A Process Approach to A Process Approach to Teaching WritingTeaching Writing

Students need structure and Students need structure and sequence in writing sequence in writing

instruction.instruction.

Three Important Basic Three Important Basic Concepts:Concepts:

Writing is a developmental cognitive Writing is a developmental cognitive tasktask

Writing is a social act that progresses Writing is a social act that progresses from egocentrism to larger audiencesfrom egocentrism to larger audiences

Writing is the only literacy process that Writing is the only literacy process that involves the hand, the eye, and the involves the hand, the eye, and the brain (and maybe the heart, too!)brain (and maybe the heart, too!)

The Writing Process The Writing Process Involves:Involves:

Emotions surrounding writingEmotions surrounding writing Building confidence and motivationBuilding confidence and motivation Micro-level skills such as handwriting, Micro-level skills such as handwriting,

spelling, mechanics, sentence spelling, mechanics, sentence constructionconstruction

Macro-level skills such as Macro-level skills such as organization, cohesion, audience, organization, cohesion, audience, genregenre

6 Lesson Types to Develop 6 Lesson Types to Develop Writing ProcessWriting Process

1.1. Addressing emotional issuesAddressing emotional issues2.2. Developing student understanding of the Developing student understanding of the

writing processwriting process3.3. Modeling and teaching self-regulation Modeling and teaching self-regulation

processesprocesses4.4. Training and monitoring peer response Training and monitoring peer response

partners and groupspartners and groups5.5. Guiding writing development through Guiding writing development through

targeted lessons (The Six Traits of targeted lessons (The Six Traits of Writing)Writing)

6.6. Developing a writing vocabularyDeveloping a writing vocabulary

Type 1: Addressing Emotional Type 1: Addressing Emotional Issues About WritingIssues About Writing

Researchers have proven that emotions Researchers have proven that emotions greatly impact writing abilitygreatly impact writing ability

Skills and emotions are intertwined:Skills and emotions are intertwined: Adequate instruction and time address thisAdequate instruction and time address this Provide a positive, nonthreatening environmentProvide a positive, nonthreatening environment Write frequently (SSWWrite frequently (SSW

Write across the curriculumWrite across the curriculum Provide guidelines for each writing taskProvide guidelines for each writing task

Break down state assessment writing Break down state assessment writing assignmentsassignments

Share drafts and best linesShare drafts and best lines Celebrate student accomplishments Celebrate student accomplishments

through publicationthrough publication Teach students to conquer the inner Teach students to conquer the inner

criticcritic Assess students’ apprehensions about Assess students’ apprehensions about

writing (Writer Self-Perception Scale writing (Writer Self-Perception Scale and Measure of Writing Apprehension)and Measure of Writing Apprehension)

Type 2: Develop Students’ Type 2: Develop Students’ Understanding of the Writing Understanding of the Writing

ProcessProcess Ensure all students understand the Ensure all students understand the

complexity of the writing processcomplexity of the writing process Demystify the writing process: Demystify the writing process: all all

writers use a process to write!writers use a process to write! Use word processing and desktop Use word processing and desktop

publishing to assist in the draft and publishing to assist in the draft and revision processrevision process

Type 3: Model and Teach Self-Type 3: Model and Teach Self-Regulation StrategiesRegulation Strategies

Self-regulation of writing involves Self-regulation of writing involves monitoring comprehension and applying monitoring comprehension and applying specific strategiesspecific strategies

““Self-initiated thoughts, feeling, and Self-initiated thoughts, feeling, and actions that writers use to attain various actions that writers use to attain various literary goal” Zimmermanliterary goal” Zimmerman

Specific lessons for reflection and self-Specific lessons for reflection and self-evaluationevaluation

Model a framework or sequence of stepsModel a framework or sequence of steps

Type 4: Train and Monitor Peer Type 4: Train and Monitor Peer Partners and Peer Response Partners and Peer Response

GroupsGroups Writing is a social activity best learned in a Writing is a social activity best learned in a

communitycommunity Writing process thrives on the interaction Writing process thrives on the interaction

between teachers and peersbetween teachers and peers Peer groups can provide ideas, feedback, Peer groups can provide ideas, feedback,

and positive reinforcementand positive reinforcement Peer groups provide an authentic audience Peer groups provide an authentic audience

(as writers move towards fictional audience)(as writers move towards fictional audience)

Type 5: Targeted Strategy Type 5: Targeted Strategy Instruction on the Six Traits of Instruction on the Six Traits of

WritingWriting Direct instruction targeted at specific student Direct instruction targeted at specific student

weaknessesweaknesses A strategy is a series of steps that lead to success A strategy is a series of steps that lead to success

in a taskin a task Word choice, sentence fluency, spelling and Word choice, sentence fluency, spelling and

mechanics (lower level)mechanics (lower level) Schema activation, self-regulation, planning, Schema activation, self-regulation, planning,

content, organization, voice (higher level)content, organization, voice (higher level) Balanced instruction is keyBalanced instruction is key Focus Correction Areas (FCAs) – a selective Focus Correction Areas (FCAs) – a selective

approach to correcting student writingapproach to correcting student writing

Spandel and Stiggins:Spandel and Stiggins:Six Traits of WritingSix Traits of Writing

