PhilosophyofWriting

With the development of the Common Core State Standards in 2009, there have been multiple
shifts in educational practices, norms, and performance expectations for students and teachers
alike . Onesuchareaoftransitionisthatofwriting(www.corestandards.org).Inthepast,writing
was often left as a culminating unit activity or assessment, intended to make public ones
acquired collection of facts. Book reports, essays, and the occasional fun assignment like a
state report or mock letter to the editor wereassignedat thebeginningofinstructionalunits of
studyandthencollectedfourweekslater,graded,andreturned.

Rinse and repeat. Listen in class. Write to tell what you know. Write in this format. Write in
theseblanks.Turnitin.

Now do not misunderstand this as a criticism of the teachers who implemented writing
instruction as it hadalwaysbeen doneorastheyhadbeentaught.Youcanonlydowhatyou
know and we would all do well to assume the best intentions of others. I cannot think of any
teachers who intentionally set out to stifle students potential love of writing with the
soulsucking, sterile writing routines of the recent past. However, once you know better, you
mustdobetter.

So lets get better, because our students writing is sick and not in the hip way. Is that still a
thing?

I have the honor of working with students at the youngest end of our academic spectrum.
Students areexpected tosimultaneouslyacquireacollectionofcognitivelytaxingwritingrelated
skills they must learn 1) the physical act of writing holding apencil,typing,2)themechanics
of writing lettersound associations, stringing sounds together to build words, following
agreedupon conventions, and 3) the purposes for writing writing as a tool forcommunication
oforiginalthoughts,facts,etc..


Ohalso,theyreseven.Seven.Spittingbabyteethlikesunflowerseedshellsseven.

Due to the overwhelming, albeit imperative, nature of these three tasks, the writing experiences
within a primary classroom are often frustrating and tedious at best.However,itwaswithin this
murky, molassesy mess that I developed a writing philosophy of my own. Writing instruction,
particularly within the primary elementary classroom, should be communal. Yes, communal.
Maybe its my intense religious upbringing that heavilyshaped my belief in community,
fellowship, and shared experiences as powerful learning tools, but regardless, I believe that the
best writing instruction, experiences, and production occur within a communal circumstance.
When students interact with one another as a whole class community or in small groups, it
supports the development of individuals as well (McCarrier, A., Pinnell, G. S., and Fountas, I.
C.,2000).

ItsoundslikeatwistyformofwritingCommunism,butitsnot,Ipromise.

So what types of writing experiences contribute to an effective community of writers? I have

found that interactive writing experiences in which teachers and students share the pen is
particularly helpful. It allows me to scaffold, model, and plant seeds about what good writers
do, while inviting students to participate in lowstress situations (Sherry, T. L.,2013).Another
important element of the primary writing experience is theuseofteamwritingtasksinwhich
a group of two or threestudents worktogetherinformingaresponsetoaprompt.Inaclassroom
whereover 75%ofour studentsarecategorizedasEnglishLearners,itisimperativethatstudents
have opportunity to talk and collaborate with peers in order to form/organize ideas and practice
their literal articulation before attempting toputpenciltopaper(Stuczynski,2005).Lastly,andI
believe this is the most vital element of my writing instruction, I talk with my students all the
time. All. Day. Long. A silent primary classroom makes me uncomfortable. Think about
everything that they have yet to do, think, experience, or ask. Students should be in constant
communication with their teachers and with one another. They are becoming actively engaged

with the world around them. Their voice as writers will be developed through their voice as
speakers (Galda, 1995). It is absolutely essential that we take the time to have morning
meetings, show and tell, authors chair,kindofexperienceswithinour classrooms.Itisout
of this genuine stream of constant conversation that students will develop articulation and an
abilitytouselanguagewithpurpose.

SodontpattheLittlesontheheadandwritesentencesaboutnothing.

No one cares that I see the ball, You see the ball, and We see the ball. How does that
incentivize students to enter the complex and often frustrating realm of language utilization? If
thats writing, Im out. But ifyouaskaquestionaboutsomethingIfeel,somethingIvelived,or
something Im curious about, then I just might put in the painstaking time of writing so I can
sharethatsomethingwithyou.

References

Alda,L.,Bisplinghoff,B.,Pellegrini,A.,&Stahl,S.(1995).SharingLives:Reading,Writing,
Talking,andLivinginaFirstGradeClassroom.LanguageArts,72(5),334339.Retrievedfrom
http://www.jstor.org/stable/41482206

Cox,C.InteractiveWriting.RetrievedJuly21,2016,from
http://www.readingrockets.org/article/interactivewriting

DevelopmentProcess.RetrievedJuly20,2016,from
http://www.corestandards.org/aboutthestandards

McCarrier,A.,Pinnell,G.S.,andFountas,I.C.(2000).Interactivewriting:Howlanguageand
literacycometogether.Portsmouth,NH:Heinemann

Sherry,T.L.(2013).ShePutsCluesinOurHead:InteractiveandIndependentWriting
InstructioninaFirstGradeClassroom.MidWesternEducationalResearcher,25(3),2242.

Stuczynski,A.(2005).Tapestryoftales:Storiesofself,family,andcommunityproviderich
fabricforlearning.Portland,Or.:NorthwestRegionalEducationalLaboratory.