Stages of Spelling Development (week ending 20th November 2020)

 

https://happilyhomegrown.com/5-stages-of-spelling-development/

Most, if not all parents constantly compare their children to other children. 

From who is developing faster to who is reading or spelling the best. 

The truth is, children go through different stages of development and reach

 certain milestones in due timing. The same thing goes for their spelling

 ability.  

I am yet to understand why so many people (both parents and educators) 

think that  some magic wand is waved at their child or children allowing

 them to be ready for school and for formal academics before their time!  

As learnt in this course ( LIT102 -Promoting Writing in Primary

 Grades), children go through five different stages of spelling development.

Stage 1: Emergent Spellers

https://www.naeyc.org/resources/pubs/yc/nov2017/emergent-writing

Stage 2: Letter-Name Spelling

                                       https://wordstheirwaybookclubreview.weebly.com/the-letter-name-and-alphabetic-stage.html

Stage 3: Within-Word Pattern Spelling

    https://www.pinterest.com/pin/793055815611643151/

Stage 4: Syllables and Affixes Spelling

https://wordstheirway842.weebly.com/syllables-and-affixes-stage.html

Stage 5: Derivational Relations Spelling 

                                                                            https://slideplayer.com/slide/6081676/

PODCAST!!!!!!!~IVAN THE TERRIBLE~(Week ending 18th December 2020)

Have you ever experienced a storm or a hurricane? 

'Ivan the Terrible' is a descriptive piece about my experience during Hurricane Ivan.

Hope you can relate!

Click on the link below!

 https://anchor.fm/jael91/episodes/Ivan-the-Terrible-enu0pu

^^Rhapsody^^ ( Week ending 27th November 2020)

 

                                                              http://clipartbarn.com/poem-clipart_18497/

    To me, poetry is the most powerful and elusive forms of writing. It simply transforms the 

English Language we think we know.

Have you ever read a poem before and the words you know just sounded different or even had a 

different meaning? 

Yup! That is what poetry does.

All poems are insights into the most intimate inner workings of the writer's mind and soul.

Furthermore, poetry is an art form that has been around for many years. It is truly a rhapsody!

    As an educator and a poet, I endorse the teaching of poetry in the primary schools as it is the 

art of  expressing thoughts. Allowing students to express what they think or feel can improve 

their lives tremendously. 

Ever so often we have students write poems in schools or even read poems to them. But, do they

truly understand it? Furthermore, do they even understand the meaning of it. 

I believe there is a need for poetry to be taught in a more deliberate manner. 

Remember, poetry is a skill that will remain with students for an entire life. They will use it no 

matter what you end up doing professionally.

                                                            http://clipart-library.com/poetry-cliparts.html

                                                                 Just One Year Ago!

Just one year ago, we were sitting here just like you,

An introductory assembly that made some of us blue.

Listening those teachers share their experiences made me asked “Why did I apply?”

Is it gonna be a disaster? Should I give up, should I try? 

The journey began and I was given the option

Teaching or Agriculture or maybe construction.

I considered to reconsider and considered to stay

But, did I find out who shot 'Johny'? - No way!!

Pragmatics, semantics, morphology and more

Oh boy! so much to remember before I'm out the door.

Sleepless nights and eventful days and I looked so pale

College took away your freedom in a similar way to jail.

Some say college hard but I had it harder

Online classes while dealing with corona was definitely a dagger

I fought and came up with the goods,

But just when it seemed like I was out of the woods

I lost my beautiful sister- my dearly beloved Kashida!

Continue to rest in peace Babygirl! 

The above is an excerpt of a poem I wrote about my first year in college. I was able to express 

my thoughts and feelings through this rhapsody-coming together of words.

You too can do it! Reach for a pen, and let go of those things that have been burdening your 

freedom.

And remember opening your heart to poetry is the only way to get fulfillment from it.

*The Tree of Life* ( week ending 13th November 2020)

                                           https://www.netclipart.com/isee/oJRbTJ_the-kundalini-and-unblocking-creativity-colorful-tree-of/

                                                               Who am I?

-               ❤I am a genre of writing; the only form that can be used in all other forms of writings.

