Got this from Angie. I am assuming this is about a level 1 class:
Ben,
I’m feeling a ton of pressure to have the students start PRODUCING something. I read about the free writes in the green book and on the blog, but when can I start these, and what do the very first ones look like? I know that I need to resist the incredible desire, both from them and from me, for output. Being new, I am having a hard time with everything, and it’s scary to be out on a limb, but nobody said it wasn’t going to be scary.
Thanks,
Angie
My response: let them write as soon as they can – 10 min. and post the free write rules (resources page here click on posters). When is “as soon as they can?”. Well, if they have a Word Wall, and question words up, then pretty soon! I would say after a good three weeks or month of 90% TL in the form of PQA and stories. That is enough time to create the din, the big pool of L2 knocking around in their deeper minds from all the CI. They write from the din.
And when you write up a story and project it, you can have them repeat chunks of words. It’s worthless – any forced output is worthless (yes, any skeptics reading this, I said WORTHLESS), but they FEEL like they are learning and it is output so you have some production there, even if it has no real value. I have noticed that the fun of it for them is worth it and works on motivation so I guess in that sense (only) it has value.
As long as everyone knows that 2 month old kids can’t produce but over time they do fine. You have to get your kids to buy into the fact that thousands of hours of input precede REAL output (not memorized garbage).
And the big answer here is dictée. If you want some writing that is the ticket. Find how to do it on the resources page. Click on workshop handouts. But I would limit dictée now, of course. But if someone is standing over you with a district badge and demanding output, give them some. Wouldn’t want to upset the boss.
On the DPS assessments, we weigh writing and speaking at 10% at the end of the first two years. That’s how important we think they are. Are we being cavalier? No, we are ALIGNING WITH THE RESEARCH.
Do what you feel in your heart to be right; for you’ll be criticized anyway, said Eleanor Roosevelt.