Ideas and ContentIdeas and Content ““Write from the heart, then rewrite from the Write from the heart, then rewrite from the

head.”head.” Provide strategies to generate ideas – Provide strategies to generate ideas –

Prewriting Prewriting BrainstormingBrainstorming Graphic OrganizersGraphic Organizers Free WritingFree Writing Choice of promptsChoice of prompts Pair PlanningPair Planning

OrganizationOrganization Plan sequence after generating ideasPlan sequence after generating ideas Avoid:Avoid:

Tickertape Writing (a list of loosely connected Tickertape Writing (a list of loosely connected ideas)ideas)

Scotch Tape Approach (ideas on one topic but not Scotch Tape Approach (ideas on one topic but not related to each other)related to each other)

Knowledge Telling (text that has facts with little or Knowledge Telling (text that has facts with little or no planning evident and no reflection)no planning evident and no reflection)

Strive to promote meaning construction in Strive to promote meaning construction in our studentsour students

VoiceVoice An author’s unique style and personalityAn author’s unique style and personality

ToneTone VocabularyVocabulary SyntaxSyntax ExpressionExpression

Kitchen language vs. elevated languageKitchen language vs. elevated language

Word ChoiceWord Choice Words need to suit the content and purpose Words need to suit the content and purpose

of the writing pieceof the writing piece Good readers who are poor writers usually Good readers who are poor writers usually

suffer from vocabulary problems – unable to suffer from vocabulary problems – unable to use original languageuse original language

Students need to develop the use of strong Students need to develop the use of strong nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbsnouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs

Best taught in contextBest taught in context Poetry is great to teach word choice Poetry is great to teach word choice

(connotations and denotations)(connotations and denotations) MadLibsMadLibs

Sentence FluencySentence Fluency Variety of syntax and sentence structuresVariety of syntax and sentence structures Direct instruction of grammatical structures Direct instruction of grammatical structures

during revisionduring revision Syntactic growth is developmental and Syntactic growth is developmental and

arises results in the need for understanding arises results in the need for understanding new grammar and punctuationnew grammar and punctuation

Sentence-combining activities based on Sentence-combining activities based on students’ writing are effectivestudents’ writing are effective

ConventionsConventions The mechanical aspects of writingThe mechanical aspects of writing

SpellingSpelling PunctuationPunctuation UsageUsage Paragraph IndentationParagraph Indentation

Have students correct their own writingHave students correct their own writing Read piece aloud to find errorsRead piece aloud to find errors

Type 6: Develop a Composing Type 6: Develop a Composing VocabularyVocabulary

A language to talk about their writingA language to talk about their writing Parts of SpeechParts of Speech Names of StructuresNames of Structures Emotional Issues Surrounding WritingEmotional Issues Surrounding Writing Writing Process TermsWriting Process Terms Writing Group WordsWriting Group Words

Writing in the Middle Childhood Writing in the Middle Childhood ClassroomClassroom

Three relationships between writing Three relationships between writing and learning:and learning:

To recall previously learned ideas and To recall previously learned ideas and prepare for new learningprepare for new learning

To review, summarize, and evaluate To review, summarize, and evaluate information from multiple sourcesinformation from multiple sources

To extend and reformulate ideasTo extend and reformulate ideas

Which one is used most in Which one is used most in instruction??instruction??

““Writing develops critical Writing develops critical reasoning skills, higher reasoning skills, higher order thinking, problem order thinking, problem solving, and analytical solving, and analytical

thinking.”thinking.”

Writing Across the Curriculum Writing Across the Curriculum to Increase Learningto Increase Learning

Use a broad range of writing Use a broad range of writing activities in content-area classesactivities in content-area classes

Develop a network of teachers to Develop a network of teachers to develop writing curriculum materialsdevelop writing curriculum materials

Develop writing evaluation Develop writing evaluation expectations and tools (rubrics)expectations and tools (rubrics)

Move beyond formulaic writing to Move beyond formulaic writing to true expressiontrue expression

Types of Writing Applicable Types of Writing Applicable Across all Content AreasAcross all Content Areas

Note takingNote taking ReportingReporting SummarizingSummarizing AnalyzingAnalyzing Journal WritingJournal Writing Creative WritingCreative Writing

The Teacher’s RoleThe Teacher’s Role

Develop lessons based on the Six Develop lessons based on the Six Lesson TypesLesson Types

Focus lessons on student needsFocus lessons on student needs Allow time for SSW dailyAllow time for SSW daily Encourage writing across the content Encourage writing across the content

areasareas

““Writing is easy. All you Writing is easy. All you have to do is sit down at a have to do is sit down at a

typewriter and open a vein.”typewriter and open a vein.”- Red Smith- Red Smith