Choice Lit Topic: Teaching Writing
Everyone who writes for Choice Literacy loves teaching writing, because we all write ourselves. We know it is “hard fun,” as Donald Murray famously said—exasperating and exhilarating at the same time. The writing workshops you will read about here and see in our videos are busy, noisy, vibrant places. And most days, we wouldn’t want to be anywhere else than in the midst of ’em! Here is where you’ll find our latest discoveries, insights, and occasional boneheaded mistakes in teaching writing.
Results
Risk and All
“You’re killing me,” said Kacie. She sat across from me in my office. Pale complexion, freckles, thick orange shoulder-length hair. She wore gray sweats, one leg tucked beneath her. She...
Debating How to Begin Stories
Last week, I read Eli’s piece over his shoulder. He had the classic beginning: It was a beautiful November day at the zipline park. He continued his piece with this:...
Conferring Over “Finished” Writing
Ruth Ayres confers with fifth grader Grant over the delicate topic of making changes to a "finished" piece.
Exploring the Writing Process
One of the many great instructional practices to come out of the writing workshop movement is the idea of teaching the writing process. We have tried to demystify the writing...
Owl Research Brainstorming: Partner Work
Andrea Smith meets with two girls planning their owl research.
Getting Mentor Texts in Students’ Hands
Ever since I learned about the value of mentor texts to help students’ writing, I have tried to use them as often as possible. I thought I was doing a...
Mentor Texts and Memoir Writing
Writing is only reading turned inside out. John Updike One of the things that I struggle with at times in my writing is where and how to begin. I...
What I Learned About Teaching Writing from My Trainer
I don’t like to exercise. Not usually. I wish I did, but I just don’t. I know I should like it. I try to, but I don’t. And so, twice...
Student Writing, Filters, and Social Media
As I’ve thought about how social media affects the stories we tell, I’ve started to consider the earliest lessons writers need. One of the first things today’s writers need to...
Making Home Connections While Conferring
Ruth Ayres meets with Zoey, a quiet writer who is drawn into the conversation through family stories and a mentor text with vivid illustrations.
Ways into Personal Narratives
I’ve always picked personal narratives as our first big writing piece in fifth grade. My students are typically familiar enough with what a narrative is that I can dive in...
Engaging a Room Full of Third Graders
In one of the classrooms, whenever I teach, and whenever I observe, and whenever their teacher and I teach together, we have a room full of quiet, compliant kids. But...
Invitations for Narrative Writing
I remember the stunning memoir written by a high school freshman titled “I Don’t Want to Write About Last Summer.” In it she captured the highs and lows of her...
The Morning Story
Today is Monday. It is sunny. We will have music. I bet you recognize that bit of prose. It is often called “the morning story.” When I was a first...
Resources for Quick-Writes
Last summer I stumbled across Linda Rief’s book, 100 Quickwrites: Fast and Effective Freewriting Exercises That Build Students’ Confidence, Develop Their Fluency, and Bring Out the Writer in Every Student....
Back to Basics: Choice
Choice 1: Do you want your milk in the red glass or the blue glass? Choice 2: Do you want to read the book about trains or the book about...
A Thesis Statement: Conferring with Connor
Ruth Ayres confers with sixth grader Connor about a thesis statement for an essay.
Moving Beyond Bed-to-Bed Stories in First Grade
First I went on the play structure and then I went on the swings and then I saw a butterfly and then I saw my friends and then we drove...
From Strengths to Revision: Conferring with Connor
Karen Terlecky confers with Connor in her fifth-grade classroom. She demonstrates how to begin with strengths, and build to revision suggestions.
Stories from Illustrations: Conferring with Kendall
Ruth Ayres confers with first grader Kendall about her writing, emphasizing the stories in the illustrations.
NaNoWriMo with Students
For the past three years my writing workshop has been transformed into a flurry of writing activity every November. My students and I join people around the globe in a...
