spelling and sentence structure

For most of my educational career spelling, sentence combining and writing consisted of spelling tests, and writing that was never given feedback. Today I still struggle with writing, and it is something I am brutally embarrassed about. As a student I found spelling exams pointless and recall very little spelling that I actually learned through an exam. As a student with an IEP, I feel that many teachers did not have high expectations for me, and usually settled with my work. Not many pursued my writing as a tool in helping me become a more skilled writer. As I read chapters eight and nine in Best Practices in Writing Instruction, by Graham, MacArthur and Fitzgerald, I realize that teaching writing practices is a difficult task, but not one that is impossible.

            Chapter eight displays a lesson for a second grade class (pg.167), where the teacher demonstrates how to make more complex sentences by combing sentences. As the teacher demonstrated making simple sentences into more complex sentences and prompted the students to talk, the students began to take hold of the concept. Most all of the students added their input into the lesson creating helpful discussions of why something sounds better by adding or deleting a few words. As I read through this lesson I realized that my own education lacked teachers modeling proper sentence structure. Even in one of my second grade student teaching sites very little was taught about sentence structure and combining sentences. Many of the students papers had short and simple sentences that were often choppy to read. The teachers always seemed to be alright with the work simply saying,” it is better than nothing”. I feel that the statement speaks for itself and only shows how some educators can have such little determination for their students.

            On the opposite end of the spectrum was my second student teaching site, where I had to model writing and sentence structure for my students. The outcome was obvious, more confident students who wrote more fluently and had more complex sentences. Even the weekly spelling list was related to almost all the reading activities in the classroom. The students not only had to learn how to spell the words but they were forced to read the words in books and understand the meaning. The students were able to directly relate to the words through the classroom readings, and book discussions. Many of the students even used some of the new spelling words in their papers because they were proud of the knowledge they gained.

            Chapter nine discusses spelling and the development of spelling. Word sorts allow students to compare and contrasts spelling patterns (pg. 186). Teachers often use word sorts for vowels. I have seen this used in many classrooms, and very often the task is repeated several times to create repetition. I have found this technique to be very helpful for students because the student has to read the word, place it in to correct row, then read the row again. The student is reading, observing word structure, seeing a pattern, and it also allows students to see that the same letter can create different sounds.

            Chapter nine also touches on handwriting, and I think practicing letter structure is a great idea for any classroom. Practicing hand writing will almost certainly benefit all students and may even “prevent writing disabilities” (pg. 196). While student teaching I saw the many benefits to practicing hand writing. Not only did it give the students a chance to just simply focus on letter formation but it allowed the teacher to look at the students work to see where he/she may need help. The students knew what was expected of them, and usually produced quality hand writing. My only complaint about teaching handwriting is the fact that it can be monotonous for students. How ever chapter nine mentions that hand writing practice can be a fun activity. The book mentions using story and song based instruction which can be engaging for all students.

meaningful practice

             “Test –driven curriculum dominates instruction and leaves little space for authenticity, creativity, or individuality of teachers and students” (Creating Space for Teaching Writing and for Test Preparation, by Nancy Rankie Shelton and Dangling Fu, Pg 120) Within this article several interviews were given where it was shown that teaching to the test causes boredom and frustration for teachers and students alike. While reading Best Practices in Writing Instruction, by Graham, MacArthur, and Fitzgerald I noticed how important and how often authentic writing was mentioned for effective writing practices within a classroom.  Within chapter thirteen of Best Practices in Writing Instruction, it was noted that writing activities that are focused on significant matter, have the best academic outcome because it allows for meaningful practice. Chapter thirteen also mentions that, “learning is more effective when motivated by a clear purpose”           (pg. 268).

            While my experience within a classroom is limited I do realize students need clear and precise expectations along with a set purpose for any activity. I have also seen the outcome of authentic meaningful writing vs. writing for the sake of writing. The difference I saw was astounding.  When students were given a purpose and could intimately relate to the material, the only sound in the room was that of scratching pencils on neatly lined paper. For example after Thanksgiving  students were given the chance to write about their Thanksgiving meal, draw a picture then share with the class. The students were excited and some even glowed with confidence and smiles as they read what they wrote to the class. In another writing activity the students had to look at a picture of a circus, and write about what they saw within the picture. Most of my students had never been to a circus and many of them seemed less than interested. Needless to say the writings were short with little detail and imagination. Many of my students needed help staying on task, and often needed help forming ideas and sentences. I was surprised at the response of the class because overall the class had strong writers who needed little prompting to finish a writing task. 

            Chapter seven in Best Practices in Writing, touches on evaluation and revising. While reading through instructional examples I noticed a fourth grades class peer revising strategy:

            1. Listen while the author read the paper

            2. Tell what the paper was about and what you liked best about it

            3. Read the story and ask the evaluation questions

            4. Discuss the evaluation and ways to make the paper better

            5. Author makes changes. ( Pg. 151)

Peer reviewing is a great way to get every student involved in the revision process. It allows the authors to look more constructively at their own writing, and allows the peer a chance to showcase their understanding on the writing process.  It gives its student writers an audience of readers who can identify strengths, and problems within the paper. Peer reviewing allows for recommendations so that both parties are effectively taking part in the revision process. While I have seen peer-reviewing work within a classroom I feel that it is important to have clear set directions on how to effectively implement it into a class. While observing a class I noticed a teacher did not give her students clear expectations and the students spent most of their time off task. I feel that chapter seven gives a great understanding of peer revising, while also giving good classroom directions to complete the task.