Hello and happy fall day. Today, I want to write about a writing strategy I use in my class called "Free Write." Free writing is exactly as it sounds, freedom to write about whatever you want. Once a week, my students take part in a free write. During this time, their only direction is to keep writing until the given time runs out. Surprisingly, this is challenging for some students. They are used to being prompted, given guidelines and directions. So, for some, they spiral in this frantic thought process of "what should I write?" "Will this be good enough?" and so on. Getting over this hurtle is the first step, but may take a while, weeks maybe even for some. Most importantly, it requires two things from the teacher: 1. Be patient. If you continue to pressure your students who struggle with this it only clouds their process and adds stress to the experience. 2. Consider each child's ability separately, and shape your expectations accordingly. The idea though, is that just by writing we will get better at writing. I use an analogy of basketball when kicking off the idea to my students. Wouldn't a basketball coach tell their players they will get better the more they play? They would. Our students can get better at writing, just by doing it. Grab any one of my students' Writer's Notebooks at the end of April and you will see the proof. Flipping from the first entry to the last you can see their writing ability and comfort level grow. It's beautiful really. Don't grade this effort. If you truly want students to focus on building their writing stamina and dig deep into their creativity you have to take away the pressure of the grade. Reiterate the intention of the assignment every time they start writing. Encourage them to push their self, to proofread as they write, and to try new types of writing. Every time we start I say something like: "During this free write you can write about anything you would like. You can write about your weekend. You can write about your cat. You can make up a story. You can write about how awesome I am. (funny right?) You could even write a poem. Just keep writing until I say stop." I really even say: "If you don't know what to write then write 'The crazy lady said to keep writing, but I do not know what to write about." This adds humor for those who are anxious and, hey, if they do write that, they've written a sentence, and may come up with their own idea while setting their worries aside to write it. Use this as an opportunity to connect to your students:
1. When a kid, or kids, struggle to get started, sit down with them and quietly brainstorm some ideas. You could even write a sentence down and tell them to finish it. I usually ask about their weekend or their interest and encourage them to write about something they share. 2. Collect them every once and awhile and read what they are writing about. If you have time, add a comment of encouragement or a question that demonstrates your interest in their writing. This will excite and motivate them to keep pressing on. 3. Let them share their writing. The last five minutes of the session, have them share with the kids around them or have a few brave kids share what they've written with the class. This also adds value to their writing when they know their class community will have a chance to experience their writing. The Free Write activity takes 15-20 minutes a week. Not only does it allow my students an opportunity to practice writing, just for the sake of writing, but it also gives me a glimpse into their life and their interests. When my students see that I value these things, it strengthens our connection and motivates them to do better each time.
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Niki EgelhoffI love learning and sharing ideas. Please join in my conversations. Archives
January 2019
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