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Kim -- Facilitator - Hello. Welcome to tonight's session.
Kim -- Facilitator - First, let me tell you all that I like to do these sessions as informally as possible. I'll type as fast as I can--so please excuse me if I make typos.
Kim -- Facilitator - Diane, our main focus tonight is Sentence Fluency, but I'll be glad to answer other questions as time allows.
Kim -- Facilitator - My first suggestion then is to start out slow. Focus on one trait at a time.
Kim -- Facilitator - Short explanation of Sentence Fluency (SF) coming up....
Kim -- Facilitator - SF is the readability of the paper. The sentences should flow smoothly from one to the next. The writing should sound natural--the way someone might talk. The sentences should have different beginnings, lengths, and structures. The paper should be written in complete sentences, not fragments. Any fragments that are used should add to the quality of the message. Also, the paper should not be one long sentence containing no punctuation. (end of definition.)
Diane - Great - I teach 3rd grade and am always looking for ways to enhance my writing workshop. Which trait first?
Kim -- Facilitator - The first trait I focus on is Ideas and Content. I have also started with Organization. It depends on you.
Debby - any advice as where to start? my students are deaf at about a 3rd grade level for english
Mae - I ordered Picture Books from NW Lab - Do you reccommend any lessons for SF? http://www.nwrel.org/eval/writing/products.html
Diane - NW LAB?
Kim -- Facilitator - I haven't used NWREL's picture book. NWREL is the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory--the Six Trait model got it's start there.
Debby - read about it in the Archives, sounds like a place we could start -- some of the ideas i already do
Mae - What do you do to model SF?
FooFoo - Is there a site that I could go to that would outline all 6 traits?
Kim -- Facilitator - Mae, I cover the following elements: the 4 sentence structures--simple, compound, complex, and compound complex, independent and dependent clauses, relative pronouns and adjective clauses, subordinating conjunctions and adverb clauses, action verbs and direct objects, indirect objects, subject complements and linking verbs.
Kathy/RC/IA - Kim's site is excellent!! - http://www.angelfire.com/ks/teachme/sixtrait.html
Peg - Kim, would you give a quick review and list the six traits?
Kim -- Facilitator - Okay, quick review...Ideas and Content--the message of the writerKathy/RC/IA - This line has a lot of information about 6-traits - www.nwrel.org http://www.nwrel.org/comm/ProcessNwrelSearch.asp?CiRestriction=sixtrait&pagenum=1
Organization -- the structure of the writing
Word Choice -- the language the writer uses
Voice -- the writer's personality
Sentence Fluency--the readability of the paper
Writing Conventions -- spelling, capitalization, punctuation, paragraphing, grammar, and usage.
Kim--Facilitator - So much for the quick review. You can get more from my site at ...
Mae - Do you use models of good writing to teach SF? If so, what resources do you use?
Kathy/RC/IA - To get to that LONG URL, I just went to www.nwrel.org and did a search on six traits. It came up with 87 different links.
Peg - Thanks, Kim. I teach 2nd and read somewhere that it might be best to introduce the six traits in order but only 2 or 3 at each grade level. What do you think about that approach? Also, I'm thinking that sentence fluency is so important that I've just got to include that to some extent with my 2nd graders.
Kim--Facilitator - Mae, yes. I use some papers I got from NWREL in their training sessions. You can get some sample papers from NWREL. There is a link at my site...the URL below has it, I think.
Mae - I've got them. Do you ever use any professional writing as examples?
Kim--Facilitator - Peg, I totally agree. However, the order doesn't have to be what I mentioned. I think the teachers in your district should decide as a group which traits to teach at which levels.
Kim--Facilitator - Mae, actually I haven't used them a lot. I plan to add more picture books this year. We have a new schedule which gives me more time and I'll be able to do that more. (Whole other can of worms!) I really like using picture books--even with 8th graders.
Sy - What ideas can you give me for third and fourth grade? Where can I find more info for these two grades?
Kim--Facilitator - As far as other professional writing, I point out good examples as we find them.
Kim--Facilitator - I don't have a list.
Kim--Facilitator - Sy, Susan Nixon has a site for your levels. I believe it is called the Six Trait Homepage. I'm not sure of the URL> She has some good ideas.
Kathy/the gopher! - Here's Susan's site: http://6traits.cyberspaces.net/
Kim--Facilitator - I think I'm caught up with the questions now. Do you have any more, or do I need to clarify. I'll go on to some lessons for SF next.
