Writing Engagement Inventory:Straight From The Classroom

How We Got Here

     The idea of engagement inventories is not new. A few years ago, Jennifer Serravallo brought them back to the forefront of our work. She introduced us to the idea of Engagement Inventories, as a quick way to hone in on who was actively engaged during the independent portion of reading workshop. The Engagement Inventory works by choosing an increment of time, every 2-5 minutes, to quickly scan the class and note what each student is doing. Data is recorded on a form, such as this, straight from Jenn’s website. Classroom teachers can then analyze the data to get a clear picture of reality. How are students using their independent working time?

      This data helped us notice what kids were doing and make plans to continually improve. Using Engagement Inventories during reading got me thinking about how we might also use a similar tool during writing workshop. From that question, this tool was created:

How It Works

     This Writing Engagement Inventory tool can be used as students complete an On-Demand Assessment or during any regular writing workshop. In a previous post, I highlighted ways that classroom teachers can build in research days into their week. You can read more about that here.

     Before writing workshop begins, I fill in the student column with each child’s name. As students begin working, I make notes about who quickly comes up with ideas for writing. I often jot their ideas in the Generating Ideas column. I find this helpful in seeing patterns or noticing students who may have chosen similar topics. They might be able to support one another throughout the writing process.

     As students work, I use the Planning, Drafting, Volume, Stamina and Fluency column to make quick observations. If I notice students using a strategy for planning, such as touching and telling across their pages or using a story mountain, I often place a check next to planning. If students begin to lose steam as they work, I make a note next to volume or stamina. These are all areas that I can come back and explicitly work on with students another time.

     Revision is something our school has spent a lot of time studying and working to help students become comfortable with. In the Revision column, I make notes about students utilizing the strategies taught or even ideas for revision small groups I might want to teach.

     Finally, as students work, I’m always reading over their shoulders. Using the items listed in the Editing column, I can make quick notes and observations about what students are doing well regarding their editing and some ideas for next steps.

The Impact

     Utilizing a tool like this Engagement Inventory helps to get a quick snapshot of the work students are able to do independently across the writing process. This tool can be used across units and supports teachers in planning whole class, small group, and individualized instruction. Teachers can look across inventories to track growth if used across the school year. The observations made are also a great starting place for giving feedback to writers.