Most writing prompts across all of the 50 states look very much alike. They have a similar structure, they use similar language, and they involve similar situations. While it’s true that writing prompts do change across grade levels, it’s also true that fourth grade writing prompts looks quite similar to high school writing prompts. In fact, the “writing situation” may be exactly the same, but with more complex language and writing requirements for high school students.

After learning some tips and tricks regarding the writing prompts found on state writing assessments, be sure to get 114 pages of free State Testing Released Writing Prompts here. Also, if you are looking to bring about true writing success for elementary students or struggling middle school writers, be sure to check out the “Pattern Based Writing: Quick and Easy Essay” page.

State writing assessments usually ask for one of these eight types of writing:

1) Narrative (A realistic story or an imaginative story)

2) Expository (Explain + Inform = Expository)

3) Persuasive (This is expository writing with an agenda.)

4) Inform (The facts… just the facts!)

5) Imaginative (This is actually a narrative.)

6) Descriptive (Descriptive writing tasks are less common than the above types of writing.)

7) Summarize (Read a passage and then summarize what you have read.)

8) Respond to Literature (Read a passage and then answer the question using evidence from the text. This kind of writing is usually a little bit expository and a little bit persuasive.)

Note: In the collections of released writing prompts mentioned above, there are few examples of prompts for “Summarize” and “Respond to Literature.” As such, I have provides a couple samples of these prompts at the bottom of this page.

Prompt Length and Structure

Most state writing prompts will be two or three sentences. (This is especially true in elementary school.) Even though the prompts are quite short, they are often written in multi-paragraph form. Each sentence is written in a separate paragraph. In other words, each sentence will be written on a separate line.

Naturally, the wording and the requirements of the writing tasks get a little more complex with each grade. That being said, most prompts can be used across many different grades with only slight modifications to the language of the prompt.

The Two Parts of the Writing Prompt

Most writing prompts contain two parts. These two parts are:

1. The writing situation – The writing situation gives a little background on the topic that students will be writing about. Example: Many people own pets.

2. The writing task – The writing task contains the specific directions. These directions will often include keywords that identify the “mode of writing” being asked for. Example: Write a persuasive essay convincing your principal to extend recess time.

Some states have short 1-2 sentence prompts, while other states have longer 5-8 sentence prompts. Here is a fourth grade writing prompt from the Kentucky state writing assessment. It is six sentences, which is quite long for a fourth grade writing prompt. Kentucky seems to have longer prompts than most states. (Note: Even in high school, few writing prompts are longer than 6-8 sentences.)

Example: Kentucky – 4th Grade Writing Prompt (6 sentences)

Situation: The local newspaper is having a “Good Friend” contest.  To enter your friend, you must think of an event in your life when your friend did something with you or for you that showed what a terrific friend he or she is.

Writing Task: Select your friend.  (Remember, a friend could be a child your age or a grownup.)  Choose an event that shows how your friend is a good friend to you.  Write a letter to the newspaper that tells about that event so that people will know why your friend deserves to win.

Keywords for Writing Prompts

As mentioned, most writing prompts have a similar structure and use similar language. As such, certain words will be found in most every writing prompt. These words are almost always performing the same job. For example, if you see the word “principal” in a writing prompt, you can be 99% sure it is going to be a persuasive writing task.

We all know that keywords are often used to trick students, so don’t read too much into them. However, at least one of the keywords below will be found in most every prompt. It is worthwhile to point out these types of words and phrases and have students learn to spot them.

