Growing Writers and The Writing Process

One of the questions I am most often asked by other homeschooling parents is how I teach writing, especially academic writing.  I plan to write several blog posts this year focused on the teaching of writing in the home school as well as provide very specific lessons and units of study to anyone who would like to explore them. 

Before I could encouraged my children to engage in academic writing, it was clear to me they both needed a “palate cleanser” first. For the process we took to develop that comfort with writing and about how we use the Workshop Model in our home school, see Growing Writers.

So, how does teaching the writing process fit into this gentle approach to growing writers?

Direct Teaching

Teaching children how to write is not the same as assigning writing.  Children need us adults to explain how the writing process works and show them how to do each step; so during the mini-lesson portion of our literacy studio workshop, I carve out specific lessons to teach brainstorming and revision strategies.

When it comes to brainstorming, consider showing lots of ways to brainstorm: listing, cluster maps, drawing, free writing.  Model those with mini-lessons in the first few minutes of your workshop time without the expectation that the writers then have to go and do one of those brainstorming activities.  Post anchor charts with ways to brainstorm around your learning area for children to reference when they do choose to brainstorming. The idea here is to teach how but not force to do.

Teach how to revise for various elements in multiple mini-lessons.  Just like with brainstorming, post examples of revisions you do together about your learning space.  I love to write little mini-paragraphs about our lives and revise them together for making verbs more vivid, showing rather than telling, and choosing specific nouns over vague ones. 

It took a long time for me (because of my training as an undergrad to use Madeline Hunter lesson plans) to let go of the expectation that my children ought to participate in brainstorming or revision activities immediately after direct lessons about those skills.  I had to learn that learning how to write combines emotional thinking, artistic expression, as well as cognitive skill and that, thus, children need gentle teaching and time to grapple with their willingness to engage in the writing process.

Feedback and planning require metacognition and self-reflection, which are very advanced executive skills that many adults have not mastered and that most children are only in the beginning of developing.

Gentle Encouragement

Rather than assigning the writing process, when you confer with your children, gently encourage participating in the process.

Here are a few ways this might look and sound:

I.

The child is pulling out her writing materials during workshop time. 

Adult: You thinking about doing some writing today?  Are you going to start something new or work on a project you already started?

Child: I think I might start something new.

Adult: Do you have a plan for what you are going to write?

Child: I think I want to make a story kind of like the movie we watched last night.

Adult: Oooo, that sounds so neat! Do you think you’ll do a little brainstorming first to plan what you want to do?

Child: I dunno. Maybe.

Adult: Remember when we talked about the Somebody Wanted But So Then strategy for planning a story?  The anchor chart is right here.  Maybe you might want to use that.

Child: Maybe.

Adult: I’ll leave you alone while you start.  Let me know if you need anything from me as you start.

II.

Adult: How is writing going today?

Child: I dunno what to do next.  

Adult: What are you working on?  A story? A poem? An article?

Child: I’m working on that story about the monsters. 

Adult: What do you have so far? 

[Child shows writing.]

Adult: What a cool opening! It puts me right in the Halloween time, so mysterious! So do you remember the brainstorming activity Somebody Wanted But So Then I showed you? Let’s think about your story so far.  You have your somebody, right?  It’s the boy in the story.  And you have your wanted.  He’s just trying to get to sleep at night.  So now it’s to transition to the “But” in the story, the problem. What’s the problem?

Child: Oh, the monsters!

Yes, the monsters! So let’s look at that book we read the other day and see how that author introduced the problem.  That might give you some ideas. 

III.

Child: Mom, I finished my book!

Adult: Oh, great!  Are you ready for me to read it? Do you want me to give you feedback for revision or is it finished?  

Child: It's finished! But I wasn't sure about the ending.

Adult: That's okay. We can talk about different ways to end books for your next one, okay?

These gentle nudges encourage the writing process by establishing that this is what writers do: writers brainstorm, plan, and revise.  But it also establishes each child as his/her/their own writer.  The writer decides whether or not to plan or revise.

Occaisonly, I do try on the "Editor" role. I'll ask, "Let's imagine you are a writer working for an editor and your editor wants to give you feedback. What do you think?" Sometimes couching the revision process in this sort of dramatic play can lessen the pressure for a child. But, if my children resist, I just let it go so they can go on to write more without worry that I'll just pressure them to revise before they are ready.

Modeling

During workshop, it’s really easy for me to start doing laundry, clean up from various art projects, or only confer with my children.  However, it’s key for children to learn how to behave like writers (writing often, revising, editing, brainstorming) by watching other writers.

You don’t have to publish your work to model the writing life for your children.  Sit down and engage in the same brainstorming activities you teach to your children.  Write about your days, write poems about your thoughts. And, if you can, do so during the same time of workshop that your children are reading and writing.

During reflection, share what you read and wrote. Share your thinking.  Share how you used the same brainstorming and revision strategies you’ve introduced them to.  Think aloud about your words and your projects.  Writing cannot be something we only do for “school” but rather something we do within the fabric of our lives. If we want our children to weave writing into their days, we must weave it into ours as well.

I did this more often in the beginning but can write on my own timetable pretty regularly now that they have some momentum. I increase how often I write during workshop when I see them not choosing to write less often.

Above All Else, Be Patient

One mantra that helps me resist the urge to insure that each piece my children create goes through a formulaic process is “it’s about process not product.”  Writing without a plan and writing without revision are part of the child’s process in learning how to write. 

Maybe he didn’t plan today, but next time he might.  Maybe she didn’t revise today, but next time she might. Maybe they didn't finish this story, but next time they might. And imagine how authentic the learning will be when they chose to do the planning or the revising!

----------------------------------------------

Here are a few books I use often for planning direct lessons for brainstorming and revising, as well as other writing lessons:

The Writing Workshop by Katie Wood Ray

Real Revision by Kate Messner

Craft and Process Studies: Units the Provide Writers with Choice of Genre by Matt Glover