RM Winter 2016 FLIP

33 / 88

Reading Matters
Teaching Matters
Reading Matters | Volume 16 • Winter 2016 | |31|
add better word choice tomy writing.” The goals from the pre-
assessment should be the same on the post-assessment. Review
with the students,“What does it mean to find evidence to support
your answer?”(e.g., when answering questions about a reading
passage, evidence may be a sentence or example from the text).
Next, using the revised piece of writing, use think-aloud
strategies andmodel how to find evidence that shows progress
toward the goal. For example,“I have a sentence in my writing
(highlight the sentence) that shows I used better word choice.
I underlined the boring word, ran, and used a thesaurus to
find a better word. My improved sentence is, “My brother
sprinted across the lawn to safety. I’ll write this sentence on
the line under the rating box as evidence.”
Then, choose a rating that shows how the goal was reflected
in the final copy. Again, think aloud for students, “I think I did a
better job with my word choice, but maybe I could have added
even more vivid words. I will rate myself as a 4, because I think I
still have room to improve.” Circle the 4 box on the goal sheet.
After meeting as a group, the teacher should distribute the
post-assessment goal sheets. Walk around to assist students as they
rewrite their goals, find evidence in their writing, and rate their
improvement level. This step may require additional conference
time with some students.
Final Copies and Post Assessment Goal Sheets
At the end of the writing unit, students will turn in both
goal sheets with the final copy of their writing. Teachers should
refer to the goal sheets and provide specific written feedback
on the post-assessment goal sheet for each student. This
feedback should be shared during an individual conference
and the teacher and student should discuss whether to
continue with a goal or move on to a new goal for future writing
assignments. When it’s time to begin the next writing unit,
restart the process using new pre-assessment goal sheets.
Instructional Considerations
The steps outlined above can be adapted to fit the needs of any
class or grade level. Below are some considerations for teachers
interested in using goal setting during writing conferences:
• Develop a system for taking notes during conferences.
Having a specific procedure for record keeping will not only
ensure conferences are held on a regular basis, but it will
also allow for better use of instructional time. Conference
logs can be used to record students’ explanations for
writing, possible social influences for their choices, and
other common themes found among the students (Kissel,
2008). Reviewing notes before conferences allow teachers
to quickly review information from the last conference
(what was discussed, what the student was working on,
steps student was going to take going forward, and so on).
Additionally, teachers should develop a system for archiving
students’ goal sheets. These can be reviewed periodically to
monitor progress, share progress, and ensure mastery.
• Be positive. It is important to provide positive and constructive
feedback during conferences. While goal setting allows teachers
and students to target specific areas of need, conferences should
always begin on a positive note - with a positive comment. What
is working with the student’s writing? What have they done well?
What or where have they improved? Be specific, as this is a great
opportunity for teachers to build the student’s confidence.
• Be pragmatic. For students who struggle with writing and have
many areas that need improvement, teachers need to provide
support in identifying a high-impact skill that will lead to positive
development across writing. For example, it is unnecessary
to focus on indenting paragraphs if the student is unable to
generate supporting details for the topic of a paragraph. In
addition, while there are three spaces for goals, teachers should
consider starting with just one goal and increasing the number
as the student progresses and demonstrates improvement.
• Be flexible. Students move through the writing process at different
rates. The writing process is not linear; many students revisit stages
throughout the development of a writing piece. In addition,
there are times a student will start on a piece of writing and lose
interest. It is important for teachers to allow students to make
these decisions about their writing. Further, while the goal sheet
may provide a starting point and structure for your conference,
teachers need to remain open and responsive to the“teachable
moments”that often present themselves during instruction.
• Use the information from the conferences to make
instructional decisions. Notes from conferences can provide
data for planning future mini-lessons (Kissel, 2008). Teachers
may ask themselves,“What patterns do I see? What goals are
most common among students?”Analyzing the data is a great
way to plan instruction in order to support students as they
work toward their goals. Also, identifying patterns can lead to
small group conferences. Small group conferences may be a
more efficient use of instructional time, and they provide an
environment where students may learn from each other.
• Collect student examples. Look for strong examples (and non-
examples) to share with students. These can be referred to during
mini-lessons and used during conferences to develop ideas and
strategies for students. Student examples have a strong influence
because it shows students that someone just like them is capable
of setting and meeting writing goals. Students learn a lot from each
other and these examples may help them think about their writing
in new ways. Sharing authentic examples also provides students
the opportunity to share their success with classmates. This can
be another way to boost student confidence and motivation.
• Be patient. This process starts with a lot of teacher modeling,
practice, and continuous feedback. Modeling is essential in helping
students understand the complexity of writing. Students need to
both see and hear the teacher as they model how they think and