When I visit a classroom, one of the first things I often say to kids is, "Today, please don't erase. I want to see ALL the great work you are doing as a writer. When you erase, your work disappears!" Often, this is what kids are accustomed to and they continue working away. But sometimes, kids stare at me as if I've got two heads.
Category: revision
Revision Decisions Blog Tour: A Q&A with Anderson and Dean
Revision needs to have a sense that a window of possibility is still open to allow another draft in.
Share this:
Share this:
Inquiry-Based Centers in Grades 3-8
Inquiry-based centers introduce kids to mentor texts while helping them find their own mentor texts.
Share this:
Share this:
Flash-Drafting Leads to Large-Scale Revision
Flash-drafting helps get thoughts down on the page quickly so writers are open to large-scale revisions.
Share this:
Share this:
Revisiting the Writer’s Notebook with “Revision Centers”
The last quarter of the school year signals a time of mixed feelings - the year is almost over, and even though we look forward to restful summer days, there is the sadness of knowing that this particular group, this classroom family, will never be together in the same way again. There is a lot… Continue reading Revisiting the Writer’s Notebook with “Revision Centers”
Share this:
Share this:
In Your Own Words
First drafts usually contain the words anybody can write. Revision is the key to crafting writing that sounds just like you.
Share this:
Share this:
Author Visit
Maribeth Boelts gave an engaging and thought-provoking talk to my students and I last week. She talked about so much more than just her books and her process -- though she did that too. She talked a lot about writers and writing, which inspired me to pull out the manuscript I finished in November and… Continue reading Author Visit
Share this:
Share this:
Mr. Stowlkey and Mr. Smith
Mr. Stowlkey and Mr. Smith were the teachers in one of the kindergarten writing workshops I was in today. They are incredible teachers. They are both six. (Normally I don't refer to students as Mr. or Miss...but since they were acting as teachers today, they wanted to go with this form of their names. I'll… Continue reading Mr. Stowlkey and Mr. Smith
Share this:
Share this:
Another Way to Launch a Review Unit
Yesterday in Mr. Gause's third grade class, some incredible thinking was happening. This week we launched into reviews. Earlier in the week, he asked students to test different toy cars and then select the one they thought was the best. Then they met as a group and talked about their choice. Yesterday, during the minilesson,… Continue reading Another Way to Launch a Review Unit
Share this:
Share this:
What are you writing?
Short post since my internet is slow at best, although nonexistent is more accurate. My school was canceled today. I spent a lot of my day writing. I've been revising my query letter and my first novel. So far the first 38 pages have been revised into 18. It's hard work. Hard. Hard. Work. Not to mention… Continue reading What are you writing?
Share this:
Share this:
Quips from Jeff Anderson
Today I listened to Jeff Anderson speak. (Tomorrow I'll be part of a study group he's leading and watch him model in classrooms.) He is the author of Mechanically Inclined and Everyday Editing and he is brilliant when it comes to teaching kids to understand grammar. Not to mention, he's an exceptional presenter. So today's post… Continue reading Quips from Jeff Anderson
Share this:
Share this:
Genre Choice
Going into the last leg of the school year, I'd like to take a minute to encourage you to empower students to chose the genre they are going to write. It is important for students to have the choice of genre throughout the school year. Often Writing Workshops become genre study after genre study. Before… Continue reading Genre Choice
