Every Child Can Write, Grades 2-5

Having begun her teaching career as a special education teacher, Melanie has been the Elementary Writing and Social Studies Coordinator in Simsbury, Connecticut since 2012, and her passion for writing has led to several books and publications.Melanie’s first book, Every Child Can Write, was published by Corwin Press in October 2019. With a foundational belief that all students can learn to write, this book provides strategies and resources that teachers can use, duplicate, and gather inspiration from. The Responsive Writing Teacher, co-written with Kelsey Sorum, was published in February 2021 and emphasizes the importance of knowing and understanding students across many platforms in order to teach them powerfully. Melanie’s most recent book,  Answers to Your Biggest Questions About Teaching Elementary Writing, is part of Corwin Press’s Five to Thrive Series.Melanie is also a co-author of  Two Writing Teachers, a blog dedicated to the teaching of writing. Additionally, she co-hosts the companion podcast. Melanie’s past conference presentations and additional blogs and articles can be found  here.Melanie holds a BA from Cornell University, an MA in Special Education from the University of Hartford, and a second MA in Educational Leadership from Central Connecticut State University. Melanie also has her Masters of Fine Arts in Creative Writing through the Solstice MFA Program of Pine Manor College.

• Foreword M. Colleen CruzAcknowledgmentsAbout the AuthorIntroductionWhy Our Work MattersEntry Points, Bridges, and PathwaysHow This Book Is Organized and What I Hope You’ll Gain From Reading ItPART 1: CREATING A PRODUCTIVE ENVIRONMENTChapter 1: Come In and Look Around!How does the classroom environment support our writers who face instructional obstacles?Our striving writers benefit from an organized environment, and they need routines in order to maintain that organization.Our classroom’s spaces should contain only materials that foster student learning and independence.The more we create, provide, and encourage the use of tools for independence and repertoire, the more learning will happen in our classrooms.Chapter 2: Listen, Learn, and Then Go Write!How can we set up classroom management and routines to support learning and independent writing?Transitions work best when everyone, especially striving writers, gets to where they belong during instruction and independent writing time.In order for instruction to be effective, students must not only listen to it, they must also understand it.Independent writing time should involve independently writing.PART 2: FINDING ENTRY POINTS AND BUILDING BRIDGESChapter 3: Find the Place Where Writers Can Join the WorkHow can we provide entry points so all writers get to experience success within the writing process?We can use what we know about standards and progressions of writing to help students grow their ZPD along the continuum of mastery.When we determine where and how students get stuck in their process, we can help them find the right entry point.We empower students and engage them in their development as writers by teaching them to self-assess their process—and progress.Chapter 4: Construct Bridges for Writers to Join the JourneyHow can we change the steps and the process so that all writers can participate and produce?Even though choice is a critical feature in many writing classes, sometimes we need to remove choice in order to provide temporary scaffolds that get students writing.The bridges we provide our striving writers may need to be placed in different parts of the process.Sometimes isolating skills is an effective way to improve overall performance.PART 3: PROVIDING PATHWAYSChapter 5: The Power of Paper—Don’t Underestimate It!How can we leverage paper choice to inspire our writers who face instructional obstacles?Paper has the power to communicate what is important—neatness or content?Paper choice communicates our expectations and helps students set expectations for themselves.Paper can be one of your most powerful scaffolds for focus and organization.Chapter 6: Co-Create Classroom Charts as Pathways Toward IndependenceHow can we use charts to develop students’ independence within our writing classrooms?It’s important to be confident about the types and purposes of various charts.Quick-Reference Guide to Classroom ChartsWe need to address what gets in the way of relevant, responsive charts—and know what we can do about it.More than anything else, classroom charts are there for students to use.Chapter 7: Venture Forth on Higher-Tech Pathways . . . With Intention and ForethoughtHow can we leverage technology to find entry points and build bridges or pathways for our writers who face instructional obstacles?Technology has the power to impact students, and it has the power to impact teachers.Technology enables us to provide access to students so that tools, charts, and other resources can be easily accessed at points in the process where and when students need them.It’s important to pay attention to the reason we are using any digital device, modification, or tool with students—and make sure it fits a student’s needs.Chapter 8: Spelling and Conventions—The Pitfalls and Potholes Along the TrailHow can we address the skills involved with spelling and conventions while not losing momentum with the overall writing process?Striving writers—no, all writers—need to see conventions and spelling done correctly.As we teach the transcriptive elements of spelling and punctuation, our instruction must be within students’ realm of possibility and transference—within their ZPD.We can improve correct usage by finding ways to embed conventions across the day, increasing the level of intention, and infusing elements of play during students’ independent writing time.Chapter 9: Every Child Can Write—A Case StudyWhat does it look like in a real classroom when we merge entry points, bridges, and pathways?Increasing Volume as a Crucial First StepEstablishing RoutinesProviding Charts for IndependenceFinding Different Entry PointsBuilding Independence for AllExpanding Paper ChoiceAssessing EngagementReflecting on Student Growth and Making AdjustmentsEvery Child Can Write: Getting Closer to Our GoalsAppendixA. Favorite Mentor Texts for Writing InstructionNarrativeInformationOpinionB. Mentor Text Charts With Craft MovesNarrativeInformationOpinionC. Sample of ProgressionsCreating a Beginning for a Narrative StoryCreating an Ending for a Narrative StoryA Sample of a Progression of a Narrative Beginning Using StarsA Progression of Narrative ElaborationIntroduction Progression for Information WritingConclusion Progression for Information WritingD. Samples of Task AnalysesSample Task Analyses for Narrative Story, Research-Based Essay, Information WritingClassroom Example: Narrative StoryClassroom Example: Information BookE. Anchor ChartsNarrative Writing Anchor Chart SequenceInformation Writing Anchor Chart SequenceF. Writing StandardsNarrative Writing StandardsInformation Writing StandardsOpinion Writing StandardsG. Convention Station SamplesPeriods and CapitalsCapitalsCommasTricky WordsReferencesIndex