-               ❤ I use adjectives, adverbs and figurative language to describe a person, a place or a 

           thing.

-               ❤I show rather than tell

-               ❤ I require the use of all five senses

-               ❤ I create a vivid picture in my reader’s mind

       Who am I?

                                                                    

                             

                                             

                                                                      

 

                                    http://clipart-library.com/clipart/1295240.html

I am 'Descriptive Writing'. The tree of life. I add life to your pieces of writing.

Bet your last dollar once you can master me you can master any

other writing…….

In a descriptive piece of writing the author does not tell the audience what they smell, 

hear, see or touch, instead, they describe or show the readers using vivid and colourful 

details. These authors select a set of word and phrases carefully that paints a picture in

 the reader's mind making them feel as though they are part of the story or the story is 

evolving right before their eyes.

                                                                                https://wcedeportal.co.za/eresource/85376

 The following picture tells us some of the things we can consider when describing. 

https://americanlibraryinparis.org/event/workshop-descriptive-writing-ages-9-12-virtual-rsvp-required/

             In light of what was learnt in class about descriptive writing and the impact it has on a 

piece of writing, I will like us to put our descriptive piece to the test. 

                           Remember: 

                                                       https://d2studios.net/blog/2015/08/a-picture-is-worth-a-thousand-words/

Let us put together a descriptive paragraph on the following picture.

I'll start....

       https://www.facebook.com/LaVistaStMaarten/posts/nothing-can-describe-this-sunset-that-was-captured-earlier-this-year-by-one-of-o/10156376743695480/

                

                                At dusk, the sun radiated a light that turned the sky golden yellow. 

Comment your responses below!

'Dear Educators...' (Week ending 6th November 2020)

                                                   https://webstockreview.net/explore/envelope-clipart-pink-envelope/

Dear educators, 

                  This letter serves as a means of addressing one of our grave 

concerns about the right approach to teaching Literacy. Year after year

we have been asking the same questions.  Phonics?.... Whole language? ….. 

Reading and Writing in isolation? These questions have been the heart of 

heated controversy all over the world.

Well I have news for you! 

    During this week, my colleagues and I were privileged to have one of the

 ministry officials, Mrs. Marilyn Munro- Francis, facilitate a workshop 

 on the Balanced Literacy Approach. This workshop was 'the bomb'!  

Interactive, engaging and informative are some of the words I can use to 

describe the session.

     By now, you may be wondering what this approach is about. Don't get too

 perturbed. I will tell you about it in a nutshell.

    According to Lynch (2018), the Balanced Literacy Approach (BLA) is a 

best practice framework that guides students towards a proficient, life-long 

reading and writing.

 In layman terms let's just say it is a method which strikes a balance 

between skills and knowledge, reading and writing and phonics and whole

language and allows students to maximize their potential.

             Traditionally, teachers treated language Arts as a disjointed subject. 

However, this approach emphasizes that Language Arts be taught as a whole 

subject during a block of uninterrupted time of usually 60 minutes or more. 

This approach allows for daily read aloud, shared reading/writing, word study, 

independent reading/ writing, guided reading/ writing. 

    In my opinion, this is the best method thus far. Simply because it follows a 

gradual release of responsibility. It doesn’t force the teacher to ‘fit it all 

in’ and it allows the teacher to differentiate learning. Isn't that awesome!

     Moreover, this is just an appetizer for you. I have included two videos at 

the end which delved deeper into the different aspects of the BLA. These

videos elaborated that the Balance Literacy Approach is a great tool for 

helping students to learn and read well. 

I do hope we can collaborate in using this best practice so we can effectively 

and expeditiously address the cries of our students. 

                                                                                                          Yours Truly,

                                                                              Jael Brathwaite

                                                                              Teacher- student   

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vb9fWNiizYk

                                          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibAYZRv2oLM

             

-The Life of the Party- (Week ending 30th October, 2020)

                                                                 https://essaymin.com/blog/procedure-writing-thesis-statement/

The Life of the Party!

A thesis statement is like the life of the party,

Without it there's hardly any harmony.

It is there at the very beginning,

And must be restated at the ending.

  

When DJ writer says testing 1, 2, 3,

Without a shadow of a doubt, the thesis you would see.

