Writing With Kids

I’m not one who loves organizing. I know it helps, and I’m actually quite good at it, but it’s painful. So I find shortcuts, develop checklists, use templates, and delegate. I’ll share those as we go, but let’s start right at the beginning.

I can’t tell you how many teachers have talked with me about how difficult it is to develop procedures for writing with kids. Many of you will have helpful suggestions to share, and I’m hoping you’ll do just that. I’ll share a few hints to get you started.

I’ve tried just about everything possible to track student writing experiences and objectives learned. I’ve used notebooks, clipboards, recording devices, electronic gadgets, computer documents, self-evaluations, multiple rubrics of criteria — I’m sure I’ve left out some — but the one that didn’t get thrown out within a month was a simple sheet of paper attached to the left inside of the students’ writing folder. I had three columns down the page, labeled Date, Content, Goal. As I circulated around the room, I’d jot down the date on a folder, have a quick conversation with the writer, notate the content, and together we’d determine a goal. I required students to keep their writing folders open on their desks. That way I could see when I last spoke with each student. A quick visual let me know if any of them were monopolizing my consulting time with them.

Do you have students who think they can’t move on without your presence? In a large classroom, that often means those kids don’t get much done (and neither do those around them). They sit, hold a hand up in the air, tap their pencils. I teach my kids that I will help those who are working. Help means that you’re assisting someone, not doing it for them. I created a numbering system, not unlike department store customer service areas. You can even order one of those machines where you pull out numbers, but my laminated yellow construction paper numbered 1 through 12 worked just fine. If I was busy with another student, kids with a question would get the next number, put it on their desk, and get back to work, knowing that arm-waving vigilance wasn’t going to get them what they wanted. It was easy to find the next number, and to check other folders as I walked to meet with that student.

After training in how to critique each others’ work, I allowed students who had completed drafts to move to the edges of the room to read and comment on a partner’s work. They gathered comments, then went back to their places to write. If the privilege was abused, it was revoked.

On the opposite side of the writing folder, kids kept their idea lists. I developed a survey, like an interview form, to help me get to know my students, and for them to find writing topics. It’s not enough to just ask kids what they “know about.” Sometimes we want to write about something else. There were other aspects of student writing I attempted to track on the folders, but need for those wasn’t as immediately necessary as the conference form and idea list, so I eventually kept that information in other places. We’ll get to that later, too.

This is barely a beginning, but revise and use these ideas to create your own writing systems. Share them here!