Canada’s Learning Advantage · Assessment should form an integral part of the teaching and learning process. Regular and ongoing assessment of an individual student s writing development

Canada’s Learning Advantage

Contents

00 PM Writing TRB 4 PRE CAN.indd 3 15/12/09 2:51 PM

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Sample pages

Contents of PM Writing 5/6 Teachers’ Resource BookSection 1: An Introduction to PM Writing• WhatisPM Writing?

• WhatcomponentsmakeupPM Writing?

• WhoisPM Writingdesignedfor?

• HowdoesPM WritingusethePMphilosophy?

• WhatpedagogieshaveinformedthedevelopmentofPM Writing?

• Whyhasatext-typeapproachtoteachingwritingbeenadoptedinPM Writing?

• HowcanPM Writingbeintegratedintoclassroomteaching?

• PM WritingSuggestedTeachingPathways

• Scopeandsequenceofknowledgeandskillsforkeydevelopmentalstages

• HowdoesPM WritinglinktootherPMtitles?

Section 2: The Writing Process• Writingintheprimaryyears

• Whatisthelinkbetweenreadingandwriting?

• Whatisthelinkbetweenspokenandwrittenlanguage?

• Whatdoesthewritingprocessinvolve?

• Whyisitimportanttoinvolvestudentsinthewritingprocess?

• LearningtobeaneffectivePMwriter

Section 3: Writing Skills and Conventions• Printandpunctuationconventions

• Grammar

• Highfrequencywordsandspelling

• Handwritingandkeyboardskills

Page 5

Contents


Section 4: Assessing Writing• Whyassessstudents’writing?

• Whattoassess

• Howtoassess

• Whentoassess

• Frameworkforanalyzingstudents’writing

Section 5: Text Types• Introductiontothetext-typeapproachusedinPM Writing

• RationaleforcodingofkeylanguagefeaturesinthePM Exemplars for Teaching Writing

• Textstructureandlanguagefeaturesofkeytexttypes:

• Recount

• Description

• InformationReport

• Narrative

• Procedure

• Exposition

• Explanation

• Discussion

• Response

Section 6: Oral and Visual Literacy• Listeningandspeaking

• Viewingandpresenting

Pages 6–9

Pages 10–11

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Section 1 5

Section 1

An Introduction to PM WritingWhat is PM Writing?PM Writing is a literacy program that emphasizes the development of writing. The program is designed to help teachers explicitly teach the essential skills and knowledge that students require in order to compose texts commonly taught in the first eight years of schooling.

PM Writing provides:• writing goals that guide and support teachers and students• instructional content for the conventions and composition of writing• explicit links to reading and writing • content that promotes writing to construct meaning across the curriculum in a variety of

text forms • content, teaching and learning approaches that promote choice and authenticity in writing

for a variety of purposes and a variety of audiences.

What components make up PM Writing?All components of the PM Writing program are closely linked to form a comprehensive writing program. It is recommended that each component be used as suggested in the Teachers’ Resource Books. The program is made up of the following components:

Exemplars for Teaching WritingThe PM Writing Exemplars for Teaching Writing are large format

books that provide models of the nine text types commonly taught in the first eight years of schooling. The books

provide the initial introduction to each text type, presenting and deconstructing exemplars of the

nine text types.

Each of the exemplar texts is presented over three double-page spreads and on CD, for use on interactive whiteboards. On the first spread, the text type is presented; on the second spread, the text structure of the text type is deconstructed, and on the third spread, key language features

of the text type are highlighted. Teacher Focus notes are provided at the top right-hand side of

the Text Structure and Language Features spreads, highlighting key teaching points and teacher talk.

