Writing+Models

**WRITING MODELS **
=__**Introduction (Some content taken from ECR Content Area Read Aloud Unit ARLDT) **__=

Purpose and Rationale:
The purpose of this unit (Unit ?: Writing Models) in the Elementary/Adolescent Literacy Professional Development Series is to help schools and district faculties answer the following questions and take appropriate actions:

• Are K-12 classroom teachers using writing models as they begin to implement the writing portion of the Iowa Core Curriculum for Literacy?

Use knowledge of purpose, audience, format, and medium in developing written communication Apply writing strategies to communicate in a variety of genres Use writing as a tool for learning. Engage in the information literacy process: access, evaluate, and communicate information and ideas. Write on demand. A dhere to conventions generally established in spelling, punctuation, grammar, usage, syntax, and style appropriate to genre and writing situation. Incorporate technology as a tool to enhance writing .**
 * Use an effective writing process

• If writing models are being used, are they enhancing the quality of writing and the implementation of the Iowa Core Curriculum?

While developing the series, The Elementary/Adolescent Literacy team considered the following:

• The current state of adolescent literacy in the United States and in the state of Iowa

• Research from national documents such as Writing Next (Graham & Perrin, 2007), Adolescent literacy – Research and Practice (Kamil, 2003), and information from the Iowa Core Curriculum (Iowa Department of Education (IDE), 2008)

• Research and information from Accelerating Adolescent Literacy: A Report from Iowa’s Adolescent Literacy Research and Development Team (IDE, 2008)

Definition:
Writing is recording ideas in a language that can be retrieved by the writer and others. It involves an audience, which may simply be the writer or the writer and the teacher; the goals or purpose for recording ideas, thoughts, emotions; application of knowledge of the language being used and how it works (letter symbols, conventional spellings, word order, usage and mechanics, ways of recording, and forms/genre of recording); and knowledge about the topic or purpose for writing or willingness to gain this knowledge, possibly with the help of the text one writes while exploring a topic (Calhoun, 2007).

“Writing models are partially constructed texts that allow students to augment with their own original text. These are more sophisticated than the sentence and story starters popularized in teacher workbooks because they furnish a scaffold (literally) in the form of a framework. The writer must consider how his or her words work with the ones already in the model. Unlike a simple story starter, the writer must think both at the micro level (word and sentence) as well as the macro level (the message, voice, and tone of the overall piece. ” (Fisher & Frey, p. 107, 2007)

Connections
The materials in this professional development series were developed as a result of the work of the Iowa Department of Education’s Elementary/Adolescent Literacy Teams. They are designed to support facilitators and school district staff as they study and implement evidence-based instructional practices for improving adolescent literacy achievement for all students. The work of this team supports and is closely linked to the work of the Iowa Core Curriculum (IDE, 2008) and the Rigor and Relevance Framework (2005).

The Iowa Core Curriculum (IDE, 2008) states, “Literacy is fundamental to all teaching and learning. Thus, all teachers must take ownership for literacy development if students are to succeed.” This unit addresses essential concepts and skills sets from the Iowa Core Curriculum. Unit?: Writing Models supports the following skills and actions from the writing section:
 * see current**

“Improving Rigor and Relevance in the High School Curriculum” (IDE, 2005) is based on the work of W.R. Daggett of the International Center for Leadership in Education. The Center studied highly effective schools and noted that literacy—“supporting students to read, write, speak, listen, and observe well”—was at the top of the list of common elements for over half of the schools (p.8). Rigor, relevance, and relationships are keys to improving student engagement and performance in our high schools. Schools that value literacy and provide students with an opportunity to read a wide variety of materials that are interesting, relevant to their lives, and support the curriculum are increasing the opportunities for students to become successful, productive citizens.

In terms of process or helping faculties improve student performance in literacy, the Adolescent Literacy Professional Development Series follows the tenets of the Iowa Department of Education’s Instructional Decision Making (IDM) process and the Iowa Professional Development Model (IPDM) (see Appendix A). **link to powerpoint** IDM is a process that schools may use to analyze their current system, curriculum, instruction, and assessments to meet the needs of most students. Schools then look into what supplemental and intensive supports/services are in place to meet the needs of students who are highly proficient or less than proficient in core curriculum areas.

