What is Key Links Writing?
Key Links Writing
• Key Links Writing is designed for beginning
writers: Foundation to Year 2
• It is designed to give them the skills to:
– compose or create original text in writing
– make the “head to page” trip using three roles:
PLANNING
THINKING
WRITING
Three writing roles
Plan topic, ideas, vocabulary, audience,
purpose
Think in sentences using the plan
Write (scribe), review and edit sentences
Beginning writing – Foundation-Year 2
Teaching Writing
Assessing Writing
Key Links Writing Tools
TOOLS for Teaching Writing
WHAT TO TEACH
Writing Targets
HOW TO TEACH
Writing Approaches
TOOLS for Assessing Writing
• Feedback student’s
writing
• Focused teaching
• Assess for development
WHAT TO TEACH
Teacher Tools
Key Links Writing Targets x 3
– Based on Australian
Curriculum: English
• Foundation, Year 1, Year 2
– Targets for:
• Deeper features – working with
the meaning
• Surface features – conventions
• Process
HOW TO TEACH
Teacher Tools
Key Links Writing Approaches Cards
– Sample lessons
•
•
•
•
Modelled Writing
Shared Writing
Mirrored Writing
Guided Writing
– Based on shift in writing roles from teacher to student
Writing Approaches
Gradual Release of Responsibility Model
Pearson and Gallagher 1983
High
High
Student
Responsibility
Teacher
Responsibility
Low
Low
BY STUDENTS
TO STUDENTS
WITH STUDENTS
Modelled
Shared
Mirrored
Guided
Independent
Writing
Writing
Writing
Writing
Writing
MODELLED WRITING
Explicit teacher demonstration – small group
Teacher’s role
Students’ role
• Plan topic, audience, purpose,
ideas, vocabulary
• Think in sentences
• Write and review sentences
IDEA SEED
Each lesson starts with
an “idea seed”:
- point of discussion
- source of ideas
- establishes topic
Sample IDEA SEEDS,
such as this one, are
included in the Key
Links Writing box.
MODELLED WRITING
Beginning of sample lesson
Teacher defines
topic, audience
and purpose.
Makes and labels
plan
TEACHER
I’m going to write a description of
this lion for you.
STUDENT
I could describe its
teeth
mouth
The teeth look sharp and pointy.
Teacher thinks of
ideas and
vocabulary. Thinks
aloud in sentences
Teacher writes
text. Thinks aloud
while writing
I’m going to write The lion has pointy
teeth. Watch me write it.
I start with a capital letter to begin
my sentence. Watch me write The
The
You write The on the floor
I leave a space. Now I’ll write lion. It
starts with l.
The lion
The
HOW TO TEACH
Modelled Writing Cards
12 sample topics
• some focused on text-type, others on the craft of writing
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Recount x 2
Opinion x 2
Description x 1
Report x 1
A Moment in Time x 2
Using the Senses x 2
Show Don’t Tell x 2
The cards are designed to
provide sample lessons for
teachers that they can
replicate on other topics.
HOW TO TEACH
Modelled Writing Cards
Topics have sample lessons at three curriculum levels of the
Australian Curriculum: English:
•
Foundation, Year 1, Year 2
NOTE: In the sample of Red Shoes below, you can see how the plan (and also the
rest or the lesson) becomes more challenging across the curriculum year levels.
SHARED WRITING
Joint writing based on a common experience – whole class
Teacher’s role
Students’ role
• Plan topic, audience, purpose,
ideas, vocabulary
• Think in sentences
• Write in sentences and review
sentences
SHARED WRITING – based on common experience
Beginning of sample lesson
TEACHER
Let’s write a description of this lion for
our class.
Teacher defines
topic, audience and What could we describe?
purpose. Makes and
labels plan based on
students’ ideas
teeth
Students think of
ideas, vocabulary
and “think in
sentences”.
teeth, mouth
mouth
What words could describe the teeth?
pointy, sharp, big
How could we write that in a sentence?
The lion has big,
pointy teeth.
Watch me write it.
I start with a capital letter to begin my
sentence. Watch me write The
The
Teacher writes
text. Thinks aloud
while writing
STUDENTS
I leave a space. Now I’ll write lion. It
starts with l.
The lion
HOW TO TEACH
Shared Writing Cards
6 sample topics
• some focused on text-type, others on the craft of writing
•
•
•
•
Narrative x 2
Character description x 2
Factual description
Procedure
To ensure students share a
common experience, visual
Idea Seeds for each sample
lesson are included in the Key
Links Writing Box.
HOW TO TEACH
Shared Writing Cards
Each Shared Writing sample lesson includes:
• Visual idea seed
• Sample of possible teacher – student discussion
The Shared Writing
cards are designed to
give teachers several
sample lessons.
Teachers may use
these as the basis of
their own lessons.