Kim--Facilitator - Thanks Kathy!
Kim--Facilitator - Although my site is mostly for middle school, most of the ideas can be adapted for other grades--probably 3rd on up
Kim--Facilitator - Ready for a lesson idea for SF?
Mae - What about magazines like "Stone Soup" with kid writing?
Kim--Facilitator - If you have questions that aren't getting answered, send me an email by clicking on my name in the top bar.
Kim--Facilitator - Mae, I haven't used Stone Soup. However, I'm sure it will contain good examples--you will have to determine which writings to use for good examples of which traits.
fc - Could we see the lessons now?
Kim--Facilitator - Lesson Idea #1: VARIED SENTENCE BEGINNINGS: Have the students write a paragraph, story, whatever of ten sentences. For each sentence, give them a rule to follow for beginning the sentence.Sentence 1 -- Begin with a singular common noun.Mae - Kim, are you familiar with the inductive teaching model? I'm thinking that each of the 6 traits could be taught inductively, especially SF.
Sentence 2 -- Begin with an adjective.
Sentence 3 -- Begin with a phrase that tells when.
Sentence 4 -- Begin with a verb ending in -ing.
Sentence 5 -- Begin with a phrase that tells where.
Sentence 6 -- Begin with an interjection.
Sentence 7 -- Begin with an phrase that tells how.
Sentence 8 -- Begin with an adverb ending in -ly.
Sentence 9 -- Begin with prepositional phrase.
Sentence 10 -- Begin with a verb ending in -ed.
Of course, varied sentence beginnings is just one part of SF.
Kim--Facilitator - Mae, I'm not familiar with that model. Do you have a URL where I could learn more?
Kim--Facilitator - Lesson Idea #2: VARIED SENTENCE BEGINNINGS: A similar activity is to give the students a list of rules rather than a specific pattern. Add your own rules to the suggestions below, but be careful not to give too many rules (only five or so); the idea is to get students to vary the sentence beginnings, not stifle their creativity. If you use this activity more than once, vary the rules.1. Do not begin any sentence with a, an, or the.Kim--Facilitator - I think both ideas could easily be adapted to any grade level. Change the rules so that they relect the skills your grade level should master.
2. All sentences must begin with a different word.
3. Do not begin any sentences with a common noun.
4. Do not begin any sentences with I or you.
5. Do not begin more than two sentences with the same part of speech.
fc - Wonderful lesson ideas, Kim
Gina - Hi anyone familiar with Literacy First
Kim--Facilitator - Gina, I'm not familiar with that program. I'm starting to feel out of touch---that's the second program mentioned that I don't know.
Peg - For Lesson Idea #2 are you saying to use 10 sentences, also?
Kim--Facilitator - Peg, I usually do, but that's flexible according to your group.
Kim--Facilitator - Remember, I have 8th graders.
Peg - Kim, I'm staying with you--I really like you SPECIFIC ideas!
Kim--Facilitator - Are there any questions about the first two activities?
Kim--Facilitator - I have some more ideas, but I don't want to go too fast.
Tallytchr - I have been to your website..it's wonderful...and I'm trying to catch up on the archives...
Kim--Facilitator - Mae, I don't know about inductive teaching.
Tallytchr - We have been doing Power Writing at our school...but we are now ready to move beyond that!
Kim--Facilitator - Tallytchr, thanks. The first thing to remember is to START SMALL. Ideas and Content is a good place to begin.
Tallytchr - I"m soo glad...power writing can get very boring
Kathy/the gopher! - Mae, when Jan gets back, I'm sure she will fit the inductive and six traits together!!
Tallytchr - good...thanks for the tip..I was wondering where to start!
Kim--Facilitator - Tallytchr, I've heard of PW, but I haven't actually seen anything on it.
Kim--Facilitator - Organization is also a good place to start. However, there is a lot to Org.-- remember--start small.
Karen - what is power writing
Tallytchr - Power writing is basically an organizational tool..how to get kids to put the basics of beg. middle and end...
Kim--Facilitator - Tallytchr, I have sample unit plans at my site for Ideas and Content, Organization, Word Choice, and Voice. I'm working on the others now, but I've run into a problem with my site's server. I'm trying to work around it, but it will take some time to get things reorganized
Tallytchr - It uses a few web/organizational graphics
Tallytchr - hmmm...I went to your site....pulled a few things..