The IPDM was designed to help school and district faculties improve the learning of all students by employing a process that includes the following actions: • Assess current performance of students • Figure out how to meet the instructional and behavioral needs of all students • Design and deliver staff development that helps to meet these needs • Study the effects of the professional development on instructional practices and student performance

District, school, and area education agency (AEA) staff can use the Adolescent Literacy Professional Development Series as a vehicle for studying and implementing evidence-based practices in adolescent literacy. For additional information regarding Iowa’s IDM process, please visit the Iowa Department of Education Web site at www.iowa.gov/educate/.

The IPDM underpins the design of the Adolescent Literacy Professional Development Series. The series includes theory, demonstration, collaboration, and practice. It follows the training cycle of the IPDM with training and learning opportunities, collaboration/implementation, and ongoing data collection as critical components. As school faculties and administrators determine priorities for staff development, they should make sure that the content aligns with the district and attendance center professional development plans. For further information, please see the slides regarding the Iowa Professional Development Model contained in the series and/or visit the Iowa Department of Education Web site at www.iowa.gov/educate/.

Business and corporate entities, universities, other post-secondary institutions, the federal government, policy makers, and the K–12 educational system want to make sure that students exit high school as competent and skilled communicators. Such pressure tends to create a proliferation of initiatives for school and district staff to cope with and seek to implement productively. However, the Iowa Department of Education is aware of the dangers of overload and works to provide support for educators as they respond to board policies and legislative priorities. Each of the initiatives discussed above has the common goal of improving learning for all students. Facilitators play a key role in helping schools see the links among these initiatives.

As school district staff study their data and begin the task of aligning curriculum, instruction, and assessment to improve adolescent literacy achievement, the use of the Iowa Core Curriculum and the Rigor and Relevance Framework are essential supports. Use of the materials presented in this professional development series will provide schools with evidence-based practices to improve instruction for all students and help implement the Iowa Core Curriculum.

The ALRDT hopes that the materials contained in the ALRDT Report and the Professional Development Series will assist area education agency staff, other facilitators, and school district staff as they engage in the work of improving adolescent literacy achievement for all students.

**Research sound-bytes **
• Nationally, many students are not writing much for any of their academic subjects, including English. Approximately two-thirds of students in grade eight spend an hour or less on writing for homework each week, and approximately two-fifths of grade twelve students report “never” or “hardly ever” being asked to write a paper of three pages or more (**add page number and name of source)** Applebee & Langer, 2006).

• Several rather well-established practices still have small and uneven research bases. Text structure instruction, which involves explicitly and systematically teaching students about specific types of text, such as stories, informational text, and persuasive essays, has not been studied sufficiently. In addition, a wide variety of external supports (such as prompts, guides, hints, and visual frameworks that structure the writing process) designed to facilitate students’ writing are in use in classrooms but have not been studied adequately, so firm evidence for their efficacy is lacking. New practices in writing instruction have recently arisen and require investigation. Those who conduct the next meta-analysis of writing instruction, whether 5, 10, or 20 years from now, need a body of literature to review that scrutinizes a greater variety of instructional practices. New researchers must take on the challenge of studying writing instruction in all its complexity. Reading research was once limited in much the same way as writing research now is, but consistent attention from the academic community brought forth a flood of knowledge about many aspects of the reading process. Writing must be next. The future success of the nation’s young people depends on it. (**page number** Graham, S. & Perin, D. (2007). Writing next: Effective strategies to improve writing of adolescents in middle and high schools – A report to Carnegie Corporation of New York. Washington, DC: Alliance for Excellent Education.)

