MTPS Learning StoryBeginning

Middle

End

In the beginning...Who? Heidi Patterson: Principal (26 years experience, 2nd year EPCI) Barb Eady: JK/SK Teacher (29 years Primary experience, 3rd year FDK, 2nd year EPCI) Sherry Belanger: ECE (Daycare + 3rd year FDK experience, 1st year EPCI)

• Where? Margaret Twomey Public School, Marathon JK/SK Class

• What? How do we incorporate the explicit instruction of Writing in a play-based/inquiry-based classroom?

The middle...

Explicit instruction redefined Learning Goals

and Success Criteria in the K

classroom

Assessment for learning

Intentional Planning

Our Pivotal Moments

We questioned explicit instruction.

Explicit Instruction

Why?: purpose, Is it important (to whom, for whom)? Why is it important?, What are we trying to provide the kids? Is there an underlying worry about producing a product (as evidence of learning, what does this look like in the 21st century?)

What?: What does it look like in play/inquiry-based learning? What is the instruction (at different grade levels)? Does it have to be teacher-directed?

When?: What is the right time to provide explicit instruction?

Who?: know your kids (assess and group)

How?: What does the delivery look like in play/inquiry-based learning?

Researching and Redefining Explicit InstructionOur Research Our Reflections

Why should we deliver explicit instruction?: John Hattie video: the need for explicit instructionAutomaticity, effect size

*We never doubted that explicit instruction is necessary! We want the children to be able to apply writing skills independently to represent their thinking about inquiries.*explicit instruction + practice of “skills” aligns with the Primary Division goal in our SIP (If teachers spend time practicing basic skills in all areas, then the students will over learn them and apply them automatically.)

What does it look like?:skills vs. literacy and numeracy behavioursConversation with Heather Exley, Dianne Riehl:*They need “discrete skills” (ex. knows most of the letters of the alphabet)...but this is only the beginning point...Is that the most important thing they need or use to make sense of the world?getting the kids to live in their learning: “...find authentic intersections between topic concepts and the knowledge and skills you are to teach.”—Developmentally Appropriate Practice: Got Standards? Don’t Give Up on Engaged Learning!, Judy Harris Helm, July 2008, p. 19)differentiated instruction (Education for All)Hattie: peer work, effect size

*Explicit Instruction needs to be connected to the play and inquiries of the children so that they “see” the need for the skills. Is this how learning behaviours develop?*Delivering explicit instruction “in the moment” will mean the children are motivated to learn and there is deeper learning (authentic application of skills/behaviours).*Teaching “whole group” lessons means we are teaching above or below most of the children’s abilities/ understanding. Whole group gatherings will be more effective if the children are sharing their learning. So, during play, we need to be looking and listening for work that will consolidate and/or extend the learning of all.*We have witnessed effective “children teaching children”... This happens during play/inquiries with and/or without us!

Researching and Redefining (continued)Our Research Our Reflections

When does it happen?:“What is the purpose to education? Is it about human development or passing a test, knowing what the experts say or knowing yourself, meeting the content standards or making meaning of the world, investigating the known world or stepping into the mysteries of the unknown, looking for answers or asking questions?” (Innovations in early education: the international reggio exchange: Publisher, Wayne State University/authors, Judy Graves and Susan Harris MacKay, p, 10)

“We tend to drive the learning (rather than walking with the children), so they spend time/energy trying to get in our heads/at our thinking.” (Dianne, Heather)

Hattie: small group, effect size

*Explicit Instruction needs to happen in small groups or individually with authentic connections to play/inquiry.

*The children “tell” us what they need to learn (and when) as we observe, notice, name and tracking authentic learning...negotiating the learning.

*What about “those kids” who cannot attend well in centers/ small groups to make explicit instruction effective? Is it because we are not meeting them where they “are” and we are pushing them too far, too fast? How do we get them to “grade-level”?* Whole group instruction is minimal—to review Learning Goals, model learning behaviours, share learning (What are you doing? Why are you doing it? How is it helping you?)

How does it happen?“Anticipating what skill might be needed, then teaching it at a time children must use it maximizes the children’s engagement.” (Developmentally Appropriate Practice: Got Standards? Don’t Give Up on Engaged Learning!, Judy Harris Helm, July 2008, p. 19)

*Big Ideas=Focused, Intentional Instruction (ex. forms of writing needed to represent their thinking during inquiries and play...teaching “skills” within these contexts)*Knowing our students’ strengths and needs is critical to employing the gradual-release model effectively.

Our new “definition”/thinking

Explicit Instruction

Why?: Purpose

* to learn (practice) grade-appropriate skills that will be applied independently

*to communicate (in writing) their thinking about inquiries

What does it look like in play/inquiry-based learning?:

*most instruction will happen in small groups or with individuals (whole group for modelling and sharing)

* “in the moment” as the children are engaged in representing their thinking about inquiries (what do they need NOW?)