Throughout the PM Exemplars for Teaching Writing, students are gradually introduced to and scaffolded through

the nine key text types:

Contents


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Section 7: Lesson Plans• Introduction

• MealsonWheels(Recount)

• TheLouvreMuseum(Description)

• Volunteers(Description–Poetry)

• SpaceTelescopes

• TheGalleryintheCave(Narrative)

• TravellingbyTrain(Procedure)

• SpaceExplorationisNecessary(Exposition)

• HowStalactitesandStalagmitesForm(Explanation)

• RoadorRailTransportation?(Discussion)

• TheStarryNight(Response)

Appendices• Appendix1:Scopeandsequenceofknowledgeandskills

• Appendix2:Leveldescriptorsandwritingsamplesforassessingwriting

• StudentAssessmentandActivity

Pages 12–14

Pages 15–19

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SECTION 4

Assessing Writing Why assess students’ writing?Assessing writing involves gathering information from a variety of sources to make informed and reliable judgements about an individual student’s current understanding, skills, strengths and weaknesses in relation to the writing process and product. The information collected helps teachers to select teaching approaches and identify teaching focuses that reflect common and individual learning needs. Teachers can also use this information to make decisions about student groupings (e.g. common needs) and the selection of appropriate instructional material.

What to assessConstructing specific text types involves applying knowledge about the social purpose of a text, which is reflected in the text structure and language features of a text. It also involves using knowledge about print and punctuation conventions, grammar, high frequency words and spelling, and handwriting and keyboard skills. In view of this, it is important to assess students’ knowledge of the technical features (e.g. text structure, language) and surface features (e.g. punctuation) of writing to gain a comprehensive picture of their writing development.

How to assessThe systematic and ongoing assessment of students’ writing development, based on multiple sources of data, provides teachers with current and accurate information about the students’ needs. Valuable insight into a student’s current level of understanding and ability in relation to writing and the writing process can be gained through the following assessment procedures:• observation of student behaviour• student–teacher discussions• student self-assessment• pre- and post-teaching writing assessment tasks• analysis of student writing samples.

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Student observation

The structure of the PM Writing program provides teaching and learning contexts for incidental and planned observations. The collaborative construction and deconstruction of texts create opportunities for teachers to observe and listen to students during highly supportive, teacher-directed discussions about the purpose, text structure and language features of the targeted text. Common areas of weaknesses (e.g. a gap in knowledge) may be identified by the teacher during this time and explicitly targeted in whole-class or small-group teaching contexts in the future.

Guided writing and independent writing time enable teachers to work more closely with individual students and therefore allow for more planned observation. The following skills and conventions of writing may be closely observed during small-group and independent writing:• understanding of sentence structure• knowledge of grammar• acquisition of high frequency words• spelling strategies adopted for unfamiliar vocabulary• knowledge of print and punctuation conventions• handwriting competencies (e.g. letter formation, pencil grip, posture)• keyboard skills.

Student–teacher discussions

Independent writing time enables teachers to work with students at various stages of the writing process. During this time, teachers can explicitly target individual language needs that may be reflected in the student’s comments and writing.

Student self-assessment

The Student Assessment and Activity Pages includes self-assessment checklists for each focus text type in PM Writing. The indicators direct students’ attention to the text structure, language features, grammar and punctuation in the texts, and encourage students to reflect on their developing knowledge and skills.

Writing samples

The writing produced by a student using the Student Assessment and Activity Pages during independent writing time gives teachers valuable insight into the student’s developing knowledge and understanding of the writing process. This includes: • the social purpose of specific text types and text

forms• awareness of audience• the text structure of the targeted text types

and text forms• the language features of specific text types• sentence structure• print and punctuation conventions• high frequency words and spelling

development• handwriting and keyboard skills.

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Assessment for learning

The Student Assessment and Activity Pages begin with an Assessment for Learning section. This section functions as pre-assessment tasks and can be used by teachers to gather pre-teaching data to indicate students’ readiness to complete initial tasks or move forward with the program.

The Assessment for Learning section of the Student Assessment and Activity Pages should be analyzed in conjunction with the level descriptors and writing samples for assessing writing. Guidelines for where to go next with teaching are provided for each stage of writing development in Appendix 2 (pages 98–185).

Post-teaching writing assessment tasks

The Student Assessment and Activity Pages include a range of activities that are linked to the PM Exemplars for Teaching Writing. These activities allow students to apply developing understandings about text structure and language features of each text type, and can therefore be used to determine language needs. To increase the reliability and validity of the assessment task, it is recommended that the tasks be completed by students after highly scaffolded teaching (e.g. modelled writing, joint text deconstruction and construction of the targeted text).

