Slide PresentationWriting Process

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November 13, 2013

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Writing Samples – The Best Tools Around

Writing Process

Workshop Approach vs. Other Ways of “Teaching Writing”

Picture a “Unit of Study”

• Immersion in mentor texts• Rehearsing / planning– Multiple ideas, select one at a time

• Drafting– Multiple drafts across a month

• Revising– Some drafts are revised

• Editing– 1-2 revised drafts are formally edited

• Publishing– 1 edited draft is published

A Process not THE Process

• When we teach process we are offering suggestions and possible alternatives.

Revising with A.R.M.S

• Add - Details, descriptions, senses, actions

• Delete – Words and sentences that don’t make sense or aren’t needed

• Move – Words and sentences to another spot

• Substitute – Boring words with interesting words, vague language with vivid language

Defined Stages But not a Linear Process

• Authentic writing process is messy, non-linear, and does not occur in neat stages.

Process NOT Perfection!!

• It’s hard work to revise.• Students need to OWN their revision

decisions. . . • We need to remain focused on teaching the

CHILD not the PRODUCT!

CCSS

• Writing Process Standards– Writing Anchor 4 – Clarity and Coherence– Writing Anchor 5 – Writing Process

• Language (Conventions) Standards– Language Anchors 1 and 2 - Conventions – Language Anchor 3 – Use of language

Writing Process

Planning / Rehearsal

• Gathering ideas– Genre specific strategies– Ongoing notebook entries– Living with the perspective of being a writer– Seeing potential ideas everywhere7

• Selection of quality ideas• Rehearsal– Sketching – Outlining

Writing Process

Drafting

• Tentative• Done with a spirit of exploration• Drawing what matters most from inside to

outside• Pouring a bit of one’s self onto the page

Powerful writing does not come from thinking about penmanship, word choice, complex sentences, or “showing not-telling” as one writes. Powerful writing comes from being full of one’s subject and keeping one’s eye on that subject.

Lucy Calkins

Drafting

• Write, write, write• Less strategic• Volume• Getting your ideas down• Pushing the pencil across the page • Drafts build on each other

Drafts – Fertile Ground to Explore Process

Writing Process

Revising vs. EditingRevise MESSAGE• Making writing clearer,

more meaningful, and/or more interesting.

• Craft– Details– Word choice– Sequence– Structure

Edit CONVENTIONS• Making writing easier for

others to read.

• Conventions– Spelling– Capitalization– Grammar– Paragraphing

Practice Seeing StrengthsIdentify strengths related to the content “craft” of the piece.

– Structure– Sequence – Word Choice– Story Voice– Transitions– Details

Identify conventions that the child has “control over”.

– Capitalization– Spelling– Punctuation– Paragraphing

A Commercial Break . . .

Writing Process

Setting the Stage for Revision

• Writers “see their writing again” when they revise.

Setting the Stage for Revision

• Writers think about their readers.– “What will the reader make of this?”

• Writers choose GOOD work to turn into GREAT work through revision.

• The best writers are search for ways to improve their writing. • Writers view their work through different lenses.

Does the writing make sense?

• Revising for clarity and coherence

Zooming in on the HEART of the Piece

What am I really trying to say?

Rereading

Rereading is the GLUE of the writing process. *Teach it as a habit! *Model it regularly.

Reread . . .At the start every day.At the end of a paragraph.At the end of a page.After a tricky part. When you think you are done. Before choosing a piece for revision.

Make confusing parts clearer.

Staying on Topic

• Did I stay on the road of my main topic or did I take a side trip somewhere else?

Including Everything Important

• Did I include what the reader needs, or is something missing?– Flaps– Sticky notes– Dot and arrow– Paper surgery– Circled number new page

Weeding Out the Unimportant

• Is there stuff here that’s blocking the light from shining on my real message?– Locate– Highlight– Reread– Erase

Attending to Sentence Order

• Is this the best way to organize my sentences?– Use every other line so sentences can be cut

apart. Play around with order.– Number the sentences using a number and circle

at the beginning.

Attending to Sentence Content

• Using Varied Sentence Lengths– Mentor texts

• Sentence Dividing for TOO Long Sentences– Look for thought units– Look for commas– Look for and, then, but, so, which, etc.

• Sentence Combining– Listen for choppiness– Listen for rhythm and flow

Paragraphing

• Open a piece• Introduce a character• Change of setting• New speaker • Close a piece• Start a new topic• Give a new example• Give a new reason

Appropriateness

• Are things “just right for the reader”?

Voice

• Voice is the “person” in the piece. – (Graves 1983)

Voice

• Mood and tone• Individuality of the writer• Tailored to the– Task– Purpose– Audience

R.A.F.T (Adler 1989)

• Role – Who am I as I write this piece?• Audience – Who am I writing for?• Format- What format (genre) am I using?• Topic – What am I writing about?

Paper to Support the Genre

• Half sheets folded• Sticky notes • Every other line• Write on one side only• New sheet for each– Stage of timeline – Paragraph of an essay– Step in a process

Try It Out

• Think about the writing piece you brought with you today.

• Talk with a partner about– What type of revision lesson might strengthen this

piece?– Which of the “physical aspects” of revision might

work well with your students(paper surgery, highlighting, sticky notes, use dot and arrow, etc.)?

Guided Instruction

Conferring with a Partner

Conferring with the Teacher

Open the conversationIdentify strengthsIndentify one teaching pointSend the student away with something

manageable to develop.

What Does a Writing Partner Do?

• Listens to you read your writing out loud.• Asks supportive questions.• Identifies things you’ve done well.• Helps you if think if it makes sense. • Helps you check for focus.• Helps you check for weeds.• Helps you check for sentence length.

Writing Process

Setting the Stage for Editing

• Sometimes readers struggle to figure out what we’ve written.

• There are many things we can do to make it easier for the reader.

Develop an Editing Checklist

• Student friendly language• Icons or visuals if possible• Build one item at a time • Ideally 4-5 Conventions that have been taught

explicitly• Blank space for an individualized item• Model how to use the checklist, checking for

one item at a time across the whole piece

Explicit Instruction in Conventions

Classroom Writing Samples

Playing with Punctuation

! ? .

Editing Symbols

Colored Pencils

• Use a different colored pen or pencil• Make sure students understand that you are

looking for a well marked up text, not fewer errors

Time Away

Editing Tip

• Many professional editors read backwards to find spelling and or omission errors

Partners / Student Editing Circle

Editing Conference

Open the conversationIdentify strengthsIndentify one teaching pointSend the student away with something

manageable to develop.

Edit

Publishing

Next Time

• Keep Bringing Student Writing Samples• See you January

Revision and Editing Lessons and Resources