words in the context of daily life and outside of the textbooks, they own the words, for life. I can proudly say that every year a bevvy of former students ranging in age from teens to late twenties, shoot me emails with a graduated “Communique Challenge” and giggle. This is the type of life-long learning I value most as an educator.
ReplyDeleteJeanne Mastriano
ReplyDeleteOn The Art of Specificity:
Amazing it truly is - there you go, Matt - to reveal a universe in a small object or detail, like the woman who whispers, "I'm happy in my marriage. I am..." as she twists the wedding ring on her finger. Focusing on the world in the small detail also pushes us to start close to the bone in a story. Fletcher comments on the concrete detail as helpful in achieving understatement, and I love that about specificity - it helps us to say just enough, no more, so we draw the reader in, rather than drive him away.
I think one way to get them to describe the emotions and explain the details is to give examples! Just like I would tell them to “show me; don’t tell me” I must do the same. Providing examples and time to revise their work is crucial. I also think it’s important to teach them how to identify places in their writing that are worthy of specificity.
ReplyDeleteChapter 3- A Love of Words
ReplyDelete"The more words you know, the more precisely you can think"
I have that quote hanging in my classroom from Back-To-School Night in August to the last day of the year. I love words. I especially love finding the exact word I need to convey the thoughts in my head or the feelings in my heart. It is so much fun to share this satisfaction with the children. How red was the polish? Was it cherry red? Blood red? Scarlet? The deep burgundy of a fine wine?
How do I come by words? I read. I am a reader who keeps a dictionary at hand in order to look up the precise meaning of a word after inferring it from the context. No, it does not detract from the reading experience for me- it actually enhances it. What did the author intend by choosing this exact word? I am also very lucky to have some close friends who feel the same way. As Diane and I were getting some exercise the other day, we were talking about something historical- I can't remember what- and I clarified a situation by using the word "cicisbeo". Being the other pea, she whipped out her I-phone and immediately looked it up. That's the kind of company I like to keep in addition to my books. I am always looking for additions to my collection of words.
I love introducing the children to vocabulary that way. We have not had a reading anthology for the past 12 years, so vocabulary development during reading instruction grows from the needs of the students. I've read Bringing Words to Life and Creating a Robust Vocabulary, both by Isabel Beck, and that has helped me determine which reading vocabulary words to emphasize. I actually prefer helping the children wrestle with vocabulary during writing instruction. Here we drag out the "better" thesauri and hash out the nuanced differences in word meanings before settling on the "just right' word for our piece. We also take time to "play" with synonyms and antonyms by making gradients or playing our own version of "Would You Rather?" It's here that word play makes our day.
Chapter 4- The Art of Specificity
ReplyDeleteOn the learning curve of specificity, I am on the line facing the steep rise in front of me. I have a tendency to cling to the comforting confines of formulaic writing. Within its safety net I can explore using vocabulary and fancy sentence structure, but when push-comes-to-shove, it is still a recipe.
So how do I help my students when I am so encumbered? Luckily, I attend a lot of workshops in order to figure out how to do things better. Both Jeff Anderson and Mark Overmeyer have been extremely helpful. They have taught me to start the kids by making a list of topics and choosing one for which they have a story. This choice ensures they have the motivation to actually work on the piece. The children then make a story sketch- like a comic- of the important parts of the story. The children know that they will be telling the story to a partner, so they make sure the sketch will help them with the retelling. The children then pair up and tell to story to their partners. At this time, they decide the most important part of the story and put a star under the frame that represents that point in the story. This is the story point where we will practice "slowing down the moment."
Meanwhile, Routman style, I have been working on my own piece (the "I do") and modeling for the children. When they have the gist of my story, we work together to draw out my starred moment to show its importance. (In preparation for this, we have read many excerpts from books illustrating the technique.) It is actually easier to see how we do it, than have me tell you about it. As you can see, this is a point I still have not mastered, so I am looking forward to doing this myself, here, to increase my proficiency. I can't wait to try out the "heartbeat" analogy because I think fourth graders will love it.
I've learned a lot from Amanda. She is amazing at zooming in on a detail that conveys the emotion of the moment. She also uses the recurring detail Fletcher mentions with startlingly effectiveness.