Whole-to-part-to-whole
The following is Regie Routman’s guidelines to consider when teaching kids to write. When any writer- regardless of age – takes pen in hand to write s/he thinks:
· What do I want to say?
· How can I say it clearly?
· How can I explain important ideas so readers will be convinced to consider my ideas?
· How can I write to attract the reader’s attention and interest
Certainly the older writer brings more awareness of these guidelines to the writing process. But all good writers need to learn to be clear and concise – “tighten it up” “reader is going to tire” “what’s really important here anyway” . So as we compose, we create sentences that are too long – some too short, words that are boring, not enough transitions that will help the reader follow. Right now I am considering all of these things because of you the reader.
So Calkins, Murray, Routman and others tell us the above process is what we teachers of writers need to continually consider – teaching the parts of writing is not how writers write. We need to sometimes explicitly consider such skills as word choice, voice, topic sentences – but our student writers will learn these parts and be able to transfer them to other writing pieces when the student is writing for purposes and audiences. “When we start with a whole piece of writing for an intended reader, we can then look at the parts and connect them back with the whole. Whole-to-part-to-whole is much easier for teachers and students than part-to-whole-to-part”. (Regie Routman)
So what’s your thoughts about the above? Are you thinking… or are you thinking?
Marty
· What do I want to say?
· How can I say it clearly?
· How can I explain important ideas so readers will be convinced to consider my ideas?
· How can I write to attract the reader’s attention and interest
Certainly the older writer brings more awareness of these guidelines to the writing process. But all good writers need to learn to be clear and concise – “tighten it up” “reader is going to tire” “what’s really important here anyway” . So as we compose, we create sentences that are too long – some too short, words that are boring, not enough transitions that will help the reader follow. Right now I am considering all of these things because of you the reader.
So Calkins, Murray, Routman and others tell us the above process is what we teachers of writers need to continually consider – teaching the parts of writing is not how writers write. We need to sometimes explicitly consider such skills as word choice, voice, topic sentences – but our student writers will learn these parts and be able to transfer them to other writing pieces when the student is writing for purposes and audiences. “When we start with a whole piece of writing for an intended reader, we can then look at the parts and connect them back with the whole. Whole-to-part-to-whole is much easier for teachers and students than part-to-whole-to-part”. (Regie Routman)
So what’s your thoughts about the above? Are you thinking… or are you thinking?
Marty
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