Writing Situation Keywords

• Imagine one day (Narrative)
• Imagine that (Narrative)
• Imagine you have (Narrative)
• Think about (Narrative or Expository)
• Think of someone (Inform or Expository)
• Think of a time (Narrative)
• What is your favorite (Expository)
• Your school principal is considering (Persuasive)
• Your school has some (Persuasive)
• Your school is (Persuasive)
• It is important that people (Persuasive)
• Sometimes classrooms (Narrative or Expository)
• You suddenly realize (Narrative)
• Pretend that (Narrative)
• Have you ever (Narrative)
• Everyone has a favorite (Inform or Persuasive)
• Your school newspaper is (Persuasive)
• Your parents want to (Persuasive)
• If you could be (Narrative or Expository)
• Select a (Inform)
• Identify a (Inform)
• Most people (Inform)
• Many public places do not permit (Persuasive)
• Do you agree or disagree? (Persuasive)
• Suppose that you (Narrative)
• Most students have a (Expository)
• Everyone enjoys (Expository)
• Think about the kinds (Inform)
• You have been named (Narrative)
• Your principal (Persuasive)
• The students at your school (Persuasive)
• Based on the story (Respond to Literature)

Writing Task / Writing Directions Keywords

• Write a story (Narrative)
• Describe it (Descriptive)
• Your assignment is Write about this person (Inform or Expository)
• Write to explain why (Expository)
• Explain what animal (Expository)
• Make up a story (Narrative) Tell a true story (Narrative)
• Explain the (Expository)
• Write an article for (Inform or Expository)
• Write a persuasive letter (Persuasive)
• Write a narrative about (Narrative)
• Write to persuade your classmates (Persuasive)
• Write a letter to (Persuasive)
• Write a persuasive essay (Persuasive)
• Write a speech to convince (Persuasive)
• Urge your readers (Persuasive)
• From your own experience, tell about (Narrative)

Intended Complexity and Confusion

Memorizing keywords is rarely a good use of time. State tests are usually sophisticated enough to discourage these types of shortcuts. For example, narrative writing prompts often use the word “imagine,” however, many other kinds of prompts also use that word as a set up for the situation.

Example: Imagine you have just been elected class president. Write a letter to your fellow students urging them to keep the schoolyard clean.

This example shows a persuasive writing task, yet uses the word “imagine” in describing the situation. Many students associate the word “imagine” with a story. One can be sure the wording is no accident.

Another monkey wrench thrown at students is that writing prompts in state writing tests often have students write for a transactive purpose. A transactive purpose is authentic writing with a real-world purpose.

For example, many state writing tests require students to write a letter to someone or write an article for the school newspaper. (Note: The prompt above asks students to write a persuasive letter. Many teachers may teach letter writing and they may teach persuasive writing, however, it never occurred to them to have students write a persuasive letter. Of course, it shouldn’t make a difference, yet it does.) Transactive purpose!

Response to Literature and Summarize Writing Prompts

As promised, here are a few examples of “respond to literature” and “summarize” writing prompts. Be sure to get the 114 pages of State Testing Released Writing Prompts here. Once again, you won’t find many examples of “respond to literature” and “summarize” writing prompts even in those 114 pages.

Respond to Literature Prompts

Here are three examples:

1) Read the story. What lesson does the author want the reader to learn? Be sure to use specific examples from the passage to support your answer.

2) Based on the story “When the Tiger Comes Home to Roost,” how can the reader tell that life in the jungle is dangerous? Use specific examples from the passage to support your answer.

3) Do you think “The Most Important Question” is a good title for this story? Why or why not? Use details from the story to support your answer.

Write a Summary Prompt

Write a summary of the article. Be sure to:

• state the main idea or ideas of the article
• tell the important details that support the main idea
• use your own words when writing your summary .

If you want your students to be prepared for state testing – this year and every year – check out Pattern Based Writing: Writing Success for Elementary and Middle School Students!

Can you find the abandoned journal?

Elementary and middles school classrooms is where this habit begins, and with each new year, with each new journal, a commitment is made that this time will be different.

“Okay kids, the word journal comes from the word journey. We are going to take a journey into the world of writing and discovery. This new journal is where you will explore and discover the vast depths of knowledge found within the universe and within your mind… in fact, within the universe within your mind.

This journal will be a safe place where you will feel free to explore your thoughts and insights, as well as develop new thoughts, new ways of thinking, and new insights into your new thoughts.”

