Just Write

            Teachers face many challenges, but one of the most daunting is that of “differentiating instruction so that teaching reaches the diverse range of students present in most classrooms” (pg. 51, Graham).  In chapter three of Best practices in Writing Instruction, by Steve Graham, Charles MacArthur, and Jill Fitzgerald, talk about instructional strategies to help bridge the gap in instructional approaches. Every age group clearly writes differently, and has different abilities. As children age they gradually gain experience and maturity in the writing field. As teachers it is vital to understand a student’s capacity to compose narratives. Once we understand a student’s capacity or developmental level it is vital to find teaching strategies that have been found to effectively support a child’s story composition. 

            Some great ideas given in chapter three involve a comic strip where the students can make a coherent story that is structured. They not only write out the story but they can also draw pictures of the story. When I student taught I saw this strategy in action. The best part was that some students began by writing first and others began by drawing pictures. I noticed the students who had more difficulty with writing usually started with drawing pictures. It allowed the students to be more interactive with the writing and even enjoy the writing process. Another strategy given by chapter three was that of a story plot planning sheet (pg.69).  The sheet allows students to better view the different parts of a story (such as the rising and falling action, the climax etc.). This allows the students to better plan their stories and allows them to visually view what their story is missing or where they may need more ideas.

            Although knowing teaching strategies is important it is also vital to know how to get students started in the writing process. Chapter six stressed PLANNING and pre-writing! Students need a form of support before they begin to write, and this can be done by engaging students in activities before they write their rough drafts. Chapter six mentions brainstorming, organizing using a web or other graphs, draw pictures and reading to get ideas. The next step mentioned in the book was inquiry, where students use a process of question formulation, observation and analysis. The third step is strategy instruction, which is where a teacher explicitly teaches students strategies for planning, or revising.   

            Another aspect of creating good writers is creating an atmosphere that supports students planning, and writing. Planning needs to be valued in a classroom and should be praised! Praising good planning behavior associates positive feelings within the students and their actions. The writing tasks should also be authentic and engaging for the students. If the students do not see the purpose of the writing they will not fully engage themselves. When I observed in a city school district the writing task had to deal with rural communities, and the students could not relate to the material or see its purpose, because it was not fully explained. Due to this most of class did not complete the assignment, and were even confused about a rural community. Without a supportive writing environment students will not succeed in writing, and they will not fully understand the joy that writing can bring. I have seen first hand the differences in a supportive classroom and a classroom that lacks support and expectations. It is heartbreaking to witness and watch students fail before they even begin. The difference in the writing is astounding, and to be honest it is shameful, and often offensive to watch.