Interactive Writing | EL Education Curriculum

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ELA G1:S1:C4:L24

Interactive Writing

In this Lesson

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Daily Learning Targets

  • Opening A (optional): I can review taught phonemes, high-frequency words, and decodable words. (RF.1.2, RF.1.3)
    • I can decode regularly spelled one-syllable words by mapping graphemes and phonemes.
    • I can read first-grade words that "don't play fair" in isolation.
    • I can look at each consonant and say its sound.
    • I can identify the short sound for each vowel.
    • I can identify the sounds that correspond to "ch" and "sh."
  • Opening B (optional): I can review taught graphemes and phonemes. I can segment and blend phonemes (sounds) into a spoken word. (RF.1.2)
    • I can look at each consonant and say its sound.
    • I can identify the short sound for each vowel.
    • I can identify the sounds that correspond to "ch" and "sh."
    • I can say a two-phoneme or three-phoneme word and segment (break apart) into individual phonemes (sounds) in order.
    • I can blend two or three phonemes to form a spoken word.
    •  I can blend three phonemes (sounds) to form a CVC, VC, and CVCC spoken word.
  • Work Time: I can collaborate with my teacher to write a sentence with CVC, CVCC, and high-frequency words. (RF. 1.1, RF.1.2, RF.1.3, L.K.2)
    • I can look at each letter and say its sound.
    • I can identify the sounds that correspond to "ch" and "sh."
    •  I can identify features of a sentence, including the first word, capital letters, and ending punctuation.
    • I can segment CVC words into their phonemes (sounds).
    • I can use what I know about common spelling patterns to correctly spell words with those common patterns.

Ongoing Assessment

  • Observe students during Opening A. Determine whether they can make the sound for letter(s), decode, and read familiar words using letters and sounds from this cycle.
  • Observe students sharing the pen (or following along) during Work Time A. Determine whether they can write the given sentence, following basic concepts of print such as directionality and spacing.

Agenda

Agenda

1. Opening (3-5 minutes)

A. Question and Switch ("Make a Word" Variation)

B. Call and Response

2. Work Time (10-15 minutes)

A. Interactive Writing: Writing Regular and Familiar One-Syllable Words

3. Closing and Assessment (2 minutes)

A. Reflecting on Learning

4. Differentiated Small Group Instruction and Rotations (40 minutes)

In Advance

  • Prepare:
    • Question and Switch cards (each rime ("ip," "ash," "ish," "an") and each onset ("p," "n," "s," "z," "t," "sh") should be on its own card; prepare two sets of these cards if not using magnetic letters for modeling; also, collect a handful of regularly spelled one-syllable words using the letters taught to this point; see supporting Materials)
    • Snapshot Assessment (optional; one per student)
  • Pre-determine one sentence to be used for the Interactive Writing instructional practice that best meets students' needs. Suggested sentence: "Pat has lunch on the rug." Or you may choose to write about content from the Integrated Literacy Block.

Vocabulary

Key: Lesson-Specific Vocabulary (L); Text-Specific Vocabulary (T)

  • interact, interactive, possession, proficient (L)

Materials

  • Movable letters (magnetic letters, Letter Cards in a pocket chart, or other letters that can be displayed and moved; one each for teacher modeling: "a," "i," "p," "n," "s," "z," "t," "u," "sh"; from Lesson 6)
  • Question and Switch Cards (one per student)
  • Make a Word Cards (one per student)
  • Whiteboards or sheet protectors with white cardboard inside (optional; one per student or pair)
  • Whiteboard markers (optional; one per student or pair)
  • Whiteboard erasers (or tissues, socks, etc.; optional; one per student or pair)
  • Snapshot Assessment (optional; one per student)

Opening

OpeningMeeting Students' Needs

A. Question and Switch ("Make a Word" Variation)

  • (Suggested transition song, sung to the tune of "The More We Get Together"):

"Gather round together, together, together. We're going play a quiz game, a quiz game, a quiz game. We're going to play a quiz game to check what we've learned."

  • Introduce the "Make a Word" variation of Question and Switch:

1. Teacher builds "ip" and "ash" on the board with movable letters (vertically, one under the other).

2. Teacher places the letters "i," "p," "n," "s," "z," "t," "u," and "sh" vertically to the left (far left of the rimes).

3. Teacher invites students to identify the rimes and respond to prompts to build words.

4. Teacher moves the appropriate letter(s) to the rime.

5. Teacher invites two students to stand two to three arm lengths apart in front of (and facing) classmates.

6. Teacher gives an onset Question and Switch Card (example: "s") to one student and a rime card (example: "ip") to the second student.

7. Students identify the onset and say it aloud.

8. Students identify the rime and say it aloud.

9. Teacher asks:

What would happen if we moved these two closer together? Let's see!"