Two weeks later… tick-tock, tick-tock tick-tock. “Excuse me, teacher… I thought we were going to write in our journal.” “Billy, not now. We simply must… we have too much to do… we will get to that… someday…”

The lingering journal, abandoned, but not forgotten, a sad reminder to all that the teacher… may not know what they are doing.

Discovering the True Power of Journals

Worse yet, the teacher who has recently attended an in-service on writing instruction has come to see that journals are the solution to all the ills of her classroom.

• Students don’t like to write = Journals inspire children. They love to write in journals.
• Students need to reflect on their learning = Journals are a safe place to explore their understanding.
• Students are not engaged in their learning = Journals connect students to their own learning and learning style.
• Students are noisy and distracted = Get them writing in a journal. They like to do this. They will focus and engage in exploring their thoughts in writing.
• Students are troubled = Get them to connect with their thoughts and feelings in a journal.
• The reading writing connection = Read and then write in a journal. Sounds simple.
• ESL learners = Are you having luck with any other type of writing? Use a journal.
• Creative writing = Journals are made for inspired creative writing. They are a gateways and a safe haven for student creativity.
• Students need lots of daily opportunities to write = Have students write in lots of journals, daily.

Extreme Abandonment

The most extreme case of journal abandonment I have personally witnessed is four abandoned journals in a single desk.

“Oh, that’s not a journal. That’s a reading log. We reflect on our innermost thoughts about how we connect with our reading. Reading is so true to life, and we connect the written word with what we experience in the world and in life.”

Oh, I see. Hmm… well, it seems this “reading log” has been abandoned. Am I correct in saying that? “Oh yes, we wrote in it once… the first day… and then again two months later. A couple weeks later Billy asked the teacher if we were ever going to use it again and he ended up on the bench. No one has mentioned it since.”

Do you have any more of these “reading log” types of journals? “Oh yes. We have the Science Exploration Experiment, we have the Deep Thoughts journal, and we have the Deep Connections Connector journal.” “Have all of these been as successful as the “reading log?” “Some have been as successful, some less successful.”

Are all of them abandoned? “No. No. We’re going to get to them. They are going to take us on a journey… at least that’s what our teacher says…”

Abandoned journals in students’ desks are a sad reminder of something started and not finished. This sad reminder is something students interact with daily as they sort through their desks looking for that very important misplaced worksheet. “If only I didn’t have this collection of abandoned journals in my desk, I would have been able to keep track of that important worksheet!”

The Journal, Quick Writes, and Note Taking Connection

Tune in to the next few posts where we explore how to give students MASSIVE opportunities to write using journals, quick writes, and note taking.

I’ve found connecting and combining all three strategies into one journal:

1. Solves a lot of problems.
2. Greatly reduces the likelihood of abandonment. 
3. Improving usability and effectiveness.

Stay tuned in order to learn how! Also, be sure to check out the “Pattern Based Writing: Quick and Easy Essay” writing program on the homepage!

P.S. Kids, okay, it’s summer vacation. I want you to take this collection of abandoned journals and continue the journey without me. We began it… but I’m afraid I can’t continue it with you. I’m too… old and too tired to go on. Please, go on your journey… and remember me from time to time. Write a little passage remembering your former teacher… and traveler. Promise me… promise me you will continue the journey… all summer long.

“We promise! We promise!”

This is how these journals begin round two in the life of the abandoned journal. “The Abandoned Journal Part 2 – The Abandonment Continues: Abandoned in the Heat of the Summer, on a Hot, Hot Day for a Cool, Cool Popsicle and a Pool.”

The sequel to the sequel (Part 3,) to be continued… next year.

As discussed previously, there seems to be a link between organizational skills and student success. Improving student organizational skills is one of the surest ways of having a lasting effect on a student’s life. This is especially true with students who are struggling.

Here is a system that has impressed administrators and helped change the lives of students.

