writing workshop

“We-Do” Writing: Review and Giveaway

Kathleen Neagle Sokolowski

 

“Young writers in Kindergarten to Grade 5 are asked to be amazing plate spinners, keeping many recently learned skills in their minds as they put pencil to paper. They attend to spelling, story structure, punctuation, connecting oral and written language, to name a few. In our quest to get students to become independent writers, we model each of these skills carefully, but we often gloss over the “We Do” phase of instruction. This book is devoted to slowing down that critical collaborative practice, so students get the scaffolding they need (7).”

-Leah Mermelstein, “We-Do” Writing 

As a third grade teacher, when I look at my scope and sequence for each subject area, and I think about the students sitting before me, I can feel…overwhelmed.  It is daunting to figure out how I will teach all that I need to in a way that meets each learner where they are. I’ve also looked at that scope and sequence chart and felt that everything seems so separate from each other. In my district, in September, the year begins with a unit on Geography in Social Studies, a foundational writing unit that launches writing workshop,  word study focus on high frequency words, addition and subtraction in math, and building a reading life in reading workshop.  There is also the important work of building relationships, getting to know students, establishing routines and fostering a  growth mindset. I am not always sure how make those concepts feel integrated for students.

One of the many things I loved about Leah Mermelstein’s book, “We-Do” Writing: Maximizing Practice to Develop Independent Writers (PD Essentials, 2021) is the idea that collaborative writing experiences allow you to work on content related topics while practicing language conventions and language composition. A teacher might lead an interactive writing session at the end of a math lesson, writing about how students solved a word problem. The teacher could be working on the skill of capitalization while also helping the students share their ideas about solving math problems. In this way, time is maximized and students see connections in their learning.

The book begins with a letter from Leah, where she outlines her three beliefs from which she operates: instruction emphasizes purpose, instruction is joyful, and instruction is geared towards independence. These ideas are the foundation for all that follows.

Chapter 1, entitled Writing Instruction and Practice, focuses on the importance of the “We Do” model, one of the components in the  Gradual Release of Responsibility model (I do, We do, You do). Leah makes the case that independent writing time isn’t benefiting students equally- some students need more supported practice to be able to transfer their learning when writing independently. Leah outlines her “We-Do” model, which includes three instructional strands, three corresponding types of writing sessions and three levels of support within each strand.

Chapter 2, An Updated Gradual Release of Responsibility, explains in more detail the “We-Do” part of the Gradual Release of Responsibility and how this model can help students become more independent writers. Leah explains how extending the “We-Do” phase “leads to more sure-footed independence” (25) for young writers.

Chapter 3, Getting Started, helps with the practical matters: what supplies and materials are needed, possible literacy schedules for K-2 and 3-5, and management tips. In this chapter, Leah also provides lists of skills and strategies and key understandings for conventions and composition for both K-2 and 3-5. I found these lists very helpful in thinking about the skills I could teach my writers.

Chapter 4, Interactive Writing, provides and overview of interactive writing and then six steps of an interactive writing lesson are described. Detailed examples of how an interactive lesson looks in kindergarten and grade 2 are provided. The Snapshots from the sessions (67, 70) were some of my favorite parts of the book because it helps you envision how the lessons would go in real classrooms. The chapter also provides an interactive writing planning template.

Chapter 5, Maximizing Interactive Writing Sessions, details six different classroom scenarios when interactive writing would be used. A list of helpful tools is included as well as profiles of students who became more independent with language conventions after interactive writing sessions.

Chapter 6, Write-Aloud, focuses on language composition. This chapter has a similar structure to Chapter 4- there is an overview of write aloud, six steps of a write aloud lesson, two classroom examples (Grade 1 and Grade 5), Snapshots from the sessions (102, 106) and a write aloud planning template.

Chapter 7, Maximizing Write-Aloud Sessions,  shares six classroom scenarios  when write aloud is utilized to support students understanding of composition. Helpful resources to have with you during these sessions are also described.

Chapter 8, Writing Process,  describes how students can put together what they learned about writing conventions and composition and further their understanding of the writing process. Leah writes, “In this type of writing instruction, teachers support students in applying what they have learned in interactive writing and write aloud as they take a piece through an abbreviated  writing process (127).” Later, Leah states, “Research shows us, however, that young struggling writers rarely plan in advance of writing and tend to minimize the amount of planning they do as they write. Writing process sessions are another type of “We-Do” writing that give students the support they need as they practice planning, drafting and reviewing their writing (130).” Six steps of a writing process lesson are shared, two classroom examples are described (Grades 2 and 3), Snapshots from the session ( 135, 138), and a writing process planning template is featured.

Chapter 9,  Maximizing Writing Process Sessions, includes 5 classroom scenarios when a teacher would help students practice parts of the writing process in small group sessions. I’ve never thought about teaching students writing process in this way and helping them deliberately practice the different parts of the process.  Leah’s examples helped me to see how valuable this would be.