When to assessAssessment should form an integral part of the teaching and learning process. Regular and ongoing assessment of an individual student’s writing development allows teachers to identify teaching focuses and select teaching strategies that reflect the language learning needs of all students, and thus support writing development. The Student Assessment and Activity Pages include writing scaffolds for each focus text type in PM Writing (i.e. planning, drafting, revising, editing, publishing) and language activities specific to each of these text types. This enables teachers to continually assess a student’s developing understanding of the writing process.

Framework for analyzing students’ writingThe level descriptors and writing samples for assessing writing (Appendix 2, pages 98–185), show the six key stages – Emergent, Early, Developing, Consolidating, Extending and Advanced – of writing development of the nine text types targeted in PM Writing:• recount• description• information report • narrative• procedure• exposition• explanation• discussion• response.

The level descriptors and writing samples indicate the knowledge and skills at each stage along the writing developmental pathway. They provide teachers with a guide for analyzing writing samples and assessing students’ writing. Specifically, the framework helps teachers to gather detailed information about a student’s current level of understanding and competency.

Writing samples have been included to demonstrate progression. The samples are only to be used as a guide as they do not capture the variation in skills and abilities students may display at each stage. Four texts have been included at the emergent stage to specifically demonstrate progressions that lead into PM Writing 1. A detailed analysis that identifies the student’s areas of strength and weakness accompanies each writing sample from the early to advanced stage

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of writing development. In addition, a list of recommended teaching approaches and learning contexts (“Explicit Learning for Future Development”), based on the individual student’s identified learning needs, is provided. Links to PM Writing resources are also included.

It is important to note that the writing samples for the emergent stage were constructed with limited guidance and support from the teacher, whereas the samples for the early to advanced stages were constructed entirely independently. In addition, these students were familiar with the text types and topics before producing the texts.

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Text Structure

Information Report

Text Forms

reference article

brochure

presentation

magazine article

technical writing

Evaluation: Provides a summary statement about the subject

Description: Provides information about the subject’s physical appearance and other characteristics

General Statement: Identifies and classifies the subject

Purpose

To present information that classifies living or non-living things

Language Features

Information Report

relating verbs to describe the subject

adverbial phrases indicating location, time and manner

action verbs to describe movement and behaviour

common nouns to refer to living and non-living things

adverbs of manner modal verbs

subject-specific/technical nouns

adjectives (factual, classifying, opinion, quantity)

pronouns to refer to living and non-living things

past tense verbs

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Section 7

Space telescopesText Type: Information Report

Pages: 22–27

PM Writing 5/6 exemplars for teaching Writing

introduction to the text• Display pages 22–23 of PM Writing 5/6 Exemplars for Teaching Writing. Briefly discuss the

text title, Space Telescopes, with students to determine their prior knowledge of the subject.

• Advise students that the text has been written to provide information about a particular type of telescope, i.e. telescopes that have been launched into space. Revisit the purpose of an information report: to present information that classifies living or non-living things.

• After reading the text to students, ask them to recall the information about space telescopes that is presented in the text.

• Read the text with students.

text Deconstruction – Structure• Display pages 24–25 of PM Writing 5/6 Exemplars for Teaching Writing.

• Reinforce the importance of a concise title that identifies the subject of the report.

• Locate the general statement. Remind students that this section introduces and classifies the subject of the report, i.e. Space telescopes are telescopic instruments used by scientists to study the universe. Ask students to locate additional information that elaborates on why they are used by scientists.

• Identify the paragraphs of description and ask students to determine which features are described. Draw students’ attention to the topic sentence that introduces each paragraph Discuss how it links the description of specific features back to the general statement, i.e. each paragraph provides more detail about why or how scientists use space telescopes to study the universe. Emphasize that the information is factual. Discuss reasons for the repeated occurrence of the subject of the report, in the text, i.e. space telescopes.

• Discuss the evaluation that summarizes and evaluates information in the report. Note that the author expects even more advanced telescopic instruments to be sent into space. Ask students to share their own opinions about new knowledge that might be uncovered in the future.

text Deconstruction – Language Features• Display pages 26–27 of PM Writing 5/6 Exemplars for Teaching Writing. Reread the text.

noun groups – nouns; pronouns• Locate and group nouns used in the text under the headings People, Places, Things, Ideas and

Feelings. Note that although some are everyday nouns such as pictures, many are technical words that link specifically with the subject, e.g. universe, satellite, recordings. Ask students to identify noun groups, e.g. digital recordings.

