Writing Know How Carla K. Meyer, Ph.D. Nora A. Vines Appalachian State University

Writing Know How

Carla K. Meyer, Ph.D.Nora A. Vines

Appalachian State University

Today’s Agenda

• The Power of Writing• Principles of Effective Writing

Instruction• Writing Instruction in Engaging

and Effective Elementary Setting • Process Approach to Writing• Teaching and Planning

Why Do We Write?• Quick Write:

o Take 3 minutes and brainstorm all the reasons we write.

The Power of Writing• Allows people to communicate with others who are

removed by distance and time.• Makes it possible to gather, preserve, and widely

transmit information.• Offers a powerful tool for refining and extending one’s

knowledge about a topic.• (Graham & Harris, 2005)

• Provides a flexible medium for artistic, political, spiritual and self-expression.

• (Applebee ,1984)

• Can even provide therapeutic effects because writing about one’s feelings can lower blood pressure, reduce depression, and boost immune system

• (Swedlow, 1999)

What principles underlie effective writing instruction?• Effective writing instructors realize the

impact of their own writing beliefs, experiences and practices.o The teacher puts themselves out there just as they expect their

students to do. Make yourself vulnerable and show students your vulnerability as a writer.

• Effective writing instruction encourages student motivation and engagement.o What are some of the ways experts suggested motivating and

encouraging students to write?

• Effective writing instruction begins with clear and deliberate planning, but is also flexible.o “It’s the combination of being organized and spontaneous…that

balance is really the are of teaching” ~Thomas Newkirk.

What principles underlie effective writing instruction?• Effective writing instruction and practice

happen every day.o With so many demands on classroom teachers, is it possible to take

time every day for effective instruction and practice in writing?

• Effective writing instruction is a scaffolded collaboration between teachers and students. o “We need to know every child. We need to know what each writer is

capable of doing. How much do they already know about this task? What prerequisite skills do they have? What are the cognitive and metacognitive abilities and needs? And then you have to structure instruction to reach every writer” ~Karen Harris

Writing Instruction in Engaging and Effective Elementary Settings (Pressley et al. 2007).

• Perhaps the primary characteristic of elementary settings that produce high-achievement in language arts are:o The students are ENGAGED.o Teachers are teaching

• Whole group instruction• Small group instruction• Individual instruction

Writing Instruction in Engaging and Effective Elementary settings (Pressley et al. 2007).

• The writing is on the wallo Student writing is displayed on bulletin boards, hallways, etc.o All student work is showcased.

• Effective writing occurs after lots of writing instruction and practiceo Daily writing instruction and practiceo Journals, language arts, social studies, and science…

Process Approach to Writing: Best Practices

(Pritchard & Honeycutt, 2007).

1 Dealing with the emotions surrounding writing

1 Writing skills and emotions are intertwined – negative attitudes toward writing are eased when students are provided with adequate instruction and ample time to write.

2 Students compose more when they are members of positive, nonthreatening learning and writing community

3 Students experience uninterrupted time for individual practice.

*Based on the idea that writing is a social process and is best learned in a community



2 Developing students’ understanding of the writing process

1 Many students hold a naïve view that professional authors complete their published pieces after composing one draft with minor revisions

2 Others believe that writing is a gift from a muse that only a few people posses

3 Teachers must help students understand that even professional writers utilize a process; planning, developing a manuscript, multiple revisions, seek input from others, edit errors



3 Modeling and teaching self-regulation processes

1 Zimmerman an Risenberg (1997) define self-regulation as “self-initiated thoughts, feelings, and actions that writers use to attain various literate goals including improving their writing skills as well as enhancing the quality of the text they create” (p. 76).

2 Students of all ages will respond to lessons that provide strategies for reflection and self-evaluation.

3 Students need a framework or sequence of steps to meet the demands of writing.


(Pritchard & Honeycutt, 2007

4 Training and mentoring peer response partners and groups

1 The effectiveness of the writing process is attributed to the interaction between the author and his/her peers

2 Hillocks (1996) noted writing practice alone does not improve writing: rather having writing responded to using specific criteria for response improves writing.

3 Students must be trained to be a member of a writing group.



5 Guiding writing development through targeted strategy instruction—the purpose of explicit strategy instruction is that provides the students with the opportunity to learn to do independently what experts do when completing a task.

1. Organization2. Voice3. Word Choice4. Sentence Fluency5. Conventions

Think Pair Share-Quick write

• In your writer’s notebook explain how you believe implementing writer’s notebook supports the process approach to writing.

Compare• At your table compare your answers and jointly

compose one answer you will share with the class.

Share your Thoughts…• Choose one person to share

Teaching and Planning:Best Practices

(Graham & Harris, 2007).

• Good writing is demanding for beginning writers and professional writers.

• “Writing is no trouble, just jot down ideas as they occur to you. The jotting is simplicity itself—it is the occurring which is difficult,” author Stephen Lealock.

• According to Dr. Seuss, every sentence in Cat in the Hat was “like the pangs of birth,” with the book taking over a year to write.



• Planning is IMPORTANT!• Many developing writers minimize the role

of planning.• Enhancing developing writers’ planning

behaviors improve writing.



• Create an atmosphere that supports students’ planningo Value, expect, and encourage planning

• Provide Authentic and Engaging Writing Tasks• Supportive Writing Environment

o Provide opportunities to arrange own writing spaceo Allow students to modify assigned writing topics and select their own

topicso Encourage students to help each other and share work



• Prewriting and planning activitieso Free-writingo Building prior knowledgeo Videoo Reading/Literature

• Inquiry-content writingo “include comparing and contrasting cases to develop inferences about

similarities and differences, explaining how evidence supports or does not support a claim, collecting and evaluating evidence, imagining a situation from a perspective other than one’s own,”

• (National Writing Project, P. 27, 2003).



• Principles for teaching planning strategies1 Teach the planning strategy explicitly by modeling its use and

scaffolding student learning until students can apply strategy effectively and independently

2 Make the learning of planning strategy an interactive process between teachers and students

3 Help students develop the knowledge, skills, or processes needed to use the planning strategies

4 Tailor strategy instruction in planning to meet each student’s needs

Teaching and Planning:Best Practices (Graham & Harris, 2007).

• Principles for teaching planning strategies5 Make teaching and learning of planning strategies criterion-based

instead of time-based.6 Help students development motivation to learn planning strategy

and continue to use it once instruction has ended.7 Teach students procedures that will help them regulate their use of

the planning strategies.8 Ensure students will be able to apply planning strategy flexibly.

Documents

Writing Know How Carla K. Meyer, Ph.D. Nora A. Vines Appalachian State University