When the writing is concluding, and it’s the last song to go

Like a party animal, the thesis is still on the floor.

 

The thesis is what guides the writer,

Don't have it and you'll be like a child without diaper.

So, ensure a thesis is part of your writing,

For without it, your writing will be far from dancing.

                                                                              - Jael Brathwaite

       

      https://www.dreamstime.com/illustration/focus-point.html

                        

 

^^Top Secret Recipe ^^ (Week ending 30th October 2020)

 

              https://www.dreamstime.com/illustration/top-secret-recipe.html

                                            How to make ‘Better writers’ 

                                                           

                                                 https://www.pinterest.com/pin/204984220520581966/

   

  Ingredients                          

    1 lb. Ideas  

    3 tbsp. Organization                                 

    2 cups Voice

    2 tsp Word choice

   ½ lb. Sentence fluency

   1 tin Convention

  A dash of Presentation                                              

  

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/204984220520581966/

First, mix 1lb ideas in a bowl with 3 tbsp organisation. Stir for 5 minutes.

Next, add 2 cups voice to the mixture and let it rest for 1 hour or until it starts to rise.

Roll out the dough with a little tip of organisation to help keep it together.

Then, spread ½ lb. sentence fluency, 2 tsp word choice and 1 tin conventions onto the dough.

Finally, sprinkle a dash of presentation.

Bake on 250 degrees Celsius for 20-25 minutes.

P.S Let your ‘better writers’ cool off before packaging.

 

The six ingredients inherent in ‘Better Writers’

 Ideas- the meaning and development of the message.

Organization- the internal structure of the piece (Beginning, middle and end).

Voice- the personal tone and flavour of the author’s message.

Word Choice- the vocabulary a writer chose to convey meaning.

Sentence Fluency- the rhythm and the flow of the piece of writing.

Convections- the mechanical correctness of the piece.

Presentation- the overall appearance of the author’s work.

                                                                        https://www.thoughtco.com/six-traits-of-writing-2081681

These key components (ingredients) provide teachers and students with a 

common understanding for composing, revising, and assessing all types of

 writing. Therefore, upon return to my classroom I will engage my students 

in mini lessons that focuses on the writing traits. Also. I will provide them with

opportunities to write daily using the 6+1 writing traits.

‘Order in the Court! - A Strategy for Introducing Persuasive Writing!’ (Week ending 23rd October, 2020)

Court case no.1: Dispute between students and persuasive writing.

                                                                  http://niceclipart.com/12078/gavel.html/gavel-clipart-7 

Persuasive writing- a critical skill that is seen as intimidating to primary school students.

From past experiences, some students easily tune out when it is time to write a persuasive paper.

 Is it because it requires them to use up more brain cells? or are they just afraid of the term

persuasion?

 

As educators, we ought to be very creative when introducing this genre of writing to our

students. Additionally, we should help them to understand that the art of persuasion is an

important aspect of our everyday lives.

 On Tuesday 20^th October, I had an aha moment. The lecturer was very skillful in helping us to bridge

 the gap between students and their fear for persuasive writing.

She did not simply tell us how we can help the students in our classroom. She made us act the part.

Furthermore, a wise man once said, 

     “Tell me and I forget, teach me and I remember, involve me and I learn.”

                                                                                -(Benjamin Franklin, 1986).

Bingo! We were involved in a mini debate. 

For this session we were tasked to work in cooperative groups of three to brainstorm ideas and organize

 them into a cohesive paragraph to be presented to the class. Topics were given to us. And guess what? 

They were current or trending topics. What a way to get students excited about persuasive writing. 

Moreover, we were asked to use some of the techniques we learnt in the previous session to enhance our

 paragraphs.

 

These are the topics we worked on. Interesting right?

            

https://keepcalmelizabeth.weebly.com/a-uniform-for-school.html 

Below is the product of my group’s persuasive paragraph on closing the Maurice Bishop International 

Airport.

I must say Kudos to Mrs. Laz! She really deserves a trophy. This experience will certainly stay vivid in 

the minds of my colleagues and I. Proud I am to be a beneficiary of this technique. I can now return to 

my classroom confident enough to employ this effective strategy that will encourage my students to 

enjoy writing persuasive pieces.