*the gradual-release model

When?:

*at centers when the “skill” is needed

*pulling some students will be the most effective way to meet their needs

Who?:

*everyone (at their level)

*differentiated instruction = small groups or individual instruction

How?:

*focus, focus, focus...when planning + interactions with children (don’t jump on everything!!)

*observing, noticing, naming, tracking authentic learning (who knows what? what kind of support/instruction is needed?—negotiating the learning

Next, we established Learning Goals and Success Criteria... by deconstructing the Writing

curriculum to assist us when moderating student work and prepare us to notice, name and extend learning “in the moment”

to focus our planning, instruction: ~model and rehearse communicating

ideas (oral, drawing, writing, singing!) ~introduce “writing workshop rules”

and different ways to “write” (scribbles, random letters, stretching words, etc.)

Then, we planned intentionally. by collecting baseline writing samples and moderated

marking (Where are they? What can they do? Where can we provide

support?)

to make sure there are daily authentic “writing” opportunities where we can enter the play/inquiries and apply Learning Goals and Success Criteria

Applying the Success CriteriaVideo: Gabby is helping Carson to “use letter sounds”.

Daily Writing OpportunitiesStop Signs (when you don’t want “it” touched)

Surveys

Daily Writing OpportunitiesTheories (based on pictures in books)

Daily Writing OpportunitiesRecording findings Recipes (Witch’s brew)

Daily Writing OpportunitiesBooks Instructions

Daily Writing OpportunitiesClass Graphs Predictions

Daily Writing OpportunitiesCenter Instructions Labelled Diagrams

AHA!

Moving beyond “conventions” to “forms” + Reading and Writing connected

Intentional

Planning for

Writing Opportunities=purpose=form

Scaffolding

: Modellin

g Writing Purposes/Form

s with Mentor

Texts=Reading

Instruction

An example: letter writing

During play, Brayden decides the class needs a

Post Office.

Whole Group:*introducing the center routine=

letter writing

Whole Group: *reading mentor text

“Fairy Tale Mail”Small Group and

Individual: *writing responses to fairy tale characters

Play/Center Work:*some “Fairy Tale

Mail” letters connected to

inquiries that were already happening (ex. How can the Gingerbread Man

cross the river safely?...bridges,

boats, ice floes...writing: plans, predictions, results)

Play/Center Work: independent letter writing appears!

*letters to each other and someone special (for Valentines...good

timing)*responses to fairy

tale characters (small group reading

happened)*thank you note:

Daelan to Brayden for fixing his

structure that was broken

Dec.

• Letter Writing Modelled: An “Elf on a Shelf” appears, writes letters to the class and finds “things” for their on-going inquiries and play.

• The children start writing letters to Elfie asking for things needed for inquiries and play.

Jan.

• A Post Office develops...rules for the center are written and shared with the class.

• Training for the center naturally involves letter writing

• Letter writing instruction is scaffolded (Mentor Text: Fairy Tale Mail)

Feb.• Independent and Guided Writing of

Valentine letters for classmate and families.

• Children find other opportunities for writing letters.

Finding a reason for letter writingThank you for the cupcakes

Also, we focused on assessment for learning.

• using LG and SC...Who was doing it? What were they doing?

• used to plan for further explicit instructiondaily documentation of

writing

• asking the children to compare with their writing• identify which one is most like theirs• noticing and naming what is needed to get them to

the next level

Self-assessment(using the writing stages samples as continuum)

AHA! Assessment for learning forces us to move

beyond writing “conventions” to “elements” (in JK/SK!!).

“I Wanna...” Letters (attending to “voice” and “ideas”)

Video: Sophie’s self-assessment

The end?Our learning/beliefs Needing further

refinement Explicit Instruction of Writing CAN/DOES

happen in a play-based/ inquiry-based classroom...and lead to Reading instruction.

Embedding explicit instruction into play and inquiries allowed writing behaviours to emerge (they were not just practicing skills!).

The “Gradual Release Model” and Learning Goals and Success Criteria helped keep us focused...our planning, our interactions with the kids

Self-assessment: WOW! The kids know what they can and cannot do...they know what they need...they know which peers can help them!!!

Intentional Planning is needed in order to provide authentic writing/reading opportunities that honour inquiries.

Pedagogical Documentation is a MUST...if we are to keep moving forward—the kids and ourselves

Pedagogical Documentation:*We need to examine our documentation (Is it

limiting us? Are there better ways of gathering evidence of student understanding?)

*We need an effective tracking system. What does that look like?

*We need time to collaborate about our documentations of the day. (Monograph, Pedagogical Documentation, p. 6)

*We need to involve the students in the documentation through regular self-assessment and making this a piece of their learning stories (making the learning visible + integrating feedback and self-assessment!!)

Our “Puzzler”: *Why is there such a huge disconnect between

Kenzie’s reading and her writing? How do we help her close the gap?