I've had a daily word count for awhile. I'm not sure exactly when it started, but I think it was while writing Day by Day. However, it was while becoming serious about writing fiction that my word count became as much a part of my day as brushing my teeth. I think this is true… Continue reading Word Count
Category: drafting
It Feels Good…
It was one of those days where writing workshop just felt good. Here's a little recap of the highlights. First thing this morning, I implemented the things I'm learning from Martha Horn from listening to her speak and from reading her book, Talking, Drawing, Writing, which she wrote with Mary Ellen Giacobbe. Writing workshop was… Continue reading It Feels Good…
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Drafting
If you are a regular reader, you know a lot of my thinking lately has been about writing process, and specifically nudging third grade writers into more traditional drafts. Today's post is a collection of my thoughts about drafting. I hope it is applicable to a range of writers -- not a specific grade level.… Continue reading Drafting
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Letting Them Teach Me
I'm sorry, I just realized I missed a blog post last Wednesday. Yes, I know it's been nearly a week, but the truth is I just realized it. Oops. So on to the post... I am so excited to be in a third grade writing workshop. A colleague has agreed to let me experiment a… Continue reading Letting Them Teach Me
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Taking Time to Reflect Leads to More Accurate Teaching Decisions
Today I found myself understanding the writing process more deeply. Primary writers work through the writing process by layering each phase on a single copy of their writing. They plan a story across pages, first touching each page and telling the story, then sketching. They draft by adding words to the pictures. They revise by going… Continue reading Taking Time to Reflect Leads to More Accurate Teaching Decisions
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Highlights from the Week
I have been in a lot of different writing workshops lately. Just this week I've been in 13 writing workshops and have met with 13 different teachers in either reflective practice meetings or planning meetings. Therefore, I have SO MUCH I want to record. Which leads me to my current dilemma: what do I not… Continue reading Highlights from the Week
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Spelling + Drafting + 2nd Grade Writers
My oldest daughter is a second grader and a whiz at spelling. Every Friday she brings home a list of "Word Wall" words for the upcoming week and asks me to "quiz" her. She knows them all every time. One of her favorite past times is writing. (The apple doesn't fall far from the tree, eh?) … Continue reading Spelling + Drafting + 2nd Grade Writers
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Feedback
My students and I agreed to a form that I would use to provide them with feedback on the drafts of their research-based essays. We decided that it was a comprehensive way for me to quickly inform them whether their writing was clear and factual on a paragraph-by-paragraph basis (They're only turning in the three… Continue reading Feedback
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Learning More About Conventions Through the Close-Study of a Text
I've been thinking a lot about conventions and their importance. Without proper conventions, how can a piece of writing hold its own? All of our young writers need to realize that published writers use conventions when they're drafting, not just as an editing tool. There's a new book coming out on Tuesday, 3/10 entitled Alex… Continue reading Learning More About Conventions Through the Close-Study of a Text
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I’ve Got My Work Cut-Out For Me Tonight
Nearly all of my students turned-in the first drafts of their personal essays today so that they could get my feedback. Awesome, right? YEP! The only thing is that they're huge in length! Some of them really linked a LOT of patches of thought together… imagine how long they'll be once they start adding transition… Continue reading I’ve Got My Work Cut-Out For Me Tonight
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Moving from Storyboards to Drafts.
In Keith Bollman's fifth grade class, students are beginning to consider moving into drafts. They've envisioned their writing and are moving out of the rehearsal stage and into drafting. Today I taught them how to stretch a scene. The Great Pumpkin Switch by Megan Mcdonald and Ted Lewin is one of the texts in play in the… Continue reading Moving from Storyboards to Drafts.
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Answering Questions
You asked... we answer! Often when someone posts a question on a post, Ruth or I write back to them individually. However, we've received six questions in the past few days whose answers might interest others. So, here are the responses... 1. From Kassia What decorations did you use for the covers that will stick… Continue reading Answering Questions
