Strong Writers: Save a Seat for Every Writer

Throughout this series, we’ve invited all kinds of writers to our table, focusing on students whose presence brings a different dimension to our writing instruction. Today, I’d like to pull up one more chair for a student who doesn’t always figure in conversations around writing support. I’m talking about strong writers.

Who They Are and What They Bring

Strong writers produce writing beyond what’s expected. They demonstrate solid skills, often using a creative or innovative approach to language. Some strong writers have been identified or diagnosed as gifted/talented learners, though many have not. Their writing raises the level of work and discourse throughout a class community. 

The Context

I’ve often struggled over the years in getting my class to build skills and develop as writers. It’s easy to leave strong writers alone because they already “get” grade-level standards. What can I say? Sometimes as a teacher, I just need a bit of breathing room. But that mindset, I’ve learned, does a disservice to my children. The National Association for Gifted Children expresses it perfectly:

“[Gifted children] have a right to…learn something new every day.”

-NAGC, The Gifted Children’s Bill of Rights

I want writers with the independence and courage to work things out for themselves, take risks with their writing, and embrace the joy of self-improvement. Letting strong writers “coast” interferes with that vision with the notion that there is no need for improvement or refinement. It decreases motivation by framing writing as a series of tasks they complete. As a teacher, I miss out on the opportunity to push my creativity and flexibility while working to stretch kids’ skills. We all deserve better.

Meeting Their Needs = Making Them Thrive

Working with talented writers is like growing an herb garden: it requires some care and feeding, but the ensuing growth is astounding. While I’d offer multiple strategies and supports for working with this population, here are three favorites.

Move Right Along

To be clear, strong writers do need writing instruction and will often need direct instruction across genres and skills. Because they require less scaffolding and fewer repetitions to mastery, strong writers may benefit from targeted skills or a compacted timeline for practice. In my classroom, here’s what that looks like:

From first grade: A class may take several days and multiple mentor texts to learn the five-finger plot model of “Someone – Wanted – But – So – Then.” A strong writer may need less time. In their writing, they can extend their learning to incorporate complex plot lines with multiple problems or a protagonist who doesn’t get their desired outcome.

From fifth grade: If students learn to add dialogue to stories, a strong writer may not need the same level of practice and repetition to learn the corresponding rules of capitalization, punctuation, and paragraphing. They might also be ready to incorporate more complex skills like internal thought or dialogue embedded in action.

Give it a Go

The above examples share a common feature: they encourage writers to analyze patterns and apply them to their own writing. Many of my strong writers are also strong readers, and they love to attempt craft moves made by their favorite authors. The “give it a go” approach capitalizes on that desire to find and emulate examples of good writing. To make this happen in the classroom, I need to provide strong mentor texts, and students need encouragement that it’s good to take risks and try new things. I’d recommend something like the poetry “choice chart” below, or Melanie Meehan’s thoughtful collection of mentor text for teaching craft moves.

Helping Others is Not Instruction

I’d like to offer a word of caution about the peer support strategy. Strong writers genuinely are in a position to help others, and they enjoy having others see them as an expert and mentor. It’s also true that teaching others doesn’t result in any new learning for them individually. So…yes! Absolutely! Use strong writers as a resource in your writing classroom, but don’t let that strategy supplant their own opportunities for growth.

The Bottom Line: Not all strong writers present the same way, and may even demonstrate attributes similar to those discussed over the week. Regardless of which seat they may occupy, strong writers are both a gift and a challenge. Meeting their needs can stretch the creativity of even the most seasoned teacher. But it’s an effort that pays off immeasurably.

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Go Deeper:

The talented team at Two Writing Teachers has set a table for all sorts of writers. Click on the following articles to gain insights and strategies for your:

Overview – Melanie Meehan

Stamina Seekers – Betsy Hubbard

Passionate Writers – Stacey Shubitz

Social Writers – Leah Koch

Word Explorers – Sarah Valter

Artists – Jenna Komarin

Giveaway Information

This series is a giveaway of ABDUL’S STORY by Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow, donated by Simon & Schuster. Readers with a U.S. mailing address who have commented on any SAVE A SEAT for EVERY WRITER BLOG SERIES POST by Sat., 8/12 at noon EDT are eligible for the drawing. Check back here on Monday, 8/14 for our winner!

Update: Congratulations to Fran McVeigh, who was randomly selected from our commenters to receive a copy of Abdul’s Story by Jamilah Thomkins-Bigelow, courtesy of Simon & Schuster. Thanks to everyone for your thoughtful comments and insights!