The Student Notebook System:

Supplies Needed:

•  1 Three-ring notebook
•  6 Pee-chee style folders (The kind that has a “pocket” on each side.)
•  1 pencil bag that can fit on the rings of the notebook (Some notebooks have them built-in and that works also)
•  Pencil sharpener (Covered and that won’t leak. Place it in a plastic baggie if needed.)
•  3 Pencils (Minimum)
•  1 Eraser (Minimum)

How to Label the Folders

Use white labels as opposed to writing on the folders. This creates consistency and makes it easier to read. For an entire class you can create and print these labels off your computer. (It’s a little work figuring out exactly how to print labels on your computer, but well worth it if you plan on using the system for at least a few years.)

The labels below are grouped into PAIRS because each folder has two pockets. Be sure to include the NUMBERS on the labels; but do not include the notes which are in parentheses.

These days many folders have the holes already punched in them. If not, the holes need to be punched. Once the folders are labeled and you have holes, place them on the rings along with the pencil bag.

Label Them:

1.  Writing paper (This is their paper supply. Either I keep it filled or they do. This solves many problems such as having to pass out paper during class time, as well as dealing with messy edges from paper ripped out of notebooks.)
2.  Homework, Returned Slips, Notes Home (All those important papers? You know exactly where they are!)

3.  Reading Program
4.  Reading Program

5.  Writer’s Workshop (including Pattern Based Writing: Quick & Easy Essay!)
6.  Writer’s Workshop (including Pattern Based Writing: Quick & Easy Essay!)

7.  Math
8.  Math

9.    Science
10.  Social Studies

11.  Other (Includes all subjects and papers which don’t fit in the other folders.)
12.  It’s Mine (Corrected papers, completed work, and stuff that is “theirs.” At home students remove all these papers daily or weekly. When I tell students “it’s yours” they put a little “X” up in the corner of the paper.)

Note: You will likely want to name your folders a little different in order to meet your own needs. Teachers, if you like the system, you may want to stock up on the folders when they have them on sale for $.10. (It will be handy to have some in the class for replacements etc.)

Struggling Students and Success Using This Organizational System

You will impress administrators with this system, and that’s nice! But even more important is that for some students learning how to get organized is a lifeline that can bring about lasting success in school. This system can play a part!

A Student Success Story

I had one student who was so far behind that retention was the best solution. After conferencing with the student and the family, it was decided.

Two years later I was talking with the student’s current teacher and asked how my former student was managing. The teacher said, “You would not believe it. She showed up on the first day with a notebook that had folders completely labeled for each subject!” The teacher then went on to tell me how this student was getting an achievement award!

Now that is a turnaround! It seemed that the student had grabbed onto organization as a lifeline for having success in school. Based on the entire conversation with the teacher, school was still a bit of a struggle for this student, but they were making it!

This is a great organizational system that both teachers and parents can implement!

It’s likely that you know a lot more AND a lot less about patterns than you think you do!

In the movie A Beautiful Mind, there is a scene where Russell Crowe’s character looks up at the night sky and illustrates all the beautiful patterns he can see. How great it would be to see the world that way! What a gift!

The truth is we all have a beautiful mind! This is what author Malcolm Gladwell’s premise is in his bestselling book Blink- The Power of Thinking without Thinking. Gladwell brought to light exactly how our first impressions and our intuitions are actually our amazing and natural gift of being able to decode and process patterns.

Here are a couple examples that demonstrate how our mind uses patterns in learning. They are very much in line with what Malcolm Gladwell talks about in his book.

Patterns in Children’s Learning and Education

Have you ever watched children who are new to a social situation simply stand on the sidelines observing before making their foray into the group? Consciously or unconsciously… they are likely trying to figure out what is going on. What are the rules and what is the hierarchy? If they see a certain interaction once, it may be random, but if they see it a few times, and it forms a pattern, the child will be able to determine what the social norms are.