10. Teacher invites the two students to move together so that they make the word "sip."

11. Teacher leads all students in reading the word together.

12. Teacher invites the two students to sit down.

13. Teacher distributes one Make a Word Card to each student--either a rime or an onset.

14. Teacher says: "Now you get to make a word by finding a match to your card."

15. Students find a partner with a matching onset or rime.

16. When students find their matches, they read the word they made (individually and together).

17. Teacher reminds students to help each other as needed, explaining that everyone is a winner when letter-sound connections and knowledge about words get stronger.

18. Teacher circulates while students are interacting, supporting as needed and noting individual students' strengths and needs.
  • For students who may need an extension: Consider challenging them to use the high-frequency word cards in a sentence.
  • Consider extending the challenge by including the "qu" onset with "it" and "iz" rimes (making the words "quit" and quiz").

B. Call and Response

  • (Suggested transition song, sung to the tune of "The More We Get Together"):

"March along together, together, together. We're going to say the sound that we find in words. Come now and chant together, together, together. Say the sounds you know as we march along."

  • Begin the Call and Response instructional practice using Cycle 4 phonemes:

1. Teacher says: "You have been working hard to hear and say phonemes in words with the /i/ sound. Today, you will write a story with some of the words. First, we will warm up our brains by reviewing some of the phonemes (sounds) with a chant. You can also warm up your bodies by marching in place while we chant. Watch and listen to what I do. When I point to myself, it is my turn to say something. When I point to you, it is your turn to say something."

2. Teacher marches in place. Students follow along.

3. Teacher begins by modeling with a grapheme to phoneme connection (followed by phoneme to grapheme, then blend phonemes into a spoken word).

4. Teacher: grapheme (letter) to students: phoneme (sound):

    • Teacher points to self and says: "When I say 'qu,' you say (points to students) _____." (Students respond with the sound: "/qu/.")
    • Teacher points to self and says: "qu."
    • Teacher points to students.
    • Students say: /qu/.
    • Teacher points to self and says: "qu."
    • Teacher points to students.
    • Students say: /qu/.
    • Repeat with "u" and phonemes from previous cycles.

5. Phoneme to grapheme:

    • Teacher points to self and says: "When I say '/qu/,' you say (points to students) _____." (Students respond with the letters' names: "q-u.")
    • Teacher says: /qu/.
    • Students say: "q-u."
    • Teacher says: /qu/.
    • Students say: "q-u."
    • Repeat with /u/ and phonemes from previous cycles.

6. Blending phonemes into spoken word:

    • Teacher points to self and uses thumb-tapping technique for each phoneme. Teacher says: "When I say /qu/ /i/ /t/, you say (points to students) _____." (Students jump once when saying the blended word: "quit.")
    • Repeat with words from Cycle 4 that are found in "Pat's Lunch": "quit," "sun," "cup," "up," "rug," "fun," "lunch."

Work Time

Work TimeMeeting Students' Needs

A. Interactive Writing: Writing Regular and Familiar One-Syllable Words

  • (Suggested transition song, sung to the tune of "The More We Get Together"):

"Now let's all be writers, be writers, be writers. Now let's all be writers like the authors we love. Listen to the sentence, the sentence, the sentence. Listen to the sentence, we will write as a group."

  • Suggested sentence (choose one that best meets students' needs): "Pat has lunch on the rug."
  • Optional: Distribute whiteboards, whiteboard markers, and whiteboard erasers (or have students follow along by skywriting).
  • Begin the Interactive Writing instructional practice:
    • Explain to students that when they played Question and Switch, they were interacting with each other. That means they were talking to each other, learning together, and taking turns. Inform students that during interactive writing, they interact with each other as well. Emphasize interact in the word "interactive." The group talks, learns together, and takes turns. Tell students that during Question and Switch, the emphasis was on speaking words. During interactive writing, the emphasis is on writing words in a sentence.


1. Teacher models interactive writing with one word.

      • Teacher pronounces the word: "rug."
      • Teacher segments the word into three phonemes: /r/ /u/ /g/.
      • Teacher asks:

"What is the first sound you hear in /r/ /u/ /g/?" (/r/)

      • Teacher writes the letter on the board: "r."
      • Teacher says: "Now I will share my pen with one of you at a time. You will come up to the board and write the letter that represents the next sound in the word. Everyone else will write the same letter on their own whiteboard at the same time."
      • Teacher chooses a volunteer. Student volunteer writes "u."
      • Teacher chooses a volunteer to write the letter that represents the next sound. Student volunteer writes "g."
      • Teacher invites students to read the word they have written together. Teacher and students read: "rug."

2. Teacher reads the chosen sentence aloud and taps out the words on the paper/whiteboard.

3. Students repeat the sentence. (Rehearse as needed.)

4. Teacher says the first word in the sentence and repeats step 1 with letters, words, or word parts from the chosen sentence. Teacher asks:

"What do we need to remember to do to this first letter so that our reader will know that this is where our sentence starts?" (Capitalize it.)

5. After the first word in the sentence is complete, teacher asks:

"What comes after a word?" (a space)

6. Teacher taps out the remaining words of the sentence.

7. Repeat step 2 with the remainder of the sentence. Teacher may write some of the letters, word parts, or words to speed up the process if necessary.

