Literacy Ad Ideas and Tips - Practical Stuff

Working with the Literacy Advisor through the better half of 2014 we have had to reflect, revisit and rethink our teacher and experiences behind writing. These are some of the ideas and tips that have been the most beneficial.

What is a sentence ? Ask the question. If we set the WALT before the lesson begins
-My hair wakes up stupid.
-My sweat smells like peanut butter.

Discus with your partner whether these are sentences or not.
-I bike.
-When I was seven.
-He cried.
-Like a hockey stick.
-My Gran likes strawberries.

Kids whole mission in life is to write a sentence and MAKE sure there jus a Capital letter and full stop. These are the most non essential parts when we consider that a great sentence is about the language.

Can we check together ?
-Correct models and incorrect models are as important as each other. Always use the correct model first. They need to know what is expected.

Construct a sentence own your own now.
-Keep them with you.
-Checking they can do it.
-Send them away when we know that they can do it.

Run on sentences - The on and on and on and on and on kids.
-Do we understand your message? How am I reading your work?

Joining two ideas makes a compound sentences.
A compound sentence joins two or more sentences with a conjunction.
-Fanboys

Choose a conjunction from the FANBOY to join these sentences.
for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so

STOP writing Recounts.

Complex sentences help link ideas and bring out a logical relationship between ideas.
Words to start complex sentences.
AAAWWUBBIS A, although, after, while, when, unless, because, before, if, since

Write your own complex sentence using AAAWWUBBIS.
Do all complex sentences need to begin with AAAWWUBIS ?
Search through your reader and find 2 or 3 complex sentences.

Make sure the KIDS are do all the talking. This is how we will know it is working.

Use your READER to look for sentence starters. Look for it, Record it, Display it.

Use the text the kids are reading to use during writing time. Why should we continue to teach both reading and writing explicitly? Make the links, integrate, read and write together. Some of the best models are School Journal Stories.

Get kids to bring their current reader down with them in their writing group. Can they find a sentence? or look for the focus that we are looking at in writing.

Precise Nouns.
-NOUNS are far more effective than Adjectives.

WALT - We are learning too
SC - Say this... What do you need to do to be successful.  NOT this... Success Criteria.