Anniversary of this blog, on Fridays, I’m resurrecting and updating old posts
that sparked a lot of conversation or that still have a lot to offer people
teaching or writing nonfiction. Today’s essay originally appeared on June 1,
2018.
walk me through the steps of their nonfiction writing process. My goal is to
learn the terminology they use, so I can literally speak their language during
my presentation. For example, do they use “rough draft,” “first draft,” or
“sloppy copy.”
trouble with this task. And I can see that their teachers are just as surprised
as I am. Sometimes they even whisper answers to students sitting nearby.
Clearly, they’re frustrated.
patiently provide a string of clues to help students list the various steps.
1. Within
the same school, each grade level often uses different terminology. That can
certainly lead to confusion.
2. In some
schools, the process itself isn’t consistent from one grade level to the next.
For example, students in grades 3 and 5 do peer critiquing (a.k,a. reading
buddies, writing partners), but students in grade 4 don’t. That can also lead
to confusion.
Researching, writing, and revising nonfiction can be
daunting for children. But knowing that it’s a process composed of distinct
steps can make it more manageable. By practicing those same steps over and
over, students will become more confident writers.
That’s why I recommend that schoolwide or even district-wide
terms be adopted for each step in the process. Here are my suggestions based on
my 10-step writing process:
- Choose a Topic
- Do Research
- Find a Focus
- Write a Rough Draft
- Let It Chill Out
- Revise à
Second draft - Writing partner review
- Revise and add visuals
à
Third draft - Proofread à
Final draft - Send to editor (Give to teacher)
K-2
students won’t do every step, but once a step (such as writing partner review)
is introduced, it shouldn’t be omitted at later grade levels. This kind of
continuity will help students take ownership of the process and prepare them to
work more independently in middle school
be talking more about teaching and reinforcing the steps of the nonfiction
writing process on Monday.
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