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