Also, this technique will encourage collaboration and teamwork among the students and most 

importantly, it will give them a boost or a drive to write. Students will no longer struggle to get ideas, 

but they will be able to unlock knowledge they never though they had. 

~The Power of Persuasion!~ Week ending Friday 16th October, 2020

                                                                             

    https://www.123rf.com/photo_58632660_words-have-power-businessman-work-on-white-broad-top-view.html

                        

hthttps://wikiclipart.com/student-thinking-clipart_36171/

This week’s lectures were remarkable. We covered quite a bit on narrative and persuasive writing.

However, I particularly enjoyed the sessions done on persuasive writing. Persuasion, Persuasion!

Oh how I'm excited about persuasive writing! 

This video retrieved from YouTube gives a great explanation of what is persuasive writing.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hD9arWXIddM 

While sitting in the sessions done on persuasive writing, I vividly recalled my days in secondary school

 as a debater. I felt that rush of excitement flowing through my veins as I anticipated receiving the topics

  for writing. 

 As I reflect, I believe persuasive writing plays an important role in our everyday lives. 

From the ads on television telling us to buy Kentucky Fried Chicken because it is finger lickin' good 

to the magazine article detailing why we should eat healthy.

The art of persuasion is a critical skill for our students to master. Furthermore, it

 must be noted that inherent in a piece of persuasive writing is power- the power of words. Students 

need to understand that being able to provide a point of view and backing it up with strong supporting 

facts is enough to convince your audience. Furthermore, during a child's personal or professional life, he

 or she will rely heavily on being able to express their ideas and opinions in a constructive and creative 

way. 

Hence, on returning to my nest I will use the techniques learnt in this course to assist my flock of birds

to spread their wings in persuasive writing. 

Additionally, I equip them with the necessary techniques for 'spicing up' their writing, making it 

powerful enough to be considered and attain favourable responses.

 

In addition to the techniques we did in class, there are some others I found online that we can use in

 our classroom.  See pictures below.

https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/persuasive-techniques-lessons-and-activities-6008894

 

https://www.teachwire.net/news/persuasive-writing-worksheets-and-resources-for-ks3-and-ks4-english

In my next blog I will be sharing about an engaging teaching and learning strategy used to introduce 

persuasive writing. Go check it out!

And remember 'Persuasive Writing'… Connect! Consider! Convince!

**The ‘Fabulous’ Writing Process** (Week ending -9th October 2020)

 
                                               " Writing is the painting of the voice.” - Voltaire

    When you read a book, do you see the problems the writer went 

through before publishing it? I guess not! I am definitely certain that

what you see in any book is not the first plan, nor the second or the 

third. The author must have written several times before the story 

reaches to the point where it is ready to be published. Furthermore, there

are many great books with awesome stories, but we do not see the time

 and effort that was placed into it.     

  ar.pinterest.com/pin/681802831062162274/    

 Writing is a skill, which means it can be improved. 

                                                                     

All it takes is a great deal of effort and practice.

                  

    I have fallen in love once more. This time it is with the writing process. This process includes five 

stages: prewriting, drafting, revising, editing, publishing. It is imperative to note that these stages are 

recursive and not linear. Thus, almost all writers have gone back and forth before publishing. 

                        

                                                                                https://www.amazon.com/Dellosa-Writing-Process-Bulletin-110014/dp/B000F9ZNVM

With this clearer vision of the writing process I am more than elated to return to my classroom where I will effectively teach this process to facilitate my students in becoming excellent writers.

                                                                                                     

Although avid about writing, I must confess that I sometimes experience ‘Writer's block’. 

For example, the task given to write a piece of narrative entitled ‘caught’ thrilled me. I was eager to get the job done. While brainstorming during the planning stage (prewriting) ideas flew from left to right inside my head. I wrote the plan and was ready to follow it. However, at the point of writing my first draft, I experienced ‘writer's block’.  I did not know where to begin.

I will really need some tips on how to deal with this phase in the event it reoccurs. More 

importantly, I will be able to use these suggestions to assist students who may be

suffering from the same.

                                                                                                    ar.pinterest.com/pin/681802831062162274/