Patterns in Student Test Taking

One test-taking strategy that teachers have taught students for generations confirms the theories which Malcolm Gladwell explores in his book. This test-taking strategy is, “Don’t change your original answer unless you are positive that it is wrong.” Basically, first guesses are often connected to micro-patterns that our brain instantly decoded. This is why we teach students to trust their initial instinct unless they are sure otherwise. (i.e. Don’t go back and change answers unless you are positive your old answer is wrong and your new answer is right.)

Exploring pattern across the curriculum can truly breathe new life into old curriculum! Be sure to check out Malcolm Gladwell’s book. It may change the way you think!

The research shows that students must write more! However, the research also shows that “fill in the blank” and “short answer” isolated skill drills fail to improve student writing. Do your students regularly practice real writing – authentic writing? “Pattern Based Writing: Quick & Easy Essay” gets students writing! You will quickly realize that you have been trying to teach writing to non-writers. That is hard!

Continue reading to find out what the most important names in teaching writing research have to say about effective writing instruction!

Qualities of Effective Writing Instruction and Effective Writing Programs

Teachers and administrators involved in developing writing curricula must reconcile public demands for educational improvement and accountability with research findings on composition and composition instruction.

This Digest explores the following components of effective writing programs: emphasis on practice and process in writing, inservice programs, school-wide emphasis, and administrative support.

WHAT ARE THE FOUNDATIONS OF A SUCCESSFUL WRITING PROGRAM?

Any writing program is more likely to be successful if students are given ample opportunity to write. For example, students in the Vermont Writing Program’s six model schools write an average of 45 to 90 minutes daily (Neill 1982).

However, authorities on writing instruction observe that little classroom time is devoted to extended writing projects. At the elementary level, skill drills are predominant in many classrooms and opportunities to write complete pieces are often marred by excessive concern with mechanical “correctness” (Graves 1979). At the secondary level, most writing activity is of a mechanical nature, such as “fill in the blanks” or “short answer” (Applebee 1981).

WHAT ELEMENTS SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN CLASSROOM WRITING INSTRUCTION?

Successful writing instruction should emphasize the total writing process, including prewriting, drafting, and revising.

Neill (1982) lists a core of concerns cited by teachers in the Bay Area Writing Project (now the National Writing Project) as important to successful writing instruction:

♦ the composing process (from prewriting activities through revision)

♦ syntax (including sentence combining, examination of common errors, and Francis Christensen’s rhetoric)

♦ sequence (moving from personal to analytical writing, from thesis to logical arguments)

♦ small group techniques (peer criticism, writing for real audiences within the classroom, reading aloud in small groups)

♦ writing assessment (holistic evaluation, systematic school-wide assessment)

In a meta-analysis of 72 experimental studies, Hillocks (1983) found that an environmental mode of instruction was the most effective. In this mode, the teacher chooses classroom activities involving high levels of student interaction and paralleling writing encountered outside the classroom. The teachers in Applebee’s 1981 study also point out that an effective writing lesson includes an active role for students, minimal teacher dominance, and natural emergence of writing out of other activities.

In summary, classroom characteristics for an effective writing program include the following (Goldberg 1983; Graves 1978; Howard 1984):

♦ opportunity for students in all grades to write frequently with delayed or “as needed” instruction in grammar

♦ teachers writing with students

♦ students learning to write for many audiences and in many modes, including those required for subjects other than English

♦ nonthreatening evaluation of student writing with emphasis on revision rather than correction

HOW CAN THE WRITING TEACHER’S SKILLS BE IMPROVED?

Teachers and administrators in Neill’s survey cited the importance of voluntary and ongoing inservice training programs taught by trainers from both inside and outside the school or the district. Neill observes that trainers who are also teachers have more credibility as inservice instructors than do “nonteaching experts.” Enthusiasm, knowledge of current theory on the writing process, and a focus on practical application of techniques are also essential qualities for inservice trainers.

