IAAL

Writing Instruction

Aliza Robinson
 GOAL
1. I would like to work on my writing instruction.
2. I would like to find a framework that aids in “feed forward,” assisting/scaffolding/prompting my
students while they are working.
3. I want to find a consistent lesson format that would allow a single teacher to work with the students on
“feed forward” and feedback before they begin their final drafts.
Contents
1. Lesson Delivery
2. Best Practices
3. Lesson Format
4. Mini-Lessons
5. Writing Process
6. Student-Teacher Conferencing
7. Student Sharing Opportunities
Lesson Delivery
Best Practices in
1 2
Writing Instruction
“Students are less likely to put
forth their best efforts when
writing or learning to write if
they view the classroom as an
unfriendly, chaotic, high-risk, or
punitive place” (Hansen, 1989).
Writing Process
“Thinking of writing as a process
is an acceptance of the idea that
writers are doing more than
recording...This means that
writing is a subject that needs to
be taught, not just assigned”
(Serravallo, pg. 9).
3 Lesson Format
“When writing instruction is
most productive, it addresses a
range of skills and practices
relevant for good writing”
(Graham & Fitzgerald, pg. 41).
After researching various delivery
options (Writing Workshop, 6+1
Traits, Daily 5 etc.) I decided I needed
to create a format that best suits me
and my students.
Best Practices in Writing Instruction
1. Make students’ writing visible
sharing, displaying, publishing, and class collections

2. Create a Positive Environment

Encourage students to try hard and attribute success to effort

3. High & Realistic Expectations

Encourage students to surpass previous accomplishments
Best Practices in Writing Instruction cont.
4. Adapt Writing Assignments
I took into account my students’ abilities to keep assignments in their
instructional zone.
5. Keep Students Engaged
I assigned thoughtful tasks as opposed to quick “busy work.”

6. Classroom Routines
I set reliable and predictable routines that promote positive interactions
between students.
 Lesson Format
(Components)
● Weekly Focus/Mini-lessons
● Writing Process Focus (Daily
Modeling)
● Partner Rehearse (sharing
sentence ideas)
● Student-Teacher
Conferences
● Final Product Share Time
Weekly Focus/
Mini-Lessons
Each week I used The Writing
Strategies Book to pull a weekly
focus to guide my students’
writing.
 Writing
Process
This is the process we followed,
specifically for the primary grades. I
grouped the processes depending on their
complexity.
Generating Drafting Revising Publishing
and
collecting Editing
ideas

Choosing an
Idea

Rehearsing
Student-Teacher Conferencing

I wanted to focus on “feed forward”: allowing my

students the opportunity to conference with me
during their writing process instead of simply
assessing their final products. We used a sign-up
sheet; whenever my students were ready to
conference with me about their writing they
would sign their name and I would call them over
when I was ready to meet with them. I used this
opportunity for formative assessment and used
the form on the right to record any important
notes.
Student Sharing Opportunities
Rehearsing
Before my students started drafting, I would
have them share their sentence ideas using
sentence stems. We would routinely use various
Kagan strategies like the one below.
Final Product
After my students completed publishing their
work we would share it through one form or
another. For example, for their Halloween spooky
narratives we all sat in a circle with the lights off
and read their stories with a glowing lantern.
References
Barone, Diane M., and Marla H. Mallette. Best practices in early literacy instruction. The Guilford Press, 2013.

Graham, Steve, et al. Best practices in writing instruction. The Guilford Press, 2013.

Hansen, D. (1989). Lesson evading and lesson dissembling: Ego strategies in the classroom. American Journal of Education, 97,
184-208.

Kagan, Spencer, and Miguel Kagan. Kagan Cooperative Learning: Dr. Spencer Kagan and Miguel Kagan. Kagan Publishing, 2015.

Serravallo, Jennifer. The writing strategies book: your everything guide to developing skilled writers with 300 strategies. Heinemann,
2017