What is the goal of your writing instruction?
• Is your instruction geared to helping your students become the next great American novelist?
• Is your primary goal to make sure that your students never leave a dangling participle or slit an infinitive?
• Do you hope to develop a passion for writing?
• Is your goal to help develop the writing skills [...]
Often student writing is not held to the same high standard that student work is in many of the other subjects.
Here are a few reasons why:
1. Writing is an art. There is not an “easy answer key” for the writing teacher.
2. The way writing is taught can often seem “esoteric” to children. It [...]
What is the Purpose of Your Writing Prompt? Have You Defined a Goal or Objective?
The most important thing about a writing prompt is for the teacher to have a purpose for the writing prompt. Many teachers don’t think a lot about what their purpose is when they put up a writing prompt.
The thought process usually [...]
The Dentist
A while back I was having some rather annoying dental issues. My dentist, Dr. Karen, had all sorts of ideas. She was saying, “Well, we could try this procedure or we could try that procedure…”
In the end I explained to her that my bottom line was, “I want it fixed. The truth is… I [...]
What Exactly is an “Essay?”
The term “essay,” can be a little confusing to many students (and teachers.) What exactly is an essay? There is also a little confusion as to when and how to teach essay writing. The truth is much of what students write in both elementary and middle school can be considered an [...]
First Off…
Since calling a bottom on the stock market on March 5th, 2009 during one of the worst financial crises in history I’ve received quite a few emails from people that read my post at “The Elementary Educator” blog. They seem to be impressed.
I’ve only brought it up in relation to “Pattern Based Writing: Quick [...]
Transitions for Elementary Students
We want our writing to flow naturally. We want our readers to feel that we know where we are headed and we are in control of our writing. This means they can just sit back and enjoy the ride!
We don’t want our readers to feel that we are jumping all over [...]
Mass Idea Generation: Another Important Trait from the Six Traits of Writing
Along with organization, ideas are the other trait that Paul B. Diederich felt deserved greater weight.
Good prewriting skills lead to good ideas. If students think the first idea that pops into their head is a good idea, it’s unlikely they will become effective writers [...]
The Six Traits of Writing
In teaching elementary students to write well there is “grammar” and there is “writing.” Many teachers teach A LOT of grammar because when it comes to teaching writing, they are at a loss.
What does it mean to teach “writing?” A useful model that can help elementary teachers is the “Six [...]
More than teaching any other subject, teaching writing involves teaching with the end in mind. The teacher who does not see the outcomes they are looking for in writing instruction will spend much of the instructional time lost. This is frustrating for the teacher, and frustrating for the children learning how to write.
The kids [...]