• Revisit capital letters at the beginning of proper nouns.

• Locate the pronouns they and it. Identify the nouns they replace, i.e. space telescopes, the Hubble Space Telescope. Remind students that the subject of the report, i.e. space telescopes, is

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Section 7

often repeated rather than replacing it with a pronoun, so that the information presented is much less likely to be misinterpreted.

• Draw students’ attention to the use of possessive apostrophes, e.g. the Earth’s atmosphere, the telescope’s instruments.

Adjectives• Revisit the purpose of adjectives to build descriptions of nouns. Ask students to locate

adjectives in the text that are factual, e.g. vast distances away; comparative, e.g. much closer and larger, or classifying, e.g. ground-based telescopes, special on-board computers.

• Note the placement of some adjectives, e.g. exceptionally clear ; always slightly blurred. Point out that these adjectives have been modified by an adverb.

Verb tense – present• Remind students that information reports are written in present tense.

• Recall that action verbs tell the reader about the movement and behaviour of the subject. Locate present tense action verbs used in the text, e.g. make, record, change.

• Identify relating verbs used in the text to link information, e.g. are, have, is. Explain that the verb appear is also a relating verb. Note how it has been used to link information.

• Draw students’ attention to the modal verb will. Recall that will suggests medium modality.

Adverbs• Remind students that adverbs provide more information about the actions of verbs. Locate

adverbs in the text, e.g. never, before, away, and determine their functions

• Identify the adverbs exceptionally and slightly in the text.

• Draw students’ attention to the adverb even used to focus the reader’s attention on a statement, i.e. even more advanced telescopic instruments.

Adverbial phrases• Locate adverbial phrases used in the text. Demonstrate that the meaning of the text

becomes much clearer when information about how, when, where or why is added, e.g. into digital recordings; from ground-based telescopes; In the future. Ask students to determine the additional information they provide. Remind students that adverbial phrases begin with prepositions.

Modelled Writing• Select a subject about which the students have some prior knowledge, e.g. satellites. Discuss

the new subject and make notes under headings, to be developed into paragraphs. Involve students in the planning of the new text. Model the task of drafting the new text on the information report graphic organizer found in the PM Writing 5/6 Teacher’s Resource Book.

• Think aloud as you model the writing of the new report on the whiteboard or directly onto the information report planning organizer provided in the Teaching Notes on the PM Writing 5/6 IWB CD-ROM (see Planning Organizers on the Contents page). Make comparisons between the structure and language features in Space Telescopes and the new text.

• Model an analysis of the new text, using the information report editing page found in the PM Writing 5/6 Teacher’s Resource Book.

Shared Writing• Select another subject for an information report, e.g. ground-based telescopes. Conduct

the necessary research. Share the task of drafting the new text on the information report graphic organizer found in the PM Writing 5/6 Teacher’s Resource Book.

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• Call upon the assistance of students to help with the joint construction of the text on the whiteboard or directly onto the information report planning organizer in the Teaching Notes on the PM Writing 5/6 IWB CD-ROM (see Planning Organizers on the Contents page). Reinforce students’ understanding of the text type by asking questions and verbalizing the characteristic structure and language features of an information report.

• On completion, share the revising and editing tasks with students, i.e. add, delete, change or rework sentences, grammar and punctuation.

• Help students to analyze the new text, using the information report editing page found in the PM Writing 5/6 Teacher’s Resource Book.

Guided or independent Writing• Provide opportunities for students to write information reports about technological or

scientific subjects. Gather relevant information from a variety of sources, including the Internet if appropriate. Introduce the information report writing scaffolds found in the PM Writing 5/6 Teacher’s Resource Book and encourage continued use of the information report graphic organizer.

• Ask students to share their drafts with a partner before continuing with the writing process. Encourage their peers to listen critically and offer constructive feedback.

• Revisit the writing task over several lessons. Support students as they complete their published writing.

• Ask students to complete the information report editing page found in the PM Writing 5/6 Teacher’s Resource Book before conferencing or sharing their writing with the class.

• Direct students to the information report language enrichment activities for Space Telescopes on the PM Writing 5/6 IWB CD-ROM. Provide support when required.

extension Writing• Encourage students to extend their understanding of the subject through writing other text

types, e.g. a discussion text that examines both sides of the issue Space Telescopes or Ground-based Telescopes?

