Develop a Vision.

I’ve been thinking lately about the importance of writers having a vision for the work they will do.  This is one of those ideas that has become more and more important to me as I work with more and more students.  The ones who write well are the ones who are able to envision their writing work.  What a state of mind to develop!  Recently, I came across a Stephanie Parsons’ quote, that a colleague of mine passed along.  It was striking to me today & I thought you may enjoy it too.

Details (p.2):  “For years I thought that if I told my students to add details to their writing, I could get them to say more about their topic, tell more interesting stories, or convey information more clearly.  Mostly what they did was add more words without adding clarity or substance.  Details alone do not improve the quality of writing.  In fact, they can detract from the quality.  I needed to teach children how to start a piece of writing with a plan in mind and then add to that writing only those words or details that would help fulfill the plan.”

Find out more about First Grade Writers by Stephanie Parsons (and read a sample chapter) by clicking here.