1. The Authoring Cycle (Writing Process) EDUC 2217 Spring
2010
2. Authoring Cycle Big Ideas
Draws from life experiences
Real choice and personal responsibility
Mini-lessons, modeling, small group
Conversation, reflection and revision
3. Personal Experience
Starting with childrens own experience is emphasized.Why is it
important to help children tob u ild from what they already
know?
What are some examples of writing activities that build on
childrens life experiences?
4. Launching Writingthrough Reading
Immersion in the genre the students will study
Read and respond to pieces in the genre
Generate characteristics of the genre
5. Memoir Immersion
Read the memoir selection aloud.
As you read, think about the questions you have been
given.
Jot down answers to the questions as you work.
Discuss your thoughts with your group.
Be prepared to present your findings with the rest of the
class.
6. Prewriting: Generating Ideas
Finding topics
Life Story Time Lines
Lists
Things I Might Write About
Things We Know A lot About
Sketch Journals
Story Boards
Consider audience
Identify purpose
The Five Steps
Think, Draw, Write, Name, Date
Choose appropriate genre
Other Ways to Find Topics
Mapping:
Drawing maps of special places
Hand map & Heart map
Toy Stories:
Acting out stories with others
Story extensions:
what would happen next?
borrowing language patterns, characters, settings
Discussion
Talk with peers, family, etc.
7. Drafting
Write a rough draft
Cant stop writing
Craft leads to grab readers attention
Write one sentence and say, Im Done!
Adding on (can continue the next day)
Emphasize content over mechanics
Who? What? When? Where? Why?
8. Revision
Revision = seeing again (or Re Vision)
Steps in revision process
Reread the rough draft
Share the rough draft in an Authors Circle
Revise based on feedback
Why Revise?
Writing is better
Move towards revising while writing
Students become better writers
9. Authors Circle
Authors Circles are one way for students to find out how others
respond to their writing.How do you, as the teacher, organize and
conduct authors circles?
10. Authors Circle
What happens?
Everyone brings a draft to the circle
These are in-process pieces
Author likes his/her piece, but wants to work on it
This is a place for seeking advice , not just to share
What does the author do?
Presenting author reads piece aloud
Author indicates what kind of feedback is needed
Author takes notes on audience responses
Final decisions about what to change belong to the author
11. Authors Circle
What does the audience do?
Audience receives the piece
Say what they heard
Audience asks questions
Unclear
Need more information
Ask about how the piece was written
Ask about future plans for the piece
Questions focus on ideas/meanings rather than editing
(conventions)
12. Authors Circle
How do Authors Circles help students become better
writers?
Presence of listeners helps the author to take a new
perspective
sees howreadersare understanding the message
Authors develop a sense of audience begins anticipating the
response of the reader
See demonstrations provided by other authors
Expands on the readers perspective
Learning by example and experience new ideas
13. Alternatives to Authors Circle
Author talk time
Pairs talkaboutthe writing they did
Peer conferences
Teacher-child conferences
Writing in the round sharing the construction of a written
piece
14. Revision Strategies
Adding (Pushing In) Strategy
words or phrases
dialogue
missing part
Replacing (Trading) Strategy
words or phrases
telling with showing
beginning or ending
15. Revision Strategies (ctd)
Reordering (Cutting and Sorting) Strategy
Sentences or paragraphs that are not in the right sequence
Removing (Chopping Out) Strategy
Sentences or paragraphs that dont stay on topic or distract the
reader
Revision Strategies from:Cunningham & Cunningham
(2010).What Really matters in Writing: Research-Based Practices
across the Elementary Curriculum.Boston:Allyn & Bacon.
16. Revision vs. Editing
Revise for meaning
Authors control revision
Edit for conventions
Editors control editing
17. Revision and Editing
How does studento w nership of their writing figure into
revision and editing?
18. Editing
Editing = putting writing into its final form with a focus on
mechanics (conventions)
Capitalization
Punctuation
Spelling
Sentence structure
Usage
Formatting considerations
Most effective way to teach editing is through the writing
process rather than worksheets (Fearn & Farnan, 1998)
19. Editing
Take a break from the composition
Proofread
Use convention chart for reference
Focus on one convention at a time when learning
Checklist for children to follow
Then trade with afriend
Correcting Errors
Author correct errors on own
Meet with teacher for final approval
Editors Tables can be successful
20. Editors Table
A physical space set aside for editing toward the END of the
cycle allows for freedom during the drafting stages.
Focus is on conventions
Conventions exist to support outside readers
Necessary for published work
All writersneed outside editors to get it right
Seeing the convention mistakes of others is easier than seeing
ones own
Peer/teacher discussion with the author about parts that are
difficult to read sensitizes him/her to the purpose for
conventions.
Over various writing projects teachers adjust the amount and
kinds of conventions that students are expected to look for *
21. Publishing
Create final produce and share with audience
Increases motivation and identity as an author
Publishing can take on many different forms:
Sit in an authors chair
Submit piece to writing contests
Display the writing
Create a class book
Share at a read-around party
Read to families
Visit a class with younger children and read piece
22. Publications
Authors Chair (and other readings)
Displays (bulletin boards, etc.)
Plays, presentations
Authors Teas/coffee houses
Young Authors Conferences
Websites that publish student writing
Letters (that are really mailed)
23. Publications
Books (individual or class books)
Newspapers or magazines
distributed to class, parents, school, etc.
Museum displays (with curator's captions)
Keeping the work public (after Authors Chair / share) keeps it
alive, active and real
Displaying books in classroom library
24. Authoring Cycle
Develop a working understanding of the parts of the writing
process.Create a diagram of the writing process on the back of this
page to support your learning.
25. References
Cunningham & Cunningham (2010).What Really matters in
Writing: Research-Based Practices across the Elementary
Curriculum.Boston:Allyn & Bacon.
Tomkins, G.E. (2008).Teaching Writing:Balancing Process and
Product, 5th Edition.Upper Saddle River, NJ:Pearson.