- firmly establish writer's notebooks and conduct daily/weekly writing assignments
- read, investigate, and write based on a variety of genres
- help students select a" model text" as a reference when writing
- conference with students on a consistent basis (depending upon their needs)
- provide plenty of exposure to various genres (whole group lessons)
- have students work in pairs or small groups to identify the literary features, author's voice, perspective, etc.
- allow students time to model the features from the selection into their own writing
- model, model, and utilize "think alouds"
After approximately a semester of this intense study, the student will gradually be introduced to the multigenre paper. The teacher must assist the child in proper topic selection. The authors mentioned how the student can refer to his notebook for ideas such as family member or a special vacation. From a large, ambiguous topic the instructor can help the student focus on one key element. The proposal enables both the teacher and student to reflect on why the topic was selected, how to communicate the ideas, and how the final piece will look. Once the student has a list of possible genres, and an overall feel of the project, he/she can gradually build a product which reflects their knowledge though various genres for their specific writing purpose.
How does one teacher manage all of this with a classroom of children? Many of our high school students don't even have a computer at home! Therefore, most research must be completed at school under the supervision of the teacher. How would an elementary teacher ensure success for every child without sacrificing other subject matter? How is the project graded? A rubric? A speech delivered by the child? I am still trying to "sort" all of the steps while visualizing this in a typical classroom where the teacher is already extremely overworked. I am hoping the reminder of the text will provide some much needed answers!
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