MIRRORED WRITING
Teacher as author and scribe
Students practise writing correct conventions
Teacher
Students
• Plans topic, audience, purpose,
ideas, vocabulary
• Thinks in sentences
• Write and review sentences
MIRRORED WRITING – focus on conventions
Beginning of sample lesson
TEACHER
Let’s write a description of this lion for
ourselves.
STUDENTS
Teacher defines
topic, audience and We could describe
purpose. Makes and
labels plan.
teeth
Teacher thinks of
sentence. Students
think in a sentence.
Teacher writes word
by word. Students
“mirror” what
teacher is writing.
mouth
We could write The lion has big teeth.
Watch me write the first word. I start
with a capital letter to begin my
sentence. T h e
The
Now you write The
The
I leave a space before I write lion. Now I’ll
write lion. It starts with l, then i o n
Now you leave a space and write lion like
me.
The lion
The lion
HOW TO TEACH
Mirrored Writing Cards
Focus on concepts of print and beginning writing conventions
• Visual idea seed
• Two samples of step-by-step approach used in mirrored
writing
The Mirrored Writing
cards are samples of
focused writing
lessons used to teach
conventions.
GUIDED WRITING
Teacher prompts
Students plan, think and write
Teacher’s role
Students’ role
• Plan topic, audience, purpose,
ideas, vocabulary
• Think in sentences
• Write and review sentences
GUIDED WRTING
Beginning of sample lesson
TEACHER
Tell me what you’re going to write
Teacher asks student about
about the topic and
plan.
What are you going to describe?
STUDENT
The lion
It’s teeth
teef
Teachers prompt
the student about
their ideas and
thinking of their
ideas in sentences.
The student writes
the text.
What words might you use to
describe the teeth?
big, sharp
Can you think of a sentence to start
with?
The lion has big teeth.
What do you have to remember at
the beginning of your sentence?
Use a capital letter
What do you do after the first word?
OK. Off you go.
Leave a space
The linn has big teef
HOW TO TEACH
Guided Writing Cards
Teachers prompt students about their plans and ideas for
writing
• Three guided writing cards
• Sample prompts to use depending on students’ writing
targets.
The Guided Writing
cards are samples of
prompts teachers
might use with
individual students as
they write.
HOW TO TEACH
Teacher Tools
Key Links Writing Approaches Cards
– Sample lessons
Modelled Writing
Shared Writing
Mirrored Writing
Guided Writing
Students Write Independently
Teacher
Student
Modelled
Shared
Mirrored
Guided
Independent
Writing
INDEPENDENT WRITING
Student Tools
• Idea Seeds
• My Writing book
– Five senses
– My Writing Ideas
• Writing Step Cards
– Three levels
– 20 copies of each
• Alphabet and blend
cards
– Large copy for teacher
– Multiple copies for
students
• My Word bank
– Individual spelling/word
bank
ASSESSMENT
Teacher Assessment
Independent
Writing
Teacherstudent
conference
• Acknowledges what
student “can” do
• Evaluates against Writing
Targets
• Identifies focused
teaching opportunities
Student Selfassessment
• Students aware of what
they “can” do
• Students discuss goals
for development
Student Tools
• My Writing book
• I can… checklists
–
•
ASSESSMENT
3 levels
My Word bank
–
Develop personal
spelling list
Teacher Tools
• Student-teacher
conference cards
–
•
I can… stickers
–
•
3 levels
Writing Targets
–
•
3 levels
3 levels
Writing Progressions
– Exemplars with crossreference to Writing Targets, notes
for teachers and sample comments
for students
PUBLISH
Samples of
published writing
CLASSROOM ORGANISATION and
Teacher’s Resource
Teacher Tools:
Suggestions for:
• Daily organisation
• Weekly
organisation
Teacher’s Resource
Book
• Overview and
explanation of Key
Links Writing
SUMMARY: What’s in the box?
What’s in the box?
Teacher Tools
WHAT TO TEACH: Writing Targets
HOW TO TEACH: Writing Approaches Cards
•
•
•
•
Modelled Writing
Shared Writing
Mirrored Writing
Guided Writing
• Alphabet and Blend Cards
ASSESSMENT
• Teacher-Student Conference Cards
• I can… stickers (replaceable)
• Writing Progressions
PUBLISHING
• Publishing Samples
ORGANISATION
• Classroom Organisation Charts
Teacher’s Resource Book
What’s in the box?
Student Tools
INDEPENDENT WRITING
• My Writing book x 30 (replaceable)
• Idea Seed cards
• Writing Steps cards
• Alphabet and Blend cards
• My Word Bank x 30 (replaceable)
SELF-ASSESSMENT/DEVELOPMENT
• I can… checklist (in My Writing book)
• What I want to learn (in My Writing book)
What’s in the box?