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The Art of Teaching Writing
Lucy Calkins
How Children Change as Writers
A Tentative Road Map
• “one day good; one day bad: regressions may be imbalances leading to new levels”
• (Piaget: tension between accommodation and disequilibrium)
Kindergarten & First Grade
• “Writing is exploration with pen and marker”
– Outgrowth of gestures (Vygosky)– See self as writer– Know basic vocabulary– A collection of objects– A world held still
Do
• Give them – Time– Materials– Strructure– Encouragement– Reasons to write– YOU learn from their errors– By end of kindergarten, many are writing long
stories (grounded in pictures)
First Grade
• “Era of Confidence”• Rehearsal by drawing (older children’s topics,
plans, drafts)• Present – here and now• Drawing is a scaffold for writing• A word or so – embedded in a picture• Move from “all abouts” to narratives by spring
Caution:
• Notice when pictures are no longer a help to the writing
Grade 1
• Conferences– Help children reread and learn from their writing
– Talk provides a scafold to writing until hey become more fluent…..vocalizing
– Learn spacing, punctuation, large print, lots of capitals, dark letter for sound…. K & 1
Grade 1 Revision
• K-1 = want to fill space• Will add on, staple, tape• Need encouragement to look back at work• Need to work at tables, interact, confernce• (Sometimes don’t listen to a word others say,
but they go back to re-work)• Can lean to add on, be more specific.
Grade 1 Editing
• Spelling competes with meaning• Correctness interferes with fluency• FOCUS on content, then revise and edit• Don’t be their dictionary• (Doesn’t recommend word banks, picture
dictionaries, etc.
Grade 1 Summary
• Writing for self to internalized audience• Writing for sake of activity toward final
product• From less to more fluency• From writing in “now” to looking ahead and
back (anticipating a critique)
Grade 2: Opposites
• Rehearsal is a sign of growth
• Less confident• Write more/ write less• Write’s block• (7 & 8 year olds: “Is this right?”)
Grade 2 - Talking
• Most effective way to help students find and explore topics
• Writing has surpassed drawing.• Chat, interview• Peer conferences need watching• They can tell a story/can’t write it
Grade 2 - Drafting
• Margins, heading – “I’m done!”• Need to learn: draft & confer• Bed-to-bed stories• All-about’s• Like to write in patterns• Use conventions repeatedly
Grade 2 - Revision
• “A concrete force for tremendous growth”
• Spurts – write, add on – write –• Enjoy activity: reading,, talking,cutting,
pasting, adding on• Rarely return to rework it• Resist revision
Grade 3 – Deliberate & Concrete
• Cautious & wooden• Not risk-takers• Care about audience• Topics often life incidents• Nothing in moderation!• Sound effects, punctuation• Often chain-of-events.
Grade 3-Revision
• Revision means correction• Move on to another draft …• Rarely visualize a sentence before writing• Think, pencil in hand• More concrete, deliberate
Grades 4-6
• New Flexibility
• Revision becomes “second nature
• Develop voice
• Begin to internalize draft options• No longer trial and error
Vygotsky
• “What a child can do in conference today, he can do alone tomorrow.”
Grade 3 -Revision
• Correction• Move on