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The Responsive Writing Teacher, Grades K-5
A Hands-on Guide to Child-Centered, Equitable Instruction
- Melanie Meehan - Simsbury Public Schools
- Kelsey Sorum
Series:
Corwin Literacy
Corwin Literacy
March 2021 | 224 pages | Corwin
“This book is an instructive call to action for all of us who need to be reminded of what hope enacted as classroom practice can look like.” —Cornelius Minor
Every classroom is shaped by the skills, languages, social and cultural identities, perspectives, and passions of the children within it. When you approach writing instruction with a deep understanding of children in your classroom, everything else—assessment, planning, differentiated instruction, mentor and shared texts—begins to fall into place. And you can teach writing with inclusion, equity, and agency at the forefront.
Authors Melanie Meehan and Kelsey Sorum show you how to adapt curriculum to meet the needs of the whole child. Each chapter offers intentional steps for responsive instruction across four domains: academic, linguistic, cultural, and social-emotional. Features include:
• Inspiration, classroom examples, and scaffolded tips for creating individualized resources
• Customizable information-gathering and planning tools, classroom charts, and writing samples
• Space for making notes and working through ideas
• Links to online content, including printable templates
Just as you adapt instruction to your students, this book adapts to you. The authors designed every guide, tool, and resource to be usable in its original form, or customized as you see fit. This indispensable resource will make responsive instruction actionable—and your students feel valued and heard as they recognize the possibility and power they have as writers.
Every classroom is shaped by the skills, languages, social and cultural identities, perspectives, and passions of the children within it. When you approach writing instruction with a deep understanding of children in your classroom, everything else—assessment, planning, differentiated instruction, mentor and shared texts—begins to fall into place. And you can teach writing with inclusion, equity, and agency at the forefront.
Authors Melanie Meehan and Kelsey Sorum show you how to adapt curriculum to meet the needs of the whole child. Each chapter offers intentional steps for responsive instruction across four domains: academic, linguistic, cultural, and social-emotional. Features include:
• Inspiration, classroom examples, and scaffolded tips for creating individualized resources
• Customizable information-gathering and planning tools, classroom charts, and writing samples
• Space for making notes and working through ideas
• Links to online content, including printable templates
Just as you adapt instruction to your students, this book adapts to you. The authors designed every guide, tool, and resource to be usable in its original form, or customized as you see fit. This indispensable resource will make responsive instruction actionable—and your students feel valued and heard as they recognize the possibility and power they have as writers.
Foreword by Cornelius Minor
Letter from the Authors
Introduction
Chapter 1: Collecting Information About the Writers in Your Classroom
Chapter 2: Planning Responsive Instruction
Chapter 3: Co-Constructing Responsive Charts
Chapter 4: Selecting Responsive Mentor Texts
Chapter 5: Providing Responsive Demonstration Texts
Chapter 6: Empowering Students to Make Their Own Tools and Resources
References
Free resources
Empowering Students to Make Their Own Tools and Resources
This excerpt stresses the importance of teaching students how to—independently, and with peers—assess and set goals.
Why Responsive Plans Matter
This excerpt explains why it is important to create a responsive plan for learning.
Introduction
In the Introduction, the authors open this book by sharing our personal stories—how we have come to this work individually and together.
Foreword
In the foreword by Cornelius Minor, he explains why Melanie and Kelsey wrote this book and why it's lessons are important.