8. Teacher asks:

"What do we need to remember to put at the end so that our reader knows we are done with this sentence?" (a period)

9. Teacher points to each word as he or she reads the completed sentence aloud.

10. Students read the completed sentence aloud.
  • For students who may need an extension: Consider using a more complex sentence, similar to one from the Decodable Reader (example: "Pat has a big blue hat") or a sentence aligned with content from the Integrated Literacy Block (example: "I use a hammer and nail to fix the fence") that does not necessarily stick exclusively to sounds, letters, and patterns introduced in the letter cycles. You can invite students to contribute parts (a high-frequency word, a beginning phoneme, etc.) that they know and then model and fill in the rest. Doing this allows for vocabulary and content learning to be reinforced.
  • For ELLs: Consider using pictures to clarify any nouns or verbs in the sentence that may be new for students. Verbs can also be acted out for clarification. Letter-sound connections are strengthened when students see that they are tools that allow them to communicate an idea.
  • If students are writing familiar words that they have read previously, remind them that these are familiar words and they should try to remember how the words were spelled when they read them. This supports the goal of automaticity with letter-sound connections.
  • For students who may need additional support independently recording the grapheme for each sound on their whiteboards: Provide and/or model with sound boards.
  • If a possessive "-'s" word is encountered, identify the -'s as having the job of showing that something belongs to the noun. Identify the "-'s" as the "possessive" and identify the apostrophe as what alerts the reader that this shows possession, or that something is belonging to the noun (example: "Pat's"). Call students' attention to the contrast of adding "-s" to a word (to make it plural) versus adding "-'s" to a word (to show possession) and ask:

"Does this show that I have more than one Pat or that the cat belongs to Pat?"

Closing & Assessments

ClosingMeeting Students' Needs

A. Reflecting on Learning

  • Emphasize that effective learners keep track of and reflect on their own learning. Point out that they are doing this each time they consider how what they did today helps them to become more proficient readers.
  • Remind students that today they reviewed letters and sounds and irregularly spelled words, practiced decoding, and used the skills they've been learning to write a sentence together.
  • Invite students to reflect independently. Ask:

"What did you do today that is helping you become a more proficient reader?" (Responses will vary. Example: "I segmented the sounds in the word 'this' so I could write it.")

  • Invite a volunteer to share. Afterward, invite any students who did something similar to indicate that in an interactive way (examples: stand and turn in place, hop up and down excitedly).
  • For students who need additional support organizing their ideas: Provide sentence frames. Examples:
    • "When I wrote the letter _____, I _____."
    • "When I wrote the word _____, I _____."
    • "When I decoded the CVC word _____, I _____."

Differentiated Small Groups: Work with Teacher

Suggested Plan: Teacher works with students in the Pre-Alphabetic, Partial Alphabetic, and Consolidated Alphabetic groups. Teacher will not work with students in the Full Alphabetic group today.

Note: Groups not working with the teacher at a given time should be engaged in purposeful independent rotation work. Refer to the Independent and Small Group Work Guidance document for more details (see K-2 Skills Resource Manual).

Pre-Alphabetic:

  • Because students in the Pre-Alphabetic phase are still working on letter identification and phonological awareness, small group instruction should be aimed at building that knowledge and skills.
  • Use the Assessment Conversion chart to determine appropriate kindergarten lessons and Activity Bank ideas to use in daily small group instruction (see Assessment Overview and Resources).
  • Lead an interactive writing experience using a different sentence, focusing on initial letters and letter formation. Use a sentence that places letter sounds you are working on at the beginning and end of words. For example, if working on "a," "c," "p," "n," "m," or "t," you can work with:
    • I can pat the cat on a mat.

Partial Alphabetic:

  • Extend or create a new interactive writing piece focusing on VC and CVC words. This may include a new sentence related to the Decodable Reader or the content in the Integrated Literacy Block, or a sentence that naturally follows the one written during Work Time.
  • For students working at the early-to-middle Partial Alphabetic phase, emphasize /u/ VC and CVC patterns, as well as one high-leverage (i.e., can be used a lot in their independent writing), high-frequency word (example: "play").
  • For students working at the middle-to-late Partial Alphabetic phase, consider extending the interactive writing work as described above, using both /u/ and /a/ VC and CVC patterns, as well as a new high-frequency word or one from Cycles 2 or 3 that needs review.
  • Related Activity Bank suggestions:
    • An Activity Bank activity from the Decoding and Encoding category (DE) or Phonological Manipulation category (PM)

Consolidated Alphabetic:

  • Extend work with interactive writing by inviting students to compose sentences related to the Engagement Text: "Pat's Lunch" (consider making a copy for each student). Use this opportunity to give individualized feedback to students on conventions of print (including spelling patterns and grammar). Have students share out sentences/stories and reflect on new learning.
  • Follow up with the Lesson 21 Word List and exit ticket.
  • Check in on Accountable Independent Reading.

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