Teaching Elementary School Students to Be Effective Writers-- pt. 4

Institute of Education Sciences

11 Apr 201708:59

Summary

TLDRThe script offers an in-depth guide on teaching students the writing process for diverse purposes. It emphasizes the importance of planning, drafting, sharing, evaluating, revising, editing, and publishing. Teachers are encouraged to model and gradually release responsibility to students, helping them develop independent writing skills. The script also highlights the need for students to understand writing for different audiences and purposes, using strategies and techniques tailored to each genre.

Takeaways

📝 Writing is a flexible process that involves planning, drafting, sharing, evaluating, revising, editing, and publishing.
🤔 The writer must consider the purpose of writing, plan the content, and understand the needs of the reader.
🔄 Students should learn to move back and forth between the components of the writing process as needed.
📋 Planning includes setting goals, generating ideas, gathering information, and organizing thoughts for writing.
✍️ Drafting is about getting ideas onto paper through the selection of words and sentences.
🔍 Sharing involves presenting drafts to others for feedback, which is crucial for improving writing.
📊 Evaluating can be done by teachers, peers, or the writer themselves to assess if the writing meets its goals.
🔄 Revising involves making content changes to enhance clarity and meaning, such as reorganizing ideas or refining word choice.
📝 Editing is the process of correcting spelling and grammar to ensure the text is error-free.
🎓 Publishing is the final step where students produce a final product to be shared with others.
👨‍🏫 Teachers play a vital role in guiding students through the writing process, teaching strategies, and helping them apply these independently.
📈 Learning writing strategies involves a gradual release of responsibility, starting with teacher guidance and moving towards student independence.
📚 Exposure to exemplary texts, or mentor texts, helps students understand effective writing characteristics and apply them in their own work.
👥 Understanding the audience is crucial for adjusting tone and word choice to effectively communicate with different readers.
🎯 The purpose of writing varies, such as conveying information, making arguments, self-reflection, sharing experiences, enhancing reading comprehension, or entertainment.
📈 Teachers should model different writing purposes and genres to help students select the best genre for their writing tasks.
🌐 Real-world scenarios can make the purpose of writing more tangible for students, such as writing persuasive letters for specific requests.

Q & A

What is the primary purpose of the writing process?
-The primary purpose of the writing process is to enable the writer to think carefully about the purpose for writing, plan what to say and how to say it, and understand what the reader needs to know, while also evaluating and revising the text to improve it.
How does the script describe the flexibility of the writing process?
-The script describes the writing process as flexible and non-linear, emphasizing the need for students to learn to move easily back and forth between its components.
What are the main components of the writing process mentioned in the script?
-The main components of the writing process mentioned are planning, drafting, sharing, evaluating, revising, editing, and publishing.
What is the role of planning in the writing process?
-Planning involves developing goals, generating ideas, gathering information, and organizing ideas for writing.
How does sharing contribute to the writing process?
-Sharing allows writers to show or read their ideas or drafts to others, enabling them to obtain feedback and suggestions for improving their writing.
What is the difference between revising and editing in the context of the writing process?
-Revising involves making content changes such as reorganizing ideas, adding or removing text, or refining word choice to clarify or enhance meaning. Editing, on the other hand, involves making changes to ensure spelling and grammar are correct.
How can teachers help students learn writing strategies?
-Teachers can help students learn writing strategies by providing background knowledge, describing and modeling the use of strategies, guiding students to practice applying the strategies, and discussing the reasons why the strategies are helpful.
What is the concept of 'gradual release of responsibility' in teaching writing strategies?
-The concept of 'gradual release of responsibility' refers to the process where teachers initially provide support and guidance in using a writing strategy, gradually reducing this support as students become more independent in applying the strategy.
Why is it important for students to understand the purpose of different genres in writing?
-Understanding the purpose of different genres is important because it helps students select the genre best suited to their writing tasks and allows them to use the features of that genre effectively to achieve their writing goals.
How can students learn to adjust their writing for different audiences?
-Students can learn to adjust their writing for different audiences by practicing writing the same piece for various audiences, requiring them to modify their tone and word choice to suit each audience.
What role do 'exemplary texts' or 'mentor texts' play in teaching writing?
-Exemplary texts or mentor texts play a crucial role in teaching writing by providing students with models of effective writing in various genres. They help students understand and adopt the characteristics of good writing in their own pieces.
What is the 'tree technique' mentioned in the script for writing in older grades?
-The 'tree technique' is a writing strategy where students tell what they believe with the topic sentence, provide three or more reasons for their belief, wrap it up with an ending, and examine to ensure they have explained each of their reasons.

Outlines

00:00

📝 The Writing Process Overview

This paragraph introduces the writing process as a flexible and non-linear method for students to compose text effectively. It emphasizes the importance of planning, drafting, sharing, evaluating, revising, editing, and publishing as integral components of this process. Teachers are encouraged to guide students in applying various strategies for each component until they can do so independently. The paragraph also discusses the gradual release of responsibility from teacher to student, starting with providing background knowledge, modeling the strategy, guiding practice, and finally allowing students to apply strategies independently. The goal is for students to understand and utilize writing for different purposes, such as conveying information, making arguments, self-reflection, and entertainment.

