Writing is a very important skill children must learn and practice continually throughout school. It is not simply limited to English Language Arts (ELA), but transcends the whole curriculum and general society. Writing will allow students to help them make sense of their learning, whether it is in ELA, Science, or Social Studies, etc. Thus, writing must be properly and thoughtfully taught to students. In particular this entails that there “is a focus on balance in a writing program” (Constructing Meaning, 262). This balance will result in creating “dynamic writers [who are] excited about their abilities to blend exposition and imagination for more creative communication” (Casey and Hemenway, 2001, 68). There are several things I think that are very important when teaching writing. Allowing children to write freely and in a variety of genres, forms, and voices, are extremely important. Self and peer editing is important, and time is necessary for giving the children a chance to do this and also to work on one piece of work for an extended period of time. Social interaction with peers and teachers via writing conferences is also an excellent way to produce creative and dynamic writers.
There are many genres of writing and teachers can easily get caught up in what is easy for them, what they like, and what is simple to assess. However, this is not conducive to producing strong writers. It is vital that teachers allow many informal chances to write, and in various voices and forms. This could be done in the form of journals, letters, diaries, think books, learning logs, etc. These forms can allow students to “share their thinking with their teacher or peers in a supportive environment that encourages students to expand and explore their ideas further” (Constructing Meaning, 239). When a teacher gives children the time to write about their experiential world, this will eventually translate into more formal and abstract writing, and a better understanding of the writing process (Constructing Meaning, 239). This “free writing” is an excellent time for children to shape their ideas, discuss past experiences, and come up with creative leads such as discussed with having writing territories, tantalizing titles, and alternatives to swear words (Carol Nahachewsky, 2011). It is also a great chance to work on writing in different voices and forms that can be refined more as time progresses. What this shows about teaching writing is that we should not be giving children very rigid and strict writing structures and forms. This is all reflected in the PLO’s for Grade 2, C1 and C3 (IRP).
Another important aspect of writing is giving students the time look back at previous writings. The writing process is best illustrated by what D’Arcy calls the three R’s of learning: reflect, reshape, and redraft (Constructing Meaning, 239). A child needs the time and support to look back on their work, think critically about it, and make necessary changes. This can allow children to show what they know and understand, but also allow for students to realize that it is ok to make mistakes and to ask for clarification, and this will all lead to creating a safe work environment where effective learning and writing can take place (Constructing Meaning, 242). It is most important that a teacher allows for informal writing that is an ongoing process, where it is crucial that one piece of writing may be looked at over and over, and that changes to it can be made. The ability and need to be able to reflect back upon writing, to uncover their strengths, what could be done to improve their writing and what attributes make a good writer are well reflected in the PLO’s for Grade 1 and 2 in C6 and C9 (IRP).
Simply writing freely, with no assessment is just one of the important steps to teaching writing. Another very important teaching tool is the use of writing conferences. A critical idea behind using these conferences on the content and craft of writing, is that it will “help writers discover the meanings they don’t know yet, name problems, attempt solutions, and make plans” (Atwell, 224). Writing conferences will help children gain an audience, and share their work with each other and their teacher. This will enable a student to receive compliments on their work, but also questions that may have arisen and need to be addressed. At the end of such conferences, children will be able to go back and reshape and redraft their writing, making it more polished. This social interaction is vital to the writing process, as it allows children to bring out their inner voice. A teacher needs to make this inner speech explicit and allow the student “to wrestle with the ideas they are attempting to articulate” (Constructing Meaning, 287). Writing conferences allow children to share ideas and learn from each other. It gives students the “opportunities to explore the gap between thought and speech” (Constructing Meaning, 288). It also allows students to work out issues within their writing, such as audience. A phenomenal example of this social interaction and how it enables and enhances the writing process is that of the dialogue between Sharon and Erica in Constructing Meaning, pages 288-289. This dialogue clearly demonstrates how discussion led the two girls to be more aware of who their audience is and how important each word was. Talk and conferences on writing is something that should never be brushed aside by a teacher.
Conferences also allow a teacher to work more intimately with their students. A dialogue between a teacher and student is an excellent way for a teacher to learn where a child is at and how they are understanding things. A child can take this opportunity to seek understanding and clarification is a safe way. The Atwell article is an excellent example of the possible back and forth of a teacher and student, and how effective it is in reaching goals and a plan for a student.
This ability to discuss is a fundamental part of writing and starts as early as Kindergarten, as reflected in the PLO C6 (IRP). Although there is a need to have a quite setting while writing, it is important to balance that, with giving students the opportunity to discuss with each other and the teacher.
Once children understand the importance of writing and enjoy it, a writing program can become more structured. The importance of grammar and spelling can be given more emphasis and more heavily focused on. Giving set writing guidelines to children is a way to get the students to write in different forms, such as research papers that get the children to practice their expository writings. This can be reflected in the PLO C2 for Grades 4 and 5 (IRP).
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