“We-Do” Writing is a book that pushed me to think in new ways about how I can better utilize my teaching time, be more intentional, and provide more opportunities for students to practice both conventions and composition skills. It isn’t an overwhelming book- it would tuck neatly into your beach bag or backpack this summer!  Sometimes you read a book and it is very validating and affirms what you already know, and other times you read a book that helps you envision a new way of approaching teaching. For me, “We-Do Writing” is the latter- it challenged me to see how I could strengthen the “We-Do” component of the Gradual Release of Responsibility model. There are so many practical and helpful ideas inside this book! I highly recommend it for K-5 teachers who would love more ideas on moving writers forward while maximizing time and building curricular connections.

Giveaway Information:

  • This giveaway is for a copy of  “We-Do” Writing: Maximizing Practice to Develop Independent Writers by Leah Mermelstein.  Many thanks to PD Essentials for donating a copy for one reader.
  • For a chance to win this copy of  “We-Do” Writing, please leave a comment about this post by Monday, June 21st at 11:59 pm EDT. I’ll use a random number generator to pick the winner, whose name I will announce at the bottom of this post by Wednesday, June 23rd. You must have a U.S. mailing address to enter this giveaway.
  • Please be sure to leave a valid email address when you post your comment so I can contact you to obtain your mailing address if you win. From there, my contact at PD Essentials will ship the book to you. (NOTE: Your email address will not be published online if you leave it in the email field only.)
  • If you are the winner of this book, I will email you with the subject line TWO WRITING TEACHERS-WE DO WRITING. Please respond to my email with your address within 5 days of receipt. Unfortunately, a new winner will be chosen if a response isn’t received within 5 days of the giveaway announcement.

Published by Kathleen Neagle Sokolowski

52 thoughts on ““We-Do” Writing: Review and Giveaway”

  1. Thank you all for your interest and comments in “We-Do” Writing! Congratulations to Heather who is the winner of this book! Heather, I sent you an email and look forward to sending the book your way!

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  10. I once heard a professional development workshop titled, I do, we do, we do, we do, you do. It stuck with me! Love the ideas mentioned and would love a copy of the book.

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  11. I feel like I am halfway there. I agree with the idea of utilizing the “We Do” part of gradual release with more intention. I think this book will be perfect for guiding me with the how to part of making it happen in my classroom.

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  13. Spending more time on ‘We Do’. Makes so much sense! I’d love to get a copy of this book! I know it would help me to support my students!

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  19. Sounds like the perfect summer read for me now that I’ve caught my breath and have time to think about my processes. I would love to read “We Do” Writing.

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  21. We are starting literacy work in my school this summer … the two hot topics are word study and writing. This book sounds like it would be the perfect fit for a writing PLC! Can’t wait to read it one way or another!

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  23. I think if you ask most teachers they would agree that teaching writing is the hardest subject. This book sounds fabulous. MORE We DO is genius!! I can’t wait to get it.

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  28. This book sounds like a remarkable resource. Integration and student scaffolding are two things that are dear to my heart. I will definitely be reading this book this summer. I also appreciate that this book is a K-5 resource.

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  30. This sounds like a great resource! Writing across the curriculum is a must. Looking forward to learning more intentional ways to use our writing each day.

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  31. I love all the ways interactive writing allows for teaching and learning. Leah’s book will be a great extension of that work.

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  34. I LOVE building my 3 book stacks for the summer~ this one is DEFINITELY finding a spot on my PD stack (next to my for fun beachy books & a HUGE tower of YA books I’ve been eye-balling!) Thanks for the heads-up about these great ideas, Two Writing Teachers! You all rock!

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  38. Thanks for this amazing review of a must read book Kathleen! I’m so looking forward to reading “We-Do”, definitely sounds like ideal summer PD. Throughout the grades, interactive writing can be so powerful and a super way to help us feel less overwhelmed as classroom teachers trying to squeeze so much in.

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  45. I had the honor to work with Leah in Vermont many years ago. I always return to her information about the careful guiding to independance. Lots of oral rehearsal, lots of shared practice. This book is on my summer reading list.

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  48. Yes! I believe interactive writing gives us so much “bang for our buck”! I can’t wait to get my hands on this book and have another resource for my students and teachers about interactive writing (and more).

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  49. This looks like another great book! I have Reading and Writing Connections by Leah and thoroughly enjoyed that one, so I bet this is even better! Looking forward to reading it. All too often, we jump right from “I Do to You Do” and this reminds us to slow down.

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  50. Good morning – As I was reading this reflection, I was thinking about the special ed students I’ve supported both on resource rooms and co-teaching classrooms. There is such a push for independence, and not enough time spent in scaffolding both the parts of both the process and the product of writing. Most books offer a chapter or two on interactive and/or guided writing. As a K-5 Instructional Coach, this book sounds like a resource that would be filled with notes and post-its to support a variety of students. Thanks for such thorough book review! pandorf7@comcast.net

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