Launching Multigenre Launching Multigenre WritingWriting

with Elementary Studentswith Elementary Students

Reanea WilsonReanea WilsonGreater Houston Area Writing Project 2005Greater Houston Area Writing Project 2005

If we did pick up a stray piece of writing If we did pick up a stray piece of writing in the street, one of the first things we in the street, one of the first things we would do is try to figure out what it was. would do is try to figure out what it was. We would examine the boundaries of the textWe would examine the boundaries of the text—its beginning and ending and margins. —its beginning and ending and margins. We’d flip it over to see if there was We’d flip it over to see if there was

anything on the back. Before the beginning anything on the back. Before the beginning –before reading the first word—we have –before reading the first word—we have already assessed the genre. We may already assessed the genre. We may

occasionally fail to figure out what this occasionally fail to figure out what this thing is from such scanning, and in that thing is from such scanning, and in that case, we’re going to begin reading it with case, we’re going to begin reading it with

the question, What have I got here?the question, What have I got here?Randy Bomer, Randy Bomer, ixix

……Teaching about genres is made Teaching about genres is made more powerful by allowing students more powerful by allowing students to become insiders in the world of to become insiders in the world of

that genre.that genre.

I now notice the differences in my process I now notice the differences in my process when I pick up the front page of a when I pick up the front page of a

newspaper, immerse myself in a novel, newspaper, immerse myself in a novel, snuggle up to read a bedtime fairy tale, snuggle up to read a bedtime fairy tale,

reference a cookbook, look at real estate reference a cookbook, look at real estate listings…I approach each with a different listings…I approach each with a different set of expectations, questions and needs.set of expectations, questions and needs.

Lattimer, p. 3Lattimer, p. 3

In order to become competent, literate In order to become competent, literate members of society, students must be members of society, students must be

able to navigate multiple genres. able to navigate multiple genres. Students need to learn about particular Students need to learn about particular genres through implicit experience and genres through implicit experience and

explicit instruction.explicit instruction.

(Lattimer, pp. 3-4)(Lattimer, pp. 3-4)

A multigenre paper arises from research, A multigenre paper arises from research, experience, and imagination. It’s not an experience, and imagination. It’s not an uninterrupted, expository monolog nor a uninterrupted, expository monolog nor a seamless narrative nor a collection of seamless narrative nor a collection of poems. It's composed of many genres poems. It's composed of many genres and subgenres, each piece self-and subgenres, each piece self-contained, making a point of its own, yet contained, making a point of its own, yet connected by theme or topic and connected by theme or topic and sometimes by language, images, and sometimes by language, images, and content.content.

Romano, page Romano, page xx

Genre TypesGenre Types

• Recipes• Poems• Letters• Memoir• Fantasy• Plays

Genre TypesGenre Types• Brochure• Interview • Alphabet Books• Concrete Poems

• Fables• News Article

Where to beginWhere to begin

Blending GenreBlending Genre

• Introducing Multigenre writing to studentsIntroducing Multigenre writing to students

• Day 1- have students explore their Day 1- have students explore their thinking through writing after reading aloud thinking through writing after reading aloud each piece. Then discuss as a whole each piece. Then discuss as a whole class, what each genre is doing, what class, what each genre is doing, what each writer achieves with language and each writer achieves with language and information; image and rhythm.information; image and rhythm.

(Romano, p. 28)

Blending GenreBlending Genre

• Day 2- share an entire multigenre paper in Day 2- share an entire multigenre paper in classclassDay 3-share the topics others have written Day 3-share the topics others have written aboutaboutDay 4-students submit chosen topicsDay 4-students submit chosen topicsDay 5-begin multigenre writingDay 5-begin multigenre writing

(Romano, p. 28)

Introducing the studyIntroducing the study

• Best Guess Gathering

• Immersion

• Sifting

• Touchstone Try-Its

• Writing

• Reflecting/Assessing

(Kendall, 2004)

Best Guess GatheringBest Guess Gathering

• Reading and examining the selected texts, we make our best guesses about the featured genre.

• What do we notice?• This process will all the students to create

a working definition of the genre.

(Kendall, 2004)

ImmersionImmersion

In this step the students will read a text and notice the details of the writing by studying:

• Lead• Conclusion• Punctuation• Attention-grabbing

language

(Kendall, 2004)

SiftingSifting

• This step will help the students to develop a ‘critical eye’.

• Sifting involves:– Identify examples vs. non-examples– What are the important characteristics we can

use throughout touchstone texts.

(Kendall, 2004)

Touchstone Try-ItsTouchstone Try-Its

1. You have read the text and you love it.2. You and your students have talked about the text a lot as readers

first.3. You find many things to teach in the text.4. You can imagine talking about the text for a very long time.5. Your students can read the text independently or with some

support.6. The text is written by a writer you trust.7. The text is a good example of writing of a particular kind (genre).

(Kendall, 2004)

Writing Writing

• A careful balance needs to be maintained between the genre-specific expectations established by the teacher and the ownership of the work by the students.

• The teacher chooses the structure, but the students own the content.

(Lattimer, pp. 6-7)

Topics & ResearchTopics & Research

• Student selects topic

• Begin research

• Refine topic

• Select genres

• Initiate writing process of first draft, revising & editing, and final draft.

(Kendall, 2004)

AssessingAssessingLattimer differentiates between assessment Lattimer differentiates between assessment

and evaluatingand evaluating. . Assessment is done daily.

It includes student progress for the purpose of adjusting instruction to better support student learning.

Evaluation is the final, end of-the-unit measuring of student abilities against a rigorous standard, determining whether or not the students meet the learning objectives.

(Lattimer pp. 18-19)

Multigenre Paper Grading Multigenre Paper Grading

• Minimum of 5 genres 20 pts.

• 4-6 pages, typed or 10 pts.

written neatly

• Content/accuracy 50 pts.

• Mechanics 10 pts.

• Bibliography 10 pts.

ModificationsModifications

• Guided reading groups to model skills and strategies

• Partner research

• GT students make independently explore a genre different from whole class, however, following the previously illustrated format.

ResourcesResources

• Lattimer, H. (2003). Thinking through genre: units of study in reading and writing wrokshops 4-12. Foreward by Randy Bomer. Portland, ME: Stenhouse Publishers

• Romano, T. (2000). Blending genre, altering style. Portsmouth, NH: Boynton/Cook Publishers, Inc.

• Kendall, J. (2004). Julie Kendall's Weekly Writing Workshop Journal. Retrieved Jul. 18, 2005, from Writing Workshop #16: Feature Articles-Into the Fire! Web site: http://www.middleweb.com/ReadWrkshp/JK55.html.

• http://citationmachine.net/