Instructional Decision-Making Before Reading During/After Reading Letter/Word Work Reading/Writing Connections

Facilitator Notes

In Interactive Writing, the teacher and children “share the pen.”  The children take turns writing letters, words, or punctuation they know on a shared chart, strip, or paper, and the teacher fills in the rest. Used in many whole class opportunities in kindergarten and first grade classrooms, interactive writing is invaluable in guided reading small groups to support children just beginning to understand the concepts of reading and writing, and their interrelationship.

Reading Recovery/Intervention Teacher Emily Garrett meets daily with a group of two kindergarten children. Kindergarten teacher Tracie McGovern also meets daily with a group of two students in her classroom (one was absent during the video), who began the year not recognizing any letters of the alphabet. In October, when the videos were taken, in both groups the children knew over 20 letters and were just beginning to learn how written messages work, e.g., tracking print left to right, making a 1-1 match of voice to word, and understanding that stories carry meaning through print as well as pictures.  Both teachers use interactive writing as part of their guided reading lessons with the children.

 

How does interactive writing support struggling beginning readers and writers?

Supporting Documents: Text transcripts of Baby and Busy Dad

Video: Interactive Writing 1; Transcript,
Kindergarten, Emily Garrett

Video: The Cut-Up Story; Transcript,
Kindergarten, Emily Garrett

 

Video: Interactive Writing 2; Transcript,
Kindergarten, Tracie McGovern


Video: Commentary on Interactive Writing; Transcript,
Kindergarten, Tracie McGovern