Alison+Davies

Attended Dr Alison Davies Professional Development - 23 May 2011. Initially Dr Alison Davies addressed the whole school and "What Do Good Writers Do?"

**Metacognition is the key intervention that is making shifts in student learning and achievement both nationally and internationally.**

Below are notes relating to the session that Dr Alison Davies shared with the year 3 and year 4 teams.

Click here for the relevant pdf that was created using the notes that Dr Alison Davies shared with the cohorts.

After 1 Year National Standards suggests that children should be given experiences to write ideas, response, opinion and question through cross curricular links After 2 Years National Standards ‘some detail or some personal comment’ – this should be included in their writing plan. Mainly simple and compound sentences – See above Reading – weak comprehenders may be stuck on pronouns – who is the we/they/she? Transfer this to their writing – L.I to write with pronouns After 3 Years National Standards – text type has a place in writing lessons – should not be the entirety but should be present – For reading and writing children should be able to tap into text type features so they can connect as readers and utilise as writers
 * __ Year 3 & 4 Session __**
 * Overview to build picture of Year 0-2 **
 * If you have ESOL children or struggling writers – high frequency words my friends, get these secure. Otherwise all their time is spent trying to figure out the high frequency words, there is no space in their heads to think about anything else. Go back to Literacy Learning Progressions for After 2 years for next step directions. ||

Vocab use and deliberate selection of grammar. Strategies about how do you writer to make your reader infer, to make your reader link to their prior knowledge, to visualise a certain picture.
 * Constrained and Unconstrained Skills – See Junior Section above** Page 1 Middle Session .pdf

In year 3 and 4 we are moving our focus to 60% constrained - 40% unconstrained or towards 50-50.

When looking at how to correct our learners –go back to the progression before and look at those indicators. What is critical that they are missing? What strategic intervention do I as the teacher need to make to bring their learning forward? Go back to go forwards!

Lesson can include modelling, explaining, telling or Q & A – there should also be a maintenance programme Types of sentences – Simple and compound – see Juniors (which includes examples) and/or ‘Exploring Language (Big blue book in your box) for more information and explanation of the terminology.

Complex sentence is made up of main/dominant clause and a subordinate clause. Main/dominant clause can stand up on its own and makes sense on its own. Subordinate clause does not make sense on its own, it’s just a phrase. It’s only a sentence because it is linked to the dominant phrase. “Interestingly enough, it was a hot day.” ‘Interestingly enough’ does not make sense on its own – it cannot be a simple sentence. ‘It was a hot day’ is a simple sentence on its own. Complex sentences may have commas. Not all complex sentences have commas although most of them do. Work sheets are not the best way to get the learning in place for writing/grammar/spelling – children should be exposed to grammar, writing and spelling in different, interactive, fun ways that engage them. Ideas for learning about sentences; Page 4-5 Middle Session .pdf Get a piece of newsprint. In a newspaper article. Find and cut out 10 simple sentences, 10 compound etc You can then analyse these further which sentences are a statement, a questions, an exclamation, a command. Choose a colour for each and highlight Page 5 Middle Session .pdf
 * Simple and Compound Sentences –See Junior section above** Page 2 Middle Session .pdf
 * Complex sentences – Year 3 onwards** Page 3 Middle Session .pdf
 * Sentence analysis – look at writing and identify the forms of sentences simple, compound, complex. Look at the simple sentences and classify command, exclamation, question, statement
 * Cut montage

Topic: Storm Simple Simple Compound || Simple Simple Compound || Complex Complex Simple || Complex Simple Simple || Format – Teacher model one sentence writing format as shared writing (Compound, simple, simple, complex) get them to rewrite in pairs following another format. In pairs write what does the storm look like follow card 4 In pairs now follow card 3 same focus what does the storm look like? Which one sounded best. Now chose card or 2 or 1 and attempt it on your own. Keep to known topics as you establish, then through in previous concepts already covered. //For challenge// ask them to write their cards in past or future tense. Page 6 Middle Session .pdf
 * Sentence writing cards
 * Compound
 * Compound

Visualise WALT read and write to get a visual image Planning is to visualise what you can see, hear, touch, taste, smell
 * Planning**

What do I want my reader to see || **Words** || **Literary Devices** Eg Assonance Repetition Onomatopoeia || Teaching children to plan their writing should be asking – What do I want my reader to see when they read my work? What do I want my reader to hear when they read my work? Planning format can have space to collect word bank that will be used to create the image. Planning format can have space for literary devices (repetition, onomatopoeia, rhetorical questions).
 * **Storm**
 * What do I want them to hear ||  ||   ||

The following notes were taken at the end of junior, middle and senior sessions.

