I have written about word walls here before. And in fact, a few of my teacher resources have substantial sections on them. Why? Because they’re highly effective tools in our classrooms when used intentionally! And yet, I’m genuinely surprised by how many classrooms don’t have them.

When I ask students what is difficult about writing–no matter the grade level–someone always says “spelling.” We can’t afford to let spelling interfere with our students’ writing. We can’t afford to let the question “How do I spell…?” stop us from giving our students daily opportunities to write. (If they incessantly ask us this question, we haven’t yet empowered them to take risks and use their phonetic knowledge.) Word walls are a powerful tool that we can use to lessen the worry and increase confidence in our student writers.

Let’s be clear: it’s not just that the words are posted. It’s what we do to get them there. By adding words three at a time every week throughout the year, we have the opportunity to talk about the patterns in words, specific graphemes that represent sounds, the meaning of words, the differences between (and when to use) homophones, and on and on and on.

The intentional teaching surrounding the words that go on our word wall is what makes them effective. Then, once the words are on the wall, the students know they are there and can use this visual reference on a daily basis. When we refer to the word wall often, our students will remember to check it. My word wall, no matter the grade, was playfully called my “no-excuse-word-wall”. “Once it’s on the word wall, there’s no excuse for spelling it wrong!” And when you hold students accountable for those words on the word wall, they form good habits: checking the spelling if needed, or simply taking the time to look for those no-excuse-words in their writing.

Do I expect students to spell every word they write correctly? Not at all. They can use the strategies they’ve learned (i.e. those patterns we teach) to take risks when trying to spell unfamiliar words. But those word wall words, you bet I’ll ask them to correct the spelling of those.

If you haven’t used a word wall before, consider it for next year. A little bit of planning and ten minutes of instruction each week, will make your job considerably easier throughout the year, and even more importantly, provide students with an incredibly empowering tool.

I love when I say something like this to a class–“What two letters say /ā/ in the middle of a word?” or “What three letters say /ing/?”–and they can answer with confidence! In classes like this, students are less likely to ask “How do you spell…?”, more likely to take risks and try on their own, and even more likely to be close or correct in their spelling.

In his book Reading in the Brain: The New Science of How We Read, Stanislas Dehaene (2010) states:

…all children regardless of their socioeconomic backgrounds benefit from explicit and early teaching of the correspondence between letters and speech sounds. This is a well-established fact, corroborated by a great many classroom experiments. Furthermore, it is coherent with our present understanding of how the reader’s brain works. (326-327)

Although Dehaene speaks here of reading, explicit and systematic phonics instruction empowers student writers as well. This is especially true when we provide students with regular opportunities to write and apply their phonics knowledge.

Give them the building blocks and the opportunities to create… then let them soar!

I’m in the middle of a writing residency and this school has good vibes! The staff have fun together, and most importantly, the students are valued. These good vibes are essential in our schools, especially for students who find learning challenging.

When you think about it, students are asked to take risks day in and day out. Some students have both the confidence and competence which make risk-taking relatively easy. For others though, sharing an answer in front of their peers or writing something to submit to a teacher may be intimidating.

Our schools, and in particular our classrooms, must create an environment of psychological safety: a place where every person feels valued, where it’s okay to make mistakes, ask questions, and express opinions.

Although we work hard to create this environment at the beginning of the year, it is essential that we don’t let fatigue take over during the busy months of May and June. A flippant comment or rushed remark might weigh heavy on a student and impact them more than we realize.

Let those good vibes run deep, leading to psychological safety for each and every student you teach!

Our pup just turned five months old. His favourite thing to chew? Paper. Or anything that resembles paper: Kleenex, napkins, notepads, leaves, bark, books, printed drafts of my in-progress manuscripts…

In the words of a friend: “Doesn’t he know he lives with a writer?”

Perhaps he chews books in solidarity with me: devouring them as I do. I figure that perspective–and his cuteness–may help ease the exasperation of the moment.

And by the way, if a student ever says–the dog ate my homework–don’t immediately discount it as a falsehood. It might very well be true.