• After undertaking further research, some students could write a description of the Hubble Space Telescope.

Sharing• Provide opportunities for students to share their writing with other students. Encourage

constructive feedback at all stages of the writing process.

• Display information reports in the classroom, or allow students to visit other classes to read and display their published writing.

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Student Assessment and Activity Pages

Grades 5/6

Elsie Nelley

Debbie Croft

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Published in 2012 by Nelson Education Ltd, ©2011 Cengage Learning Australia Pty Limited; ISBN 9780176534868. This page may be photocopied for educational use within the purchasing institution.

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Information Report

Purpose: To assess student learning prior to instruction with PM Writing 5/6.

Text Structure

General Statement:

Description:

Evaluation:

Language Features

Nouns and pronouns:

Adjectives:

Present tense verbs:

Adverbial phrases:

Sentence structures:

Paragraph content:

Writing Conventions

Spelling:

Punctuation:

Handwriting/Computer Skills:

Analysis of Student Learning

Student: _____________________________________________________ Class: __________________

Teacher: _____________________________________________________ Date: __________________

Strengths:

Weaknesses:

Explicit Learning for Future Development:

Name: _______________________________________ Class: _____________ Date: ___________


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Information Report

Purpose: To draft an information report.

Description

General statement

Evaluation

Title ___________________________________________________________________________________

Planning & Drafting

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18 19


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Name: _______________________________________ Class: _____________ Date: ___________

Student Checklist

Purpose: To assess an information report prior to beginning PM Writing 5/6.

Title ________________________________________________________________________________

❑ The title is suitable.

Text Structure

❑ The information report begins with a general statement about a living or non-living thing.

❑ The information report describes what the living or non-living thing looks like, where it is found and how it behaves.

❑ The information report tells how I feel about the living or non-living thing.

Information Report writing – new challenges

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Writing Conventions:

❑ Spelling has been checked.

❑ Punctuation is correct.

❑ Handwriting is legible.

Language Features – examples:

❑ nouns: ___________________________________________________________________________

❑ pronouns: ________________________________________________________________________

❑ adjectives: ________________________________________________________________________

❑ present tense verbs: ________________________________________________________________

❑ adverbial phrases: _________________________________________________________________

Information Report

Name: _______________________________________ Class: _____________ Date: ___________


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Information Report

Space TelescopesAn information report begins with a general statement that identifies and classifies the subject. Write a general statement for each of these subjects.Telescopes ��

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The universe ��

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Satellites ��

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Select one of these subjects, and write three paragraphs of description about it. Include information about the subject’s appearance and special features.��

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Write an evaluative statement about your chosen subject.��

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Underline adverbial phrases used in the paragraphs of description above. Rewrite three of the adverbial phrases that you used here and indicate if they tell when, where, how or why.��

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Purpose: To write general statements to identify and classify the subjects. To write three paragraphs of description and an evaluative statement about a selected subject. To identify adverbial phrases and indicate if they tell when, where, how or why.

Teachers’ Resource Books

The PM Writing Teachers’ Resource Books have been developed to explicitly teach writing, knowledge, and skills across a range of student abilities in the early years of schooling, through specific learning tasks. The teaching content in the books is flexible, making it appropriate for use in a number of teaching and learning environments, including whole-class, small-group, and independent.

Each Teachers’ Resource Books include:

n Comprehensive lessons for whole-class, small-group, and individual reading and writing

n Scope and sequence of learning outcomes

n Specific learning tasks

n Lesson plans based on text types and themes

n Assessment guidelines and analysis of writing samples

n Links to other books within the PM collection

Learn more at www.nelson.com/pmwriting

1120 Birchmount Road Toronto ON M1K 5G4

416 752 9448 or 1 800 268 2222 Fax 416 752 8101 or 1 800 430 4445

email: [email protected] www.nelsonschoolcentral.com

9 780176 656324

ISBN-10: 0-17-665632-4ISBN-13: 978-0-17-665632-4

01/12

PMW Kindergarten TRB CVR CAN.indd 1 22/06/10 11:25 AM

Documents

Canada’s Learning Advantage · Assessment should form an integral part of the teaching and learning process. Regular and ongoing assessment of an individual student s writing development