In addition, Neill’s respondents suggested modeling writing programs on those that have already proven successful. In the National Writing Project, which appears to be the most far-reaching program model, teachers attend workshops to improve their own writing skills and their teaching of writing. Participants may then act as consultants for school or district inservice sessions, so reinforcement occurs naturally.

Other qualities for successful inservice programs include the following:

♦ attention to specific skills in which teachers may be weak

♦ time and opportunity for teachers to gain confidence in their ability to teach composition, allowing for structured feedback about their use of new skills

♦ opportunities for observation in other classrooms

♦ attention to issues that concern teachers, such as paperwork, evaluation, diagnosis, remediation, and explaining the writing program to parents

♦ administrator involvement in both program and session activities

SHOULD WRITING INSTRUCTION BE CONFINED TO THE ENGLISH CLASSROOM?

When writing is given a school-wide emphasis, students improve their understanding of the disciplines that emphasize writing, practice their writing in several classrooms, and grasp the importance of writing outside the English classroom. In addition, interdepartmental cooperation is encouraged (Glatthorn 1981).

A curriculum-wide program can involve direct intervention by the English department in content area assignments, an approach taken by Boston University’s College of Basic Studies. In a more informal program, English teachers may provide instructional materials to content area teachers and/or offer assistance to interested students with content area writing assignments (Lehr 1982).

A curriculum-wide writing program will best succeed when adminstrators do the following:

♦ acquire interdepartmental cooperation by ascertaining needs and perceptions of content area teachers

♦ develop program objectives for both students and teachers

♦ focus on the elementary as well as the secondary level

WHAT ROLE DO ADMINISTRATORS PLAY IN A SUCCESSFUL WRITING PROGRAM?

One way school and district administrators can indicate support and commitment to writing programs is to monitor the current programs in their schools. Applebee (Neill 1982) lists five signals that identify a weak writing program: low or failing scores on writing tests, widespread use of objective tests, omission of writing samples from writing assessments, lack of help for students with writing problems, and complaints about declining achievement.

A second sign of commitment is support for a staff development program. Allowing for released time or options such as team teaching, repeated half-day sessions, or a reduced school day will encourage participation in inservice training. Furthermore, principals and other administrators who participate in training sessions can evaluate the inservice meetings and identify excellent teachers and those striving to improve their teaching (Neill 1982).

Third, meetings with parents demonstrate a commitment to writing improvement. Adminstrators can inform parents of student progress, suggest ways to improve children’s writing at home, and provide assistance to parents who want to improve their own writing. Identifying and using parent talents for tutoring or inservice consulting can also be beneficial (Glatthorn 1981).

CONCLUSION

Programs that effectively meet the instructional needs of both students and teachers as well as public demands have the above features in common. Carefully adapted to individual schools or districts, any one or all of these features can go a long way toward improving the quality of composition instruction.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Applebee, Arthur N. WRITING IN THE SECONDARY SCHOOL: ENGLISH AND THE CONTENT AREAS. Urbana, IL: National Council of Teachers of English, 1981.

Glatthorn, Allan A. “Writing in the Schools: Improvement through Effective Leadership.” Reston, VA: National Association of Secondary School Principals, 1981.

Goldberg, Mark F. “Writing Objectives: The National Writing Project.” NASSP BULLETIN 67 (October 1983): 110-l11.

Graves, Donald H. “Balance the Basics: Let Them Write.” New York, Ford Foundation, 1978. ED 192 364.

Haley-James, Shirley M., editor. PERSPECTIVES ON WRITING IN GRADES 1-8. Urbana, IL: National Council of Teachers of English, 1981. ED 198 565.

Hillocks, George. “What Works in Teaching Composition: A Summary of Results.” Paper presented at the annual convention of the National Council of Teachers of English, Denver, Colorado, November, 1983.

Howard, James. “Writing to Learn.” Washington, D.C.: Council for Basic Education, 1984.

Lehr, Fran. “ERIC/RCS Report: Promoting Schoolwide Writing.” ENGLISH EDUCATION 14 (February 1982):47-52.