05:00

📚 Purpose and Genre in Writing

The second paragraph delves into the significance of understanding the purpose of writing and how different genres can serve various writing goals. It stresses the importance of aligning the writing task with the most suitable genre to achieve the desired outcome. The paragraph provides examples, such as writing a persuasive letter to convince readers and suggests using real-world scenarios for practical understanding. It also touches on the importance of considering the audience and adjusting writing to suit different readers. The role of exemplary texts, or mentor texts, is highlighted as a means for students to learn from effective writing characteristics. Lastly, the paragraph discusses the teaching of specific writing techniques tailored to the purpose of the writing, advocating for a gradual release of responsibility to help students apply these techniques independently.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Writing Process

The writing process refers to the various stages a writer goes through to compose text. It is central to the video's theme as it outlines the flexible and non-linear nature of writing. The script mentions that the writing process includes planning, drafting, sharing, evaluating, revising, editing, and publishing, emphasizing the iterative nature of writing where a writer may move back and forth between these stages to improve their work.

💡Strategies

Strategies in the context of the video are specific techniques or approaches that writers use to navigate the writing process effectively. The script discusses the importance of teachers teaching a variety of strategies for each component of the writing process, such as brainstorming for planning or using sensory details for drafting. These strategies are tools that help students become independent and effective writers.

💡Purpose of Writing

The purpose of writing is the reason or goal behind the creation of a written piece. The video emphasizes the importance of understanding the purpose for writing as it influences the planning and execution of the writing task. Examples from the script include conveying information, making an argument, self-reflection, sharing an experience, enhancing understanding of reading, or providing entertainment.

💡Planning

Planning is the initial stage of the writing process where the writer develops goals, generates ideas, gathers information, and organizes these ideas. The script illustrates planning with the example of brainstorming, which helps writers to expand their thinking and consider various aspects of their topic before beginning to draft.

💡Drafting

Drafting is the phase where a writer gets their ideas onto paper by selecting words and sentences. The script mentions that during drafting, the focus is on the flow of ideas rather than perfect grammar or spelling, allowing for the initial expression of thoughts and concepts.

💡Sharing

Sharing in the writing process involves presenting or reading drafts to others to obtain feedback and suggestions. The video script highlights the importance of sharing as a means for students to improve their writing by incorporating the insights of peers or teachers.

💡Evaluating

Evaluating is the act of providing or receiving feedback on a written piece. The script explains that evaluation can be done by teachers, peers, or the writer themselves to assess whether the writing meets its intended goals and to identify areas for improvement.

💡Revising

Revising is the process of making content changes to a draft to enhance clarity, organization, or impact. The script describes revising as reorganizing ideas, adding or removing text, and refining word choice, which is crucial for improving the effectiveness of the writing.

💡Editing

Editing involves making corrections to ensure that spelling and grammar are accurate. The video script points out that editing is a critical component of the writing process that follows revising, focusing on the mechanical aspects of the text to prepare it for publication.

💡Publishing

Publishing is the final stage of the writing process where the writer shares their final product with an audience. The script describes publishing as an opportunity for students to produce a polished piece of work that reflects their skills and understanding of the writing process.

💡Gradual Release of Responsibility

The gradual release of responsibility is a teaching approach described in the script where teachers start by providing support and guidance, then gradually allow students to take on more independent tasks. This method is used to teach writing strategies, ensuring that students have the necessary background knowledge and skills before they are expected to apply the strategies on their own.

💡Mentor Texts

Mentor texts are exemplary pieces of writing used to teach and inspire students. The script discusses how teachers can use mentor texts to demonstrate effective writing characteristics and to provide models for students to emulate in their own writing. These texts can be from various sources, including professional publications, books, and even the teacher's own writing.

💡Audience

Understanding the audience is key to effective writing as it influences the tone, word choice, and style of the writing. The video script provides examples of how students can adjust their writing for different audiences, such as rewriting instructions for a game for a friend versus a school principal, to suit the familiarity and expectations of the reader.

💡Genres

Genres refer to different categories of writing, each with its own conventions and purposes. The script emphasizes the importance of teaching students about various genres and how their features can help achieve specific writing goals. For example, a persuasive letter aims to convince the reader, requiring the writer to present clear reasons and supporting evidence.

Highlights

Writing well requires careful consideration of the purpose, planning, and understanding of reader needs.

The writing process is not linear but flexible, with components including planning, drafting, sharing, evaluating, revising, editing, and publishing.

Planning involves goal setting, idea generation, information gathering, and organizing for writing.

Drafting focuses on selecting words and sentences to convey the writer's ideas.

Sharing allows writers to receive feedback and suggestions for improvement from others.

Evaluating can be done by teachers, peers, or the writer themselves to assess if writing goals are met.

Revising involves content changes to enhance clarity and meaning.

Editing ensures correct spelling and grammar.

Publishing is the final step where students share their completed work.

Teachers should guide students through the writing process, helping them to apply strategies independently.

Students learn writing strategies through a gradual release of responsibility from teacher to student.

Teachers should model the use of writing strategies and explain their purpose and effectiveness.

Students should practice writing strategies with guidance and reminders from the teacher.

Once strategies are mastered, students should understand how to select and apply them appropriately.

Writing activities should encourage movement between components of the writing process as the text develops.

Writing is used for various purposes such as conveying information, making arguments, and providing entertainment.

Teachers should model different writing purposes and how genres can achieve specific writing goals.

Students must adjust their writing for the intended audience, considering tone and word choice.

Exemplary texts, or mentor texts, should be used to expose students to effective writing characteristics.

Students can learn specific writing techniques through explicit and direct teaching.

Techniques such as using the five senses or the KWL chart help students frame their writing for a specific purpose.