• Study of Models (Effect Size = 0.25): The study of models provides adolescents with good models for each type of writing that is the focus of instruction. Students are encouraged to analyze these examples and to emulate the critical elements, patterns, and forms embodied in the models in their own writing. The effects for all six studies reviewed were positive, though small. It was not possible to draw separate conclusions for low-achieving writers, as none of the studies specifically addressed this population. (**page number** Graham, S. & Perin, D. (2007). Writing next: Effective strategies to improve writing of adolescents in middle and high schools – A report to Carnegie Corporation of New York. Washington, DC: Alliance for Excellent Education.)

• The most effective instructional strategy for informational writing is the presentation of model pieces of writing, followed by free writing. The success of model pieces of writing as an instructional strategy is borne out, at least in part, by past experience and research. One of the oldest, if not the oldest, ways to teach children to write is by presenting them with model pieces of writing. It is assumed that students will be able to transfer what they see in the model to their own writing. Instruction using model pieces of writing involves connections between reading and writing. (Knudson, R. E. (1989). Effects of instructional strategies on children’s informational writing. Journal of Educational Research, 83, 94)

Professional Development Series: Writing Models from __Scaffolded Writing Instruction__ (Fisher Frey 2007)
__Session 1:__ Overview Writing Talk-Aloud Talk-alouds provide an opportunity to model the reading/writing connection so students can "see" and hear how an experience and skillful reader relates to and uses what the author has provided. For the text you use as a model, you need a passage or text excerpt that is well-crafted and worked for you as a reader. Using the attributes of the model text, write your own text presentation. In a writing talk-aloud, you "talk students through" how you used the attributes of the model to craft your own message.

Possible Writing Talk-Aloud attributes
 * Title and opening sentence working together
 * Parallel text structure
 * Organizational patterns (compare-contrast, problem-solution, enumeration, sequence, description)
 * Main idea sentence
 * Characterization (introduction of main character)
 * Story mapping

Steps of the Writing Talk-Aloud 1.Listening activation 2.Read paragraph aloud 3.Point out how you used the author's writing craft and/or organization in your own writing. (Compare the writing attributes of the two pieces--use an attribute chart to model for the students) 4.Student Application activity: students will do their own writing talk-alouds; sharing regularly--selecting their own models for writing and discussing the attributes they used. Assessment: A rubric can be made of the attributes from the writing model and used to assess the student's writing. Students should be encouraged to self assess. [|Rubistar - teacher created rubrics] __Session 2: Patterned Texts__ Patterned Texts uses published texts that possess a unique pattern or characteristic that provides a frame for students to replicate in their own writing. __Session 3: Using Talk Alouds with Content Area Texts__ These are examples of advice or technique used by an author. One way to introduce a Touchstone Text is through a Writing Talk Aloud.
 * add examples and lessons and resources for GL use Reading First materials**
 * add examples and lessons and resources**

__**Touchstone Texts**__

Purpose and Rationale: The purpose of this section of the Writing Models Module in the Elementary/Adolescent Literacy Professional Development Series is to help schools and district faculties answer the following questions and take appropriate actions:

• Are K-12 classroom teachers using touchstone texts as writing models as they begin to implement the writing portion of the Iowa Core Curriculum for Literacy?

• If touchstone texts as writing models are being used, are they enhancing the quality of writing and the implementation of the Iowa Core Curriculum?

Definition “Touchstone texts are an extension of patterned writing models that offer outstanding examples of a device or technique used by an accomplished author. These may be excerpts from a longer book or the entire book. These texts can be used to teach sentence writing, text structures, text features, speicifc genres, or literary devices. ” (Fisher & Frey, p. 109, 2007)

Connections: Writing Models

The connections made under writing models remain the same for touchstone texts.

Research Sound Bytes • “There is fairly extensive research on the use of writing models. These models include text frames, poems, and other graphic organizers that visually rpompt student composition.” (McElveen & Dierking, 2000/2001; Stahl, 2001; as stated in Fisher & Frey, 2007, p. 126)).