Neill, Shirley Boes. “Teaching Writing: Problems and Solutions. AASA Critical Issues Report.” Arlington, VA: American Association of School Administrators, 1982. ED 219 776.

Robertson, Linda R. “Stranger in a Strange Land, or Stimulating Faculty Interest in Writing Across the Curriculum.” Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Wyoming Conference on Freshman and Sophomore English, Laramie, Wyoming, July, 1981. ED 211 996.

Author: Holbrook, Hilary Taylor

Source: ERIC Clearinghouse

What happens when no one ever sees a child’s writing? You guessed it, decreased motivation and lower quality writing. Publishing student writing is a vital part of the writing process. While it’s true many writers write only for themselves, it’s also true that the more people who read a child’s writing, the better their writing is likely to become.

You may also enjoy reading about the Pattern Based Writing Timed Writing System. It’s a self-monitoring evaluation system, which has the outcome of being a published portfolio powered by students’ own internal ego-based nitroglycerine. The best kind of competition is when you are in competition with yourself!

Now let’s find out what some of the most important names in teaching writing research have to say about publishing student writing!

Publishing Children’s Writing

To make writing public, the writer must have an audience. The audience becomes the writer’s stimulus–the purpose for writing. If children do not have a purpose for writing (i.e., an intended audience) then writing becomes an “exercise” for a non-communicative event. Children who have not published do not write for an audience, but instead write for a critical reader–the teacher.

Publishing for early writers may mean reading their writing to teachers, a group of children, a friend, or a parent. Publication may mean showing or displaying the work. Writing can be displayed on bulletin boards, on classroom walls or in the halls, mailed to pen pals, sent home, or published in “real” book form. Publishing “real” books is a child-centered production, where the child designs the book cover and illustrates the book, has a dedication and title page, and may even have a page written “about the author.” Students model bookmaking just like real authors.

WRITING COMPETITIONS

Some schools or school districts have writing competitions. The author of the best handmade book in each classroom gets to attend a conference for young authors. Some schools arrange for all children in the school to attend the conference. A children’s book author may be contacted to talk to the young authors, and workshops on writing may be conducted in which children share ideas about being authors with each other. The children’s books are displayed, then put in their school libraries for others to read. Copies are sometimes made and placed in public libraries to reach others in the community.

Some people question the need for and value of writing competitions. One may think the rewards for becoming an author are publication and the self-satisfaction that comes from sharing one’s idea. But acknowledgement of good writing, whether it is peer or adult, helps build an awareness of the importance of writing.

Calkins (1986) and Hansen (1987) support rewards but also see the need to celebrate throughout the school year. They encourage teachers not to wait until the end of the school year to celebrate authorship. The celebration should take place early in the year and continue throughout the school year. Make scissors, markers, crayons, paper, and other bookmaking materials and techniques available in September to encourage and excite students about publishing. Schedule author conferences periodically and invite the public in to browse. Events can be centered around completion of a topic, celebration of holidays, “awareness” weeks, or featured students, careers, etc. These celebrations of authorship to the process writing curriculum generate excitement about writing, and they promote more writing in classrooms.

CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT

How teachers choose to make student writing public may not be as significant as the attitude instilled in students during writing (Balcer, 1990). “That means treating students to that final and ultimate writerly pleasure of finding their words come alive in the faces of their listeners and their readers” (Willinsky, 1985). The classroom atmosphere determines the amount and kind of risks taken in writing. Children need to feel support and acceptance from teachers and peers to take the kind of risks involved in the process of producing good writing. When children feel safe from criticism, they become eager to write and to share their writing. The class becomes a community of writers.

During publication, children can play both the roles of author and audience to other children’s pieces. Instead of questioning the teacher, they can question each other for clarity of meaning. Children as authors use the ideas of their audience when revising their writing. As audience, they have the opportunity to see their ideas used by other students in their revised stories. Shifting from author to audience and back encourages children to become perceptive readers and writers.

