Encouraging Risk Taking in the Youngest Writers:Setting Free the Writer Inside!

Lauren Johnson

Spartanburg Writing Project 2012

Think back….

How did you learn to write?

Do you remember anything at all about your early writing instruction?

My writing memories: I remember doing letter formation worksheets, and not much else. My mom found “My Writing Journal” from kindergarten that consisted of my teacher writing “I like ___”, and me filling in the blank (spelled correctly, so obviously copied!)

I remember writing in first grade, but I have no idea how I learned to do it!

Agenda

How do students avoid writing?

Why do they avoid writing?

How can we encourage them to take risks and WRITE?

Have you ever seen students engage in these “writing avoidance” behaviors?

The Pencil Crisis:

o broken pointo no erasero needs sharpening…

again…

The Bathroom Stakeout

o frequent (or long) tripso getting tissuesowashing handsowaiting at the door

Paper disasters

erasing a hole in the paper

losing the paper

ripping the paper

“messing up” beyond repair

Excuses, excuses!

“I don’t know what to write!”“I don’t know how to spell that.”“My mama didn’t teach me that

yet.”

In reality, a lot of these behaviors have a basis in one or more of the following:

They are afraid to try and fail

They don’t know where to look for help

They don’t see themselves as writers

As teachers of writing, it is our job to calm these fears and teach them how to help themselves.

Here are five classroom strategies that can help encourage young writers to take risks and “set free” the writer that lives inside!

“Students should feel they are a part of a community of people supporting each other in developing as writers, readers, and thinkers. In this community, literacy is valued and celebrated, as are the efforts of individuals to develop as members of a literate community.”

o “Best Practices in Teaching Writing”o Charles Whitaker, Ph.D.

1- Creating a Supportive Classroom Environment

Supportive in Resources

Immersed in quality read-alouds

Interactive, accessible word wall

Meaningful anchor charts

A variety of writing tools available

Set them up for success!

Supportive in Attitude

Time to talk and share ideas with teachers and other students

Opportunities to contribute to class books, lists, and anchor charts

Meaningful feedback and praise

Expert Chart

Our Expert ChartName I’m an Expert on…

“Reading and writing float on a sea of talk.” –James Britton

A breaktaking story, in her own words...

2- Effective Modeling

Explicit modeling of both the mechanics and thought processes behind writing

Thinking aloud- self questioning: “Does this look/sound right?”

“What should come next?”

Interactive writing-sharing the pen

3- Valuing Their Approximations

Approximations- a student’s attempts (getting “as close as possible”)

Noticing and accepting their attempts

Offering genuine, specific praise Attempting to use letter sounds or blends

Matching pictures and writing

Using resources (word wall, words from anchor charts, etc.)

Demonstrating stamina

Valuing different stages of writing development (Richard Gentry, 1982.)

Early stages of writing development

1- Prephonemic (scribbling or pictorial)

2- Early phonemic

“I found a goldfish named Arielle.”

3- Phonetic 4- Transitional

“I found a lamp and a genie came out.”

We’re Not Afraid to Spell These Words!

Name Best Guess Spelling

School Spelling

Jacob dinsr dinosaur

Let’s try it!

Looking at these actual student works, what meaningful feedback would you give these writers?

What specific praise would you give these writers?

4- Using a Familiar Medium

Kids know picture books! It is the most familiar format for them.

In Already Ready, Katie Wood Ray encourages the use of unlined little books for beginning writers.

When the format is comfortable, they feel more confident taking risks with filling it up.

Allow them to “make meaning” with both words and pictures (In Pictures and In Words, Ray. 2010)

5- Reading Like a Writer

For kindergarten, they may “listen like a writer”

Refer to the author and illustrator by name

Read the author bio and dedication pages

Refer to authors by name when giving feedback: “You used colorful animal pictures just like Eric Carle.”

Begin to notice things authors do in books

Begin to try some of the things they have noticed

Resources

Britton, J. (1970). Language and learning. Coral Gables, Florida: University of Miami Press.

Gentry, J. Richard. (1982). An analysis of developmental spelling in GNYS AT WRK, The Reading Teacher.

Ray, Katie Wood and Matt Glover. (2008) Already Ready. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Ray, Katie Wood. (2010) In Pictures and In Words.Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Gentry, J. Richard. (1982). An analysis of developmental spelling in

Whitaker, Charles. Best Practices for Teaching Writing. http://www.learner.org/workshops/middlewriting/images/pdf/HomeBestPrac.pdf.