Kim--Facilitator - Tallytchr, I do that when I teach Organization. I love graphic organizers.
Tallytchr - Me too....
Kim--Facilitator - Tallytchr, I hope you found some things you can use or adapt for your class.
Kim--Facilitator - I use GOs with reading as well.
Mae - PW assigns #'s to sentences. It's a canned formula.
Mae - Jan isn't familiar w/6 traits - but I think it will work
Mae - Kim, what are GOs?
Tallytchr - Mae..Power writning helped our kids for a while...but we can't move beyond the formula....so we are going to six traits
Kathy/the gopher! - GO = Graphic Organizers.
Karen - our state writing tests are graded by 6 traits
Kim--Facilitator - Kathy and I think alike and at the same time!
Peg - Mae, I 'm glad you're here tonight! I really enjoy and look forward to your postings on the chatboards .
Mae - Thanks Peg! I'm excited about using 6 traits this year!
Kim--Facilitator - Six Trait isn't a formula or a program--it's a method of teaching. Most teachers are already doing it--they just don't have it organized as such.
Kim--Facilitator - Anyway, that's why I like it.
Tallytchr - Kim..I think six traits will be a nice step up from power writing...
Mae - Kim, have you seen any of the videos from NW Labs on the 6 traits?
Kim--Facilitator - Tallytchr, from what you have explained, I agree.
Peg - Six Traits will work in a 4 Blocks framework, won't it?
Kim--Facilitator - Mae, the only ones I've seen are the training videos from several years back. They were meant to train teachers, but some tried to use them with students--complete flop!
Kim--Facilitator - Peg, from what I know of 4 blocks, I think so.
Kim--Facilitator - I haven't seen the new ones. I'm sure they are better. Even if they are just for teachers, they will help you understand the traits.
Tallytchr - Kim...do you have a book on six traits?
Mae - They are to expensive for my blood!
Kim--Facilitator - Tallytchr, all of my materials are meant to use with students, but I do have some available.
Kim--Facilitator - Mae, a lot of work went into them.
Tallytchr - What did you use to learn six traits as a teacher?
Kim--Facilitator - Almost all of the information is available at my site for free.
Tallytchr - Great!
Mae - I made a request to our educ. service center to order them.
Tallytchr - I just love the internet!!!!!
Kim--Facilitator - Tallytchr, I went to two different trainings. One for the basic training and one for the the training of teachers.
Tallytchr - Is there one person or company that officially does the training?
Mae - Kim, I took the rubric and gave point values to create 100 pts. for grades. How do you transfer the rubrics 5,4,3,2,1 to grades?
Kim--Facilitator - I highly recommend going to one of NWREL's trainings. You will get a more information than your brain can hold--and I don't mean that you have a small brain!
Kim--Facilitator - Mae, Six Trait isn't really meant for grades, but sometimes we have no choice.
Tallytchr - Well..we have someone coming to school from our county office to "train" us in six traits..we'll see how it goes LOL
Kim--Facilitator - For our once a year state writing assessment, I record test scores the following way: 5 = 100%, 4 = 85%, 3 = 70%, 2 = 55%, and 1 = 40%.
Tallytchr - Our state scoring rubric goes unscorable to six!
Kim--Facilitator - The numbers don't match if you do the division, but I can't see giving a student a grade of 60% for a 3!
Mae - I start with a base of 60 for effort.
Redge - Have you found 6 traits flexible?
Kim--Facilitator - Tallytchr, you could rewrite the rubrics to fit into that model. It would take some work.
Peg - We're not allowed to give grades below 50.
Tallytchr - So far..good ole Florida is the only one I've seen that uses six...most go to four or five
Kim--Facilitator - Mae, that's pretty close to what I do. I also have another method that I prefer--can't use it with the BIG assessment, though.
Kim--Facilitator - Redge, what do you mean? Flexible how?
Kim--Facilitator - The other method I use combines two areas--each worth 50 points.
Redge - Can it be easily applied to a range of different kinds of writing -- e.g. story writing, persuasive writing, etc.?
Kim--Facilitator - The first fifty points are based on teacher guidelines, length, neatness, effort, etc.
Kim--Facilitator - Rege, yes it can.
Mae - I just need something for grades and I needed a way to justify grades. Assigning pt. value will work -I hope LOL
Kim--Facilitator - The second fifty points are based on the rubric score. I take their score (from 1 to 5) and mutiply it by ten. Then I add this to their other score.
