It's Time to Write Right!

Welcome back! In my blog this week, I'm going to be focusing on another strand of the Ontario Curriculum: Writing. Yes, one of the most dreaded topics of students. But why? Students often feel pressure to write perfectly from the start of the writing process and do not see the point or relevance of the topic they are writing about. So how can we, as teachers, engage our students in the writing process and have them enjoy it? It's simple, we just have to teach them to write right!

Common Misconceptions Students Have About Writing

Misconception #1: Writing is difficult
This misconception is neither true or false. Writing is not difficult, it just depends on the student's mindset. Therefore, if the student thinks that writing is difficult, then writing will be difficult.

Misconception #2: Writing needs to be done a certain way
Students often believe that there is a certain way that they need to write. It is important to model writing to students but it is just as important for them to understand that not all writing will look the same.

Misconception #3: Writing needs to be lengthy
Quantity does not always mean quality. Writing is intimidating for students because they have the mindset that each time they write, they need to produce a novel-length piece for it to be good.

Teaching Resources for Writing Right

1. National Writing Project: 30 Ideas for Teaching Writing

The objective of the National Writing Project is to not promote a single approach to teaching writing, but rather, a variety of different techniques that promote engagement, interest, creativity, and reflection.

One of the great strategies that I saw on this website is to "establish and email/letter dialogue between students from different schools who are reading the same book". Students can write letters to other students about the book including predictions, clarifications, interpretations, questions, and much more.  Students are given the chance to write to a real audience for a real purpose, which is very important as it allows writing to become relevant for them.

In my own education experience, I can recall doing an activity similar for the novel "Flat Stanley". We each got to create and design our own Flat Stanley character and were tasked to write a letter as if our Flat Stanley was from our hometown of Niagara Falls. We then got to mail our Flat Stanley to a family member or friend who lived in a different city and they would have to send a letter back.

How does this teach students about writing? Letter exchanges give students a voice and a choice in their writing. The key to have students stop dreading writing is to bring an authentic purpose to their writing, and what better way to do so than to have them write letters to real people!

Check out the Flat Stanley Project here: Flat Stanley Project

2. Writing A-Z: Online Writing Resources for Teachers and Students

On the Writing A-Z website, there are many different lessons, worksheets, prompts, narratives, and much more that teachers can choose from. What is great about Writing A-Z is that it offers each of these for the different stages in writing: emergent writing, process writing, skill-building, grammar/word work, and revising and editing. 

One section of the website that was particularly interesting to me was the Graphic Organizers section. By providing students with specific graphic organizers for their writing tasks, they will be able to narrow their focus more and perhaps have less anxiety around their writing piece. Graphic organizers are great for engaging students in the writing process because they make it easier for students to brainstorm and organize their essential concepts and ideas. 

Why graphic organizers? We all know that one of the most difficult parts of writing for students is getting started. If they are handed a graphic organizer, it serves as a prompt for them. Graphic organizers contain specific questions tailored to their writing pieces that will guide them to success. Therefore, graphic organizers are great for alleviating the stress around writing.

3. Edutopia: To Teach Effective Writing, Model Effective Writing

In this article by David Cutler, he shares six different strategies that teachers should practice in the classroom to model effective writing to their students. Students need to see what proficient writing looks like but more importantly, need to practice their feedback and criticism skills on others' writing.

                             

One of Cutler's strategies is "seeking feedback". Not only does peer feedback give the writer of the piece areas to improve on, but it also allows the peer editor to reflect on their writing. Perhaps while reading a peer's piece of writing, the student will think to themselves "I forgot to include this in my writing", and then be able to improve upon their own from reflecting on a peer's.

          

How can you make "peer feedback" an engaging process? In my experience, I have seen a teacher create a "writer's workshop" in which multiple stations were focusing on different aspects of writing. Students had the freedom to choose whatever station they thought fit their needs and would have the opportunity to edit their writing with the other students who selected that station. Rather than just sitting at a desk, students can move freely around the classroom at their own pace to edit their work.

The Ontario Curriculum

Graphic organizers are a great way to help students meet the first overall expectation for grade six. They will help students organize their ideas and information to begin the writing process. Peer editing is a great way to help students meet the second and third overall expectations for grade six. Students will create drafts and revise their work based on the peer feedback they are given. 

Keep Writing!

The best and most effective way to have your students say "I love writing" is to just have them keep writing. Writing can be cross-curricular so why not find different ways to incorporate it into other subjects in a fun and relevant way.

Resources

Cutler, D. (2014). To Teach Effective Writing, Model Effective Writing. Edutopia. Retrieved from https://www.edutopia.org/blog/teach-and-model-effective-writing-david-cutler.

Flat Stanley Project (Online Image). Retrieved from https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/42010208993793545/?lp=true.

Modelled Writing (Online Image). Retrieved from https://classteaching.wordpress.com/2014/01/16/modelling-writing/.

National Writing Project (2019). 30 Ideas for Teaching Writing. Retrieved from https://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/resource/922.

Ontario Ministry of Education (2006). Language. The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 1-8. Ministry of Education. Retrieved from http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/curriculum/elementary/language18currb.pdf.

Writing A-Z (2019). Online Writing Resources for Teachers and Students. Retrieved from https://www.writinga-z.com/.