Motivating writers

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Home : 2004 : February : 16

Motivating writers
By Kellie

What kinds of writing are you having them do? Do you teach the steps of the writing process? I put up a simple, clear, bulletin board that states five steps and brief explaination of what they do in each step. Then we began
with a pattern story. I read Cookie's Week to them and we identified the pattern. I then gave a mini-lesson on the first step of the writing process: Plan. I modeled thinking out loud about it, talking about it with someone, drawing out my ideas, etc. I then let them begin planning while I went around and gave individual help. Then next mini-lesson was on the next step: Write. I

modeled again and the ones who had finished their plans went on to this step while the others finished planning. It is now working so well. We wrote animal reports after the pattern stories and now we are writing directions on how to do or make something. We did a lot of prep last week during reading with sequencing, and in social studies with timelines. Now they are planning their writing with confidence. I have first graders who can barely read writing whole page reports. I am lucky to have a small class, but when I have had larger groups I had a parent volunteer come in occasionally. Peer revising and checking is another lesson.
I am however having the same trouble getting the students to think of things to write in their journals...kind of in a slump lately.
Hope this helped anyway.