Kim--Facilitator - Mae, make it simple! Otherwise you will want to pull you hair out!
Tallytchr - Kim...do you give them a prompt?
Kim--Facilitator - Tallytchr, I always do. Our state assessment is based on prompts, so they need the practice.
Mae - It's simple. I use a rubric format that I've used for years. Just changed it up a little. All I have to do is circle #'s and add.
Tallytchr - So is ours...that is why I was asking! And the prompts are really lame most of the time unfortunately
Kim--Facilitator - However, I try to give prompts that allow for differences. I hate reading 85 copies of the same paper.
Redge - Give me an example of one of your prompts, Kim.
Mae - Ditto Tallytchr!
Tallytchr - One report card prompt...Tell about a time you had to wear your best clothes...now ..don't second grade boys just go wild to write about that!
Kim--Facilitator - Mae, I do something like that, too.
Mae - They could write about sneaking frogs in thier nice pants pockets at church! LOL
Kim--Facilitator - Redge, our state assessment for 8th grade is expository. Prompt example: Explain how teens are affected by divorce.
Kim--Facilitator - Mae--LOL
Mae - Kim, how do you deal w/ voice and expository?
Kim--Facilitator - Of course, some students will say, "My parents aren't divorced." My answer, "Do you know any teens whose parents are divorced? How would you feel if your parents got a divorce?"
Tallytchr - We have to be careful with that Mae...cause they can loss points for getting off topic...that is a real problem when we assess
Kim--Facilitator - Mae, that's a tricky one. The state just changed this year. What they call expository is really a cross between expository and narrative. What do I mean? The students have to explain it, then provide personal anecdotes. (Personally, I hate it. It isn't true expository.)
Kim--Facilitator - True Tallytchr. Are you in KS?
Mae - I just go booted off the net for about the 10th time! It doesn't seem to log me off though. AARRG!!!!
Tallytchr - Nope...Florida....
Kim--Facilitator - Mae, I had the same problem.
Redge - Kim, I was just about to ask you about that: suppose a student did not bring an experiental slant to the writing, then what?
Mae - Tallytchr - we have to stay on topic too! That really would count.
Kim--Facilitator - I'm going to have to leave shortly. My children have gone bananas. One of them is screaming.
Kim--Facilitator - Redge, then his score goes down.
Peg - Thanks for your time, Kim.
Tallytchr - I'm in Florida.....sorry...I got booted..
Tallytchr - Thanks for your time Kim....I'm going to use your website often I'm sure!
Mae - Tallytchr -Join the club! :-)
Kim--Facilitator - To help with that problem, I created a graphic organizer where the students fill half with explanation and half with personal anecdotes.
Tallytchr - goodnight....
Redge - Kim, I gotta go but I did not get the address of your website...
Mae - Goodnight Tallytchr! Kim, do you tell the kids they can "make up" the anecdotes?
Kim--Facilitator - Redge, it is http://www.angelfire.com/ks/teachme/teachertalk.html Click on writing, then six traits.
Kim--Facilitator - Mae, I hadn't thought of that! Sneaky!
Kim--Facilitator - I have them brainstorm quite a bit. I tell them it's best to have to much and throw some out than to not have enough.
Kim--Facilitator - Any last questions before I go?
Mae - Kim, there is no way the test scorers would ever know if it's made up or not! Call it fiction!
Debby - this was quite informative -- glad i stumbled onto it!
Kim--Facilitator - Mae, that is true. However, my students would see it as free reign to make up everything they write. I really stress writing from experience. Of course, I still don't if it's true or not.
Mae - I'm really looking forward to using the 6 traits. I can't wait until my Picture Book from NW Labs come - any day now!
Kim--Facilitator - Mae, let me know if it is any good. I want to do more with picture books now that I have more time in my classes.
Kim--Facilitator - Once you get the book and are looking for picture books, check out BookCloseouts.com. They have cheap prices. They won't have all the books, but they will have the cheapest prices.
Kim--Facilitator - There is a link at my site.
Kim--Facilitator - I'll be sure to check that board. Hello, pyccku. We are just about finished. I'm sorry you missed us.
Mae - I have so many books, it's just a matter of sorting them. I think it's a sign too. Goodnight and thank you.
Kim -- Facilitator - Anyway...I've ordered several times from BookCloseouts, and I've been very happy.
Mae - I'll check it out.
Kim -- Facilitator - Goodnight all!
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