It is also important that children confer with each other as they write. Some time should be set aside daily for children to read orally what they have written or are in the process of writing. Older children who are experiencing difficulty with writing may find it less threatening to share their writing with younger students. The benefits of such sharing are twofold: the older student gains the confidence and esteem needed in order to continue his/her writing, and the younger student sees, early on in his/her learning, the connection between reading and writing.

THE “AUTHOR’S CHAIR”

An integral part of the publication stage is sharing. Graves and Hansen (1983) refer to this sharing as the “author’s chair.” As writers, children struggle to put their thoughts on paper, and they talk about these thoughts with other writers. As readers, they compose messages and ask questions about published books. They play, they invent, they mimic, when they compose in reading and writing and sitting on the “author’s chair.” Use of an author’s chair gives children feedback on their writing, models conferencing, and develops a sense of “community” for writing and authoring (Graves and Hansen, 1983).

Hansen (1987) says young authors need to respond to other authors if they are to make the important connection between reading and writing. “Authors who share their own writing and who ask other authors questions experience connections between reading and writing,” states Hansen. She describes 4 different response situations: (1) response to unfinished pieces; (2) response to an author’s published piece; (3) response to other student’s published books; and (4) response to books by professional authors. These situations all need to occur in the classroom for children to develop a sense of authorship.

Harste (1988) sees his “author’s circle” as “crucial in helping authors develop the sense of audience so essential to becoming a writer who can successfully communicate with others.” This sharing and responding helps students develop a reader perspective on their writing among readers they know and trust. The child receives opinions and ideas from many children, whereas during individual conferences, the author receives the comments of only one person. Children learn how to be helpful responders in an author’s circle. They learn how to discover good qualities in a piece, and how to ask good questions about the content. Additionally, circle participants learn that their ideas are valued when many of them later turn up in the work of the authors they have helped.

In the process of revision, children become responsible for corrections. A piece ready for publication must contain correct spelling, punctuation, grammar, and good handwriting. It is important that the writing not be taken away from the writer during the publication stage. Final decisions about content, title, and so on, must be made by the author who must also attend to conventions. When involved in group publication, the author should remain in control of publishing decisions about illustrations, layout, form of publication, etc.

Hansen (1987) feels that students who attend to their own misspellings, errors in punctuation, grammar, and so on during the editing stage of publication learn and remember more of the mechanics of writing than if the errors are found for them. Calkins (1986) believes that even adult writers who are writing for publication must release their work at some point to have it corrected by editors. She argues that, as writers, we no longer want to “own” those errors. If teachers choose to do the final edit, they are taking the “ownership” of the writing from the writer, and they should be aware of the effects this may have on future writing for students in the classroom.

Teachers need to know their purposes for having children write. Ultimately, the goal is for students to be able to express themselves and what they are learning through writing that clearly conveys meaning to the reader. Realistically, teachers must give students support and encouragement to “make their best better,” and in so doing, children must be allowed to be responsible for all the components of publication.

Making writing public brings an additional dimension to reading and writing. Writers view themselves as authors and value the interaction with their audience in the process of writing. A cooperative and caring environment that invites children to share and to respond is the type of supportive environment in which children’s reading and writing can flourish.

REFERENCES

Balcer, B. (1990). “Give Your Students a Reason to Write. Help Them Get Published.” Learning, 19(4), 52-55. [EJ 425 086]

Calkins, L. (1986). The Art of Teaching Writing. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. [ED 263 613]

Graves, D. and Hansen, J. (1983). “The Author’s Chair.” Language Arts, 60 (2), 176-83. [EJ 276 117]

Hansen, J. (1987). When Writers Read. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. [ED 282 226]

Harste, J. et al. (1988). Creating Classrooms for Authors: The Reading Writing Connection. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. [ED 320 168]

Willinsky, J. (1985). “To Publish and Publish and Publish.” Language Arts, 62(6), 619-23. [EJ 323 411]

Author: Simic, Marjorie

Source: ERIC Clearinghouse