• “Writing models help struggling writers improve not only their writing skills but also their confidence in writing.” (Calfee, Chambliss, & Beretz, 1991, as stated in Fisher & Frey, 2007, p. 126)

References

[|Every Child Reads Website] Sample Reading Comprehension and Writing Talk-aloud lesson plans

http://www.thinkfinity.org Search for writing models and lessons using texts as a model can be found.

http://www.readwritethink.org/ Many of the lessons found in Thinkfinity were linked to this ReadWriteThink. Touchstone texts there are referred to as mentor texts.

http://www.nwrel.org/assessment/department.php?d=1 Access to many lessons K-12 that use a touchstone text to help teach the 6 + 1 writing traits.

Beers, S. & Howell, L. (2005). Using writing to learn across the content areas. Alexandria, VA: ASCD. Connects to Marzano’s Classroom Instruction that Works. Includes rubrics and templates for various types of writing: compare/contrast, describe, sequence/order, persuade, cause and effect, problem and solution, and reflect.

Calfee, R., Chambliss, M, & Beretz. (1991). Organizing for comprehension and composition. In W. Ellis (Ed.), All language and the creation of literacy (pp. 79-93). Baltimore: Orton Dyslexia Society.

Fisher, D. & Frey, N. (2007). Scaffolded writing instruction: Teaching with a gradual release framework. NY: Scholastic.

Lenski, S. & Johns, J. (2004). Improving writing K-8: Strategies, assessments, resources. Kendall/Hunt. Includes templates for various types of writing and rubrics for assessment.

McElveen, S. A., & Dierking, C. C. (2000/2001). Children’s books as models to teach writing skills. The Reading Teacher, 54, 362-364.

__Session 4: Paragraph Frames__ This consist of a series of transitional phrases for a paragraph. **//Useful for struggling writers - don't get addicted - outline//** __Session 5: Summary Writing__ A specific genre of writing that is shorter than the original piece but addresses information from throughout the reading.
 * add examples and lessons and resources**
 * add examples and lessons and resources**
 * //Talk aloud re. attributes examples and non-examples - reading and writing matched - practice reading good summaries and writing - reveal the thinking//**
 * add examples and lessons and resources**

**Further Reading or Other Resources**
Sturgell, I. (2008). //Touchstone Texts: Fertile Ground for Creativity//. The Reading Teacher, 61 (5), pp. 411-414. Oja, L. A. (1997). //Using Story Frames to Develop Reading Comprehension//. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 40, 129-130. Sipe, L. R. (1993). //Using transformations of traditional stories: Making the reading-writing connection//. The Reading Teacher, 47 (1), pp.18-26.

**References **
References

Applebee, A. N. & Langer, J. A. (2006). The state of writing instruction in America’s schools: What existing data tell us. Albany, NY: Center on English Learning and Achievement.

Beers, S. & Howell, L. (2005). Using writing to learn across the content areas. Alexandria, VA: ASCD. Connects to Marzano’s Classroom Instruction that Works. Includes rubrics and templates for various types of writing: compare/contrast, describe, sequence/order, persuade, cause and effect, problem and solution, and reflect.

Calfee, R., Chambliss, M, & Beretz. (1991). Organizing for comprehension and composition. In W. Ellis (Ed.), All language and the creation of literacy (pp. 79-93). Baltimore: Orton Dyslexia Society.

Calhoun, E. F. (2007). Learning to write – writing to learn. St. Simons Island, GA: Phoenix Alliance.

Charney, D. H., & Carlson, R. A. (1995). Learning to write in a genre: What student writers take from model texts. Research in the Teaching of English, 29, 88-125.

Cunningham, J. (1982). Generating interactions between schema and text. In J. A. Niles & I. A. Harris (eds.), New inquiries in reading research and instruction (pp. 42-47). Washington, D.C.: National Reading Conference.

Fisher, D., & Drake, L. (1999). Connecting geometry to students’ experiences. In S. Totten, C. Johnson, L. R. Morrow, T. Sills-Briegel (Eds.), Practicing what we preach: Preparing middle level educators (pp. 128-131). New York: Falmer.

