It's all about the link. Make sure your minilessons link to ongoing work. Link to making choices. Link to all the other minilessons. Link to the charts and resources in the room. Most of all link your minilesson always to problem solving and independence.
Category: minilesson
There Are More Ways Than One To Teach A Minilesson
Last week I wrote a post titled How To Plan A Minilesson From Scratch, and I outlined a very simple way to plan minilessons, based on the work of my wonderful colleagues at the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project. Now, I am going to backtrack a bit and revisit just a teensy weensy bit of what I said. I wrote, "Every minilesson can pretty much go the same way." And this is absolutely true, most of the time. Except for those times when it's not true.
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How to Plan a Minilesson from Scratch
Minilessons are actually really easy to plan, and fun to teach. What? You don't believe me? Let me show you, right now, how to do it.
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How To Read A Unit of Study
As the school year comes to a close, many of the schools I work with are launching into a week or so of in-service, summer institutes, and other professional development. It's "curriculum season" in many places around the country. For many writing teachers, that means diving into the Units of Study for Opinion, Information, and Narrative Writing by Lucy… Continue reading How To Read A Unit of Study
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Top Ten Ways to Keep Minilessons from Turning into Maxilessons
We've all been there. You've gathered your students into the classroom meeting area, nice and cozy, with the intention of doing just a quick l'il minilesson. Just a quick tip about writing and off they go, right? Maybe just a quick little demonstration? With a tiny bit of practice? Oh, and a chart... you'll need… Continue reading Top Ten Ways to Keep Minilessons from Turning into Maxilessons
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Our Inner Writing Critic
Now I know different. I know that all writers hear that voice. All of us. Here was my message to the 6th graders: All writers have an inner critic. Acknowledge yours. And KEEP WRITING.
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Teaching Toolkits: Making Instruction Visible
Anna Gratz Cockerille provides tips for organizing and developing teaching toolkits you can use across the school year.
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Using Illustrations to Trigger Memories
I met a fantastic educator, Susie Barcus, from Fort Worth, TX when I attended the August Writing Institute at TCRWP. We worked together in a small group where we shared some of our favorite "early in the school year" minilessons. She shared a minilesson with the following teaching point: Writers use illustrations to trigger memories and… Continue reading Using Illustrations to Trigger Memories
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Finding a Space to Write
I'm a big advocate for writers to find a space that works best for them. I also think it's important for students to learn to write anywhere. I'm productive as a writer because I have very few needs when it comes to environment. I can write anywhere. I prefer a large block of time with… Continue reading Finding a Space to Write
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Topic Choice
So often, we run into students who say, "I don't know what to write about." We work to help them develop topics. We make lists of writing ideas. We encourage them to explore writing territories. They find possible stories. What I've been realizing lately is often my topic choice has more to do with what… Continue reading Topic Choice
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Pop Culture References Make Minilesson Connections Come Alive
Maggie Beattie Roberts, my section leader for "Tap the Power of Technology and Media to Teach Higher Level Comprehension," suggested using pop culture references as one way to engage students in minilessons. (Pop culture references can come from TV, movies, music, video games, fashion, celebrity culture, etc.) Our "homework," as part of the Reading Institute,… Continue reading Pop Culture References Make Minilesson Connections Come Alive
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What do you think of this minilesson?
I've been working on a few sample minilessons to give my grad students next month when I start teaching "Children's Literature in Teaching Writing." I've been making tweaks to the traditional minilesson structure I've used in the past based on Lucy Calkins's session, "In the Complicated World of Today, What's Changed and What's Stayed the… Continue reading What do you think of this minilesson?