Yes, it is National Poetry Month. And yes, we’re reading poems to our students, and hopefully novels in verse, too!

But if you’re looking to inspire your students to write their own poems, it’s fun to experiment. Look to these books for a fun twist on your regular approach:

Do you have any unique favourites to share?

If you haven’t yet read a novel-in-verse to your class, what are you waiting for?

A few favourites in a growing genre:

• Love That Dog by Sharon Creech
• Odder by Katherine Applegate
• Izzy Kline Has Butterflies by Beth Ain
• Missing Mike by Shari Green
• And then, Boom! by Lisa Fipps
• Deep Water by Jamie Sumner
• Murray Out of Water by Taylor Tracy
• Mid-Air by Alicia D. Williams
• Ebb and Flow by Heather Smith
• Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai
• Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga
• Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson
• The Crossover by Kwame Alexander
• Becoming Muhammad Ali by Kwame Alexander and James Patterson (prose and verse)
• Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds *12 and up

Always, always read them yourself first: many of these books pack a powerful punch!

April is National Poetry Month! Although we are reading poetry with our students all year long, April is often the time we ask students to write poetry. To engage students in this process, it is essential we provide effective prompts.

Do you you remember Shel Silverstein’s poem Sick? It’s a list poem that begins,

“I cannot go to school today,”
Said little Peggy Ann McKay.
“I have the measles and the mumps,
A gash, a rash and purple bumps.
My mouth is wet, my throat is dry,
I’m going blind in my right eye.”

(Read the entire poem here. Or crack open a copy of Where the Sidewalk Ends.)

What to do with this poem?

1. Read it in its entirety to students… more than once!
2. Examine the structure: the opening and closing lines, and the long hilarious list in between.
3. Discuss Shel Silverstein’s word choice. (How did he create rhythm and rhyme?)
4. Ask students to begin their poem with the line “I cannot go to school today” and let them decide who will say it (which can be their second line).
5. Then, give them time to write a long list of excuses as to why they can’t go to school.
6. When they’re ready, they can consider 2 or 3 lines to end the poem. Be sure to revisit the end of Sick at this time.
7. As with all poetry writing, encourage students to read their poems aloud to work on rhythm and word choice.
8. Revise, revise, revise!

“Poetry: the best words in the best order.” Samuel Taylor Coleridge

During every writing residency, I have at the same exchange at least a few times.

“Read me what you wrote today.”

“I don’t know how to read.”

“Yes, you do! Read as I point to your words.”

Often I say the first word or two, but then I get the student to ‘read’ the rest. Because our youngest writers have drawn first and the writing is scaffolded, they are able to ‘read’ as we point to one word at a time.

“I knew you knew how to read!”

<fist pump>

<grinning from ear to ear>

Sometimes we have to convince students they are readers and writers, showing our confidence in them until they find their own. For many, this is an important step in the journey!

Yet another Alberta convention season has come and gone. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting (and reuniting with) countless dedicated educators. Some days when we’re fighting for democracy, fighting for public education, we might question the role we play or the work we do.

I find comfort and purpose in Walt Whitman’s words,

“The question, O me! so sad, recurring—What good amid these, O me, O life? Answer. That you are here—that life exists and identity, That the powerful play goes on, and you may contribute a verse.”

When you return to your classroom tomorrow, remember–that you may contribute a verse–to each of those young lives before you. And what a verse it will be!

Have another few minutes? Listen to Robin Williams recite the poem in Dead Poets Society.

I have been asked on numerous occasions (usually by a little one), “Have you read all of those books?” If they’re on my bookshelf, the answer is yes! I also have a few to-read stacks in various places around the house. I find joy in all of these books: those that I’ve read, and those that I’m getting to.

I knew I wasn’t alone in the joy I get from books, including those on my to-read piles. What I didn’t know is that the Japanese have a word for it! The word tsundoku refers to the collecting and accumulating of books as a source of joy and anticipation. Who knew?

Do you have a to-read stack of books? Which book are you most looking forward to reading?