Fisher, D. & Frey, N. (2007). Scaffolded writing instruction: Teaching with a gradual release framework. NY: Scholastic.

(Graham, S. & Perin, D. (2007). Writing next: Effective strategies to improve writing of adolescents in middle and high schools – A report to Carnegie Corporation of New York. Washington, DC: Alliance for Excellent Education.)

Greene, B. G. (1994). Assessing literacy: Writing models, portfolios, & performances. Reading Research and Instruction, 33, 257-262.

Koch, K. (1997). I never told anybody: Four poetry writing ideas. Teachers & Writers, 29, 1-10.

Knudson, R. E. (1989). Effects of instructional strategies on children’s informational writing. Journal of Educational Research, 83, 91–96.

Lenski, S. & Johns, J. (2004). Improving writing K-8: Strategies, assessments, resources. Kendall/Hunt. Includes templates for various types of writing and rubrics for assessment.

McElveen, S. A., & Dierking, C. C. (2000/2001). Children’s books as models to teach writing skills. The Reading Teacher, 54, 362-364.

Moretti, C. (1996). Literary creativity with art: A resource teacher project. La Mesa, CA: Grossmont Union High School District.

Oczkus, L. (2007). Guided writing: Practical lessons, powerful results. Heinemann. Connects to Fisher & Frey on scaffolded writing instruction.

Oja, L.A. (October, 1996). Using story frames to develop reading comprehension. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 40, 2, 128-129.

Focuses on the use of story frame as a reading comprehension strategy. Number of methods for looking at a story’s structure. Encouraging students to rethink some aspect of the story.

Palmer, R. G. & Stewart, R. A. (February, 2005). Models for using nonfiction in the primary grades. The Reading Teacher, 58, 5, 426-434.

Nonfiction with age appropriate content and readability for the primary grades can be a valuable tool for skill development and a source of reading enjoyment for young students.

Pearson P. D., & Gallagher, M. C. (1983). The instruction of reading comprehension. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 8, 317-344.

Sipe, Lawrence R. (September, 1993). Using transformations of traditional stories: Making the reading-writing connection. Reading Teacher, 47, 1, p18-27.

Features sixth-grade students' comparison of traditional tales and modern variants. Creation of own versions of stories; Context of project on traditional stories and transformations of old tales; Concept of transformation; Difference from storytelling; Goal for students to develop literary insights and to reexperience the fascination of traditional stories; More. INSET: The boy who called 9-1-

Staal, Laura A. (Jul/Sep, 2001). Writing models: Strategies for writing composition in inclusive settings. Reading & Writing Quarterly, 17, 3, p243-248.

Argues that writing models are effective interventions for students of all abilities exhibiting writing difficulties. Descriptions of the story frame and story pyramid narrative writing strategies; Development of skills and effective strategies; Guidelines for implementation of writing models in an inclusive setting. Tompkins, G. E. (1990). Teaching writing: Balancing process and product. New York: Macmillan Publishing. Fisher D., Frey N., Lapp D. //(2009). In a Reading state of mind.// International Reading Association

Beers, S. & Howell, L. (2005). //Using writing to learn across the content areas//. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Calhoun, E. F. (2007). //Learning to write – writing to learn//. St. Simons Island, GA: Phoenix Alliance.

Fisher, D. & Frey, N. (2007). //Scaffolded writing instruction: Teaching with a gradual release framework//. NY: Scholastic.

(Graham, S. & Perin, D. (2007). //Writing next: Effective strategies to improve writing of adolescents in middle and high schools// – A report to Carnegie Corporation of New York. Washington, DC: Alliance for Excellent Education.)

Knudson, R. E. (1989). Effects of instructional strategies on children’s informational writing. Journal of Educational Research, 83, 91–96.

Lenski, S. & Johns, J. (2004). Improving writing K-8: Strategies, assessments, resources. Kendall/Hunt. Includes templates for various types of writing and rubrics for assessment.

Oczkus, L. (2007). //Guided writing: Practical lessons, powerful results.// Heinemann.