**Remember in scaffolding is required for new learning. As the learning becomes more familiar the scaffolding can be removed. The scaffolding needs to be removed slowly and if the task cannot be completed without the scaffolding the scaffolding should be returned.** **__ Staff Meeting: Monday 23rd May __** **__ Teaching Approaches to Support Metacognitive Writing Instruction __**

Feedback- Next steps from each year level Keep in mind this doesn’t haven’t be written eg drawn think about oral. Oral planning first High Frequency word activities Independent writing activities How to make recount more interesting? || Advice for now –give spelling/phonics a dedicated time for now. Eg 1st 5 minutes of reading and writing time. Vocab extension and skills || More hands on activities as opposed to worksheets Guided writing programme || How do you manage groups || Ideas and resources linked to multi-genre teaching || Graphic organisers Authencity eg Readers Theatre Grammar ideas || Page 1 Staff Meeting .pdf Nationally making some gains in reading. Few gains in writing.
 * Year 1 || Planning – too middle school?
 * Year 2 || More info – how do we put the whole program together, how do we incorporate phonics, spelling etc. What would the structure of the overall plan look like? Planning examples
 * Year 3 || Planning – Best practice of weekly planning and long term planning
 * Year 4 || What does writing look like on a daily/weekly basis
 * Year 5 || Planning –both short and long term, activities, groups etc
 * Year 6 || Planning –programme structure and balance

What is our standard writing experience for kids, how can we increase student engagement and motivation. Where is the fun? Where is the challenge? Lets up the expectation and challenge for kids

We need to think about these approaches for all year levels. Language experience is just as important for year 6 students as well as Year 1.

Think about Vygotsky’s zone of proximal development –ZPD J Learning on the edge! Teaching to the stretch!

Think about planned withdrawal of scaffolding.


 * Reflective Questions**

Does your long term planning carefully scaffold learning intentions? SOLO?

Does it include strategic removal of scaffolding?
 * High Teacher ||  ||   ||   ||   ||

Modelled writing

Shared writing Sits in this bubble depends on T Control

Guided writing

Paired/Interactive Writing

Independent Writing LS HS Page 4 Staff Meeting .pdf __Teaching approaches for writing instruction__
 * Modelled Writing** – High Teacher Input – Teacher writes and demonstrates good writing – used with think aloud – do not have any child input – to make it more active for the children they can be given an activity to perform alongside the modelling. Modelling books or newsprint ensure that example is not lost.
 * Shared Writing** – Has less teacher input than Modelled writing – Similar to modelled writing but the ideas come from the children – Teacher still has the pen but scribes the children’s ideas.
 * Guided Writing** – The children are writing but the teacher is in the group – teacher can conference the individuals in the group. Teacher observes a group and questions as they write. The teacher facilitates but does not write.
 * Interactive Writing** – Paired Writing- Juniors – children take in turns to add sentences to form the whole story. Use a planning format and give a rich plan to work collaboratively. Seniors - can share the process of writing and create as a group. Page 2 Staff Meeting .pdf

Number for choices. If you roll the dice and get a 1 your character sees trees falling. Etc OR __Beginning__ Page 3 Staff Meeting .pdf Can you believe it?? We heard on the radio that a storm was about to happen (Was imminent, predicted, forecast) But really did not believe it… The rain began to pelt down, bucket down, teem down like … If in Year 1 you may add just one sentence. This is do able in Year 1 and Year 2. Expect a sentence to be added to the scaffold.
 * **Topic: Storm** || **Nouns** || **Adjectives** || **Language Features** ||
 * What do I want my reader to see ||  ||   ||   ||
 * What do I want them to feel ||  ||   ||   ||
 * 1) Trees falling 2. Thunder 3. Lightning 4. Snow 5. Large waves
 * Beginning || Middle || End ||

Year 3 – Year 6 paired students add to the … parts. They need to link. Share it, partner swap it. Talk about the effect on the reader. The picture that the writer has built. __Middle__ Add 2 paragraphs Crash! Trillions of millions of trees went crash! Insert multi genre –poem- radio announcement- diagram- cartoon. __End__ Personal comment or Final statement


 * Independent Writing** – this is the ideal end point but children will not be able to do this initially

**Remember in scaffolding is required for new learning. As the learning becomes more familiar the scaffolding can be removed. The scaffolding needs to be removed slowly and if the task cannot be completed without the scaffolding the scaffolding should be returned.**