LindaE.

MartinandShirleyThacker

Teaching the Writing Process

in Primary Grades
One Teachers Approach

Ireallylikewriting...Itisoneofmyfavoritehobbies.
Mybraingetsmorefullofideas,nowthatIthinkaboutit.And
then,allofasudden,poof!IhaveagiganticstoryIcanwrite.

Statements like these about writing are frequently heard in

Shirley Thackers first grade classroom. Primary grade teachers
who develop a balanced literacy program, rich in literacy and lan-
guage experiences that include many writing opportunities, guide
children in discovering how language works (Clay 2001; McGee &
Richgels 2004; Ray 2004). Programs that include the writing pro-
cess help children understand the functions and construction of
printed language (Calkins 1994; Graves 1994; Harwayne 2001; Ray
& Cleaveland 2004). Through the four stages of the writing pro-
cessplanning, drafting, editing, and publishingchildren begin
to understand the power of becoming an author (Calkins 1994).
Although much is known about how young children learn to
write (Clay 1980; Temple et al. 1988), many primary grade teachers
have concerns about developing a writing program. Some believe
that learning to write follows learning to read (Elbow 2004). Others
struggle to organize and implement a program that aligns with
their established classroom practices. Thus, it is important for
primary grade teachers who have successfully developed writing
programs to share their knowledge.
This article describes how one such teacher, Shirley Thacker,
developed and implemented a successful writing program in her
first grade classroom, which is known as Thackerville.

Linda E. Martin, EdD, is an associate professor in the Department of

Elementary Education at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. Her
research interests include primary grade childrens literacy develop-
ment and teachers professional development issues.
Shirley Thacker, NBCT, teaches at Wes-Del Elementary in Gaston,
Indiana. A teacher for more than 34 years in elementary education,
she received her National Board Certification as an Early Childhood
Generalist in 2003 and her Teacher Consultant Certification from the
Indiana Writing Project at Ball State University in 2007.
shthacker@eiwifi.com
Photos Ellen B. Senisi.

30 Young ChildrenJuly2009
Thackerville
Entering Thackerville, one hears soft music in the back-
ground. There is a rug area with plenty of books, fiction and
nonfiction, and a rocking chair for sharing stories. Print
is everywhere, in the form of words learned during vari-
ous activitiesa word wall, words that rhyme, words that
describeand childrens stories are posted outside the door.
Shirley works with small groups at a table that can be
seen from all corners of the room. In a metal cabinet, each
child has a personal file called a story drawer in which
to keep works in progress. Shirley also conducts mini-
lessons on topics related to writing in various places in the
classroom, using a portable easel that holds chart paper
and a whiteboard. A variety of resources, including differ-
ent types of paper as well as tabletop computers and
desk-type word processors, are available to the children.
The children often work independently, in small groups
or alone, in different areas of the classroom, while Shirley
works with individuals. The environment is busy but quiet
for a classroom of 21 first-graders.
If four children wanted to write about
the same topic, they worked together
to create a list of words they could
post in their personal word banks.
Young ChildrenJuly2009
Below, and in the pages that follow, Shirley herself
describes how she motivated a classroom of first-graders to
use the writing process in a workshop format and how this
approach affected the childrens perceptions of writing. She
includes childrens comments (using pseudonyms).
Analyzing and implementing a
first grade writing program
Childrens writing has always been important to me, but
teaching the writing process was something new. I did not
think that first-graders could use the writing process or
reflect independently on their writing. I remembered the
frustration of children in earlier classes when they could not
spell words correctly or understand how to complete their
sentences. I viewed this challengeorganizing and imple-
menting a writing programas an
opportunity to learn more about
how children develop writing skills.
Creating an environment
for authoring
My first goal was to create a
classroom environment that invited
children to write. I made available a
variety of materialsdifferent kinds of
paper, pens, pