 |
 |
 |
|
Upper School Writing Strategies |
||
|
Dear Upper School Parents, Guardians, and Tutors, We are committed to helping students become successful and confident writers. We realize that many students turn to you for guidance in their writing assignments. Therefore, we have established useful strategies for everyone involved in the writing and editing process at SFDS. If you have any questions regarding the guidelines below, please feel free to contact any one of your child's teachers. Recommended Strategies* * Before reviewing student writing, invite them to assert direction and control in the editorial process. Always ask, "What should I look for as I read?" If they do not specify a focus (i.e., overall point, topic sentences, conclusion, etc.), ask them to explain to you the guidelines of the assignment. Only when you have clear direction should you agree to look at their work. * Ask students to read their papers aloud to you. In doing so, they themselves may notice grammatical or stylistic mistakes. In addition, they will have the opportunity to practice reading skills. * Upon reviewing student writing, give general feedback. If you say that you noticed several run-on sentences on the first page, the student will become responsible for identifying those errors independently. Likewise, if you indicate a paragraph that contains misplaced commas, the student will take ownership of recalling or reviewing the comma rules covered in class. General feedback that directs children to reexamine a particular paragraph, page, or half-page will foster strong self-editing skills. * Avoid doing for students what they are capable of doing independently. Encourage use of the dictionary, thesaurus, class handouts, and class notes. While these strategies urge independence in writing and editing, the upper school faculty assures you that students are not alone in the writing process. A significant amount of class time is carefully designed to help students escort pieces of writing through the final draft. In addition, we encourage all students to seek extra help from their teachers whenever necessary. We feel confident that these guidelines, in combination with our work at school, will enrich and assist the children's development as writers. Sincerely, Upper School English and history teachers *Recommended Strategies were inspired by The Hamlin School's writing guidelines for parents, 2000.
|
||
|
|
