Teaching Strategies
Teaching Author’s Craft
According to Lester Laminack, craft is the art of writing, essentially leaving a “voice print” behind for any reader to find. In other words the craft of a writer is like a fingerprint that is easily identified by the reader who is a detective. Craft highlights word choice, attention to detail and the placement of words on the page. Laminack continues that it is important to read with craft in mind; it helps students learn how writers create their work. He emphasizes that when students read with eyes and ears of a writer, they become engrossed in a reflection process, and they discover when, why, and how an author used a specific technique. 11
Moreover, the sound of writing is where it all begins, Le Guin explains in Steering the Craft: “The noise words make, the sounds and silences that make the rhythms marking their relationships—both the meaning and the beauty of the writing depend on these sounds and rhythms.”12 This is the entire premise of craft, and students need to be shown such complexities in examining the craft of an author. There are various areas surrounding the craft of an author that students can review within this unit. I suggest using the following for the author study of Sharon Flake:
Description
The students can review Sharon Flake’s use of descriptive language across various texts within the author study.
Word Choice
The students can review the language that Sharon Flake uses in which she make s connections.
Point of View and Voice
Students will be able to identify with the techniques of narration throughout the texts read.
Repetition
Students identify repetitions of words, phrases or symbols throughout Sharon Flake’s novels.
Use of Figurative Language
Students take a look at metaphors, similes, and personification throughout texts by Sharon Flake.
Close Reading and Text Complexity
In “Reading with an Eye on Craft/Close Reading,” the writer highlights that “we need to slow students down as they read and provide a focus that helps them see and appreciate each choice a writer makes—to instill a habit of slowing down as readers requires practice and focused attention on the writer’s craft.”13 Close reading is a district wide initiative. The Common Core State Standards emphasize three shifts, which are: “Regular practice with complex texts and their academic language, reading, writing, and speaking grounded in texts, both from literary and informational and the final shift which is building knowledge through content-rich nonfiction.”14 Two of the shifts tie close reading and text complexity together. In my school close reading is evident when these three steps occur: Read, Reread, and Respond. We identify those steps as the 3Rs of Close Reading. It is critical to understand that not every text is meant to be closely read. Our guidelines suggest focusing on a chapter or small section of a book that is complex enough for students to engage in rigorous discussions. The process of close reading starts when students conduct a cold read; this lets student get a feel for the passage. Second, the students reread. During the rereading stage students are usually looking for particular things within the passage that lead to deeper meaning. For instance, in regard to author’s craft, students may review the methods of descriptive language used to describe the characters in the passage. Lastly, students respond to what they’ve read and reread. The response is a result of a question or purpose for reading set at the beginning of the read. Students may respond in written or verbal forms. The goal of close reading is to show students how to analyze text.
Furthermore, text complexity refers to text that is layered. Understanding text complexity starts with sorting out the difference between difficult and complex. In “Unlocking the Secrets of Complex Text,” the writer suggests that a textbook might be difficult, but it might not be sufficiently complex if it has already laid out the thinking for its readers. A high quality non-fiction trade book, on the other hand, might seem easier at first glance, but if it’s well-written and conveys multiple ideas, its complexity will reward close reading.15 The operative words “well-written,” and “multiple ideas,” are essential to text complexity. The article has a chart, that shows how teachers can determine if a text is deemed complex. The chart has particular specifications such as the types of questions that can lend themselves to being complex or difficult. I think it is key to understand that complex texts do not necessarily prescribe the thinking for its readers. Complex text allows readers to make inferences and draw conclusions regarding the author’s intentions.
Teaching an Author Study
The goal of an author study is to introduce students to multiple works of one particular author. Moreover, conducting an author study allows students to gather information about the author through research. The key to doing author studies is that a purpose is set for reading whether it be for identifying craft, making connections regarding literary elements, i.e., setting, plot or characterization.
Incorporating Technology
In my school there are a certain number of iPads per grade level that students are able to use. If you have technology that is available to this degree, I think that such incorporation would be beneficial. Consider downloading the novels or other books within an author study. The use of technology can reach diverse learners who may need visual stimulation. In tablets there are features of highlighting and note taking that can assist with students’ ability to comprehend text. Many times the number of actual hardback novels can be limited, and students may not be able to “make a mess of the text,” since they must return them for use for the following year. Having a tablet or other technological device may be another alternative when reading for craft through an author study.
Incorporating the Writing Workshop
Lucy Calkins is the founding director of the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project. Much of her work is implemented in classrooms throughout the United States, and it includes the writing workshop. The writing workshop is a strategy that is used to engage students in the process of writing.16 There are five stages to the writing process, and they are: pre-write, draft, revise, edit and publish. During each step students polish their writing piece by piece until it is published. During the first stage, prewrite, students are brainstorming and mapping out their ideas. The second stage, draft, gives students the chance to write without judgment after they have determined an idea. The third stage, revise, grants students opportunities to share their writing with other students for peer-review as well as conferencing with the teacher to gain feedback on how to stretch out or eliminate elements from their current work and make it stronger. The fourth stage, edit, students receive feedback on how to correct errors. The fifth stage, publish, students rewrite their final copy. This writing process can be essential when students read for craft through an author study. Many of the works throughout the author study will require students to write using a certain technique that the author uses. When students are aware of the process in publishing written works, they may be able to effectively shape their craft.
Nguzo Saba Infusion and Theme Walk
My school, which is an African Centered Academy, implements the seven principles of Nguzo Saba, which are: Nia, Ujima, Ujamaa, Umoja, Kujichaguilia, Kuumba and Imani. The chart located below in the section on Teaching Resources outlines each principle, its definition, and how the strategies can be implemented throughout an author study with a focus on author’s craft. Although some methods are mentioned to lead an author study of Sharon Flake, they can be adapted to be used in any work of literature. Here are a few of the principles and how they can be implemented in an author study with a focus on author’s craft:
Ujima
Ujima means collective work and responsibility: students can review how the author describes the problems the characters face, and how the community is described when facing problems—students can question the author chose to present such instances in a certain way
Kujichagulia
Kujichagulia means self-determination: This is a major principle that can be used in reading all three novels, particularly The Skin I’m In—students can look at the author’s methods in describing the characters and the point of view.
Imani
Imani means faith: Students can review how the author chose to reveal the dynamics of family and beliefs and how the characters grapple with the complexities of life as adolescents in the inner-city.
Additionally, I would like students to use the novel as a way to identify the themes that may be in line with the principles throughout our school. Every month our principal has a book of the month that focuses on a principle of Nguzo Saba. The principal asks that teachers encourage students to do activities and think of ways the authors incorporate those principles throughout the books. I would like my students to make connections with the themes that are throughout the novels we read in the author study, just as is done with the principal’s book of the month.
Small Group Instruction through Mini-Lessons
Small group instruction through mini-lessons is a strategy that I particularly enjoy when teaching a novel. When I taught at a Montessori school, students received mini-lessons on a regular rotation daily. Students were grouped homogeneously and were taught a lesson according to which skill they were working on from their individualized work plan. I would like to incorporate mini-lessons that focus on various elements of author’s craft and keep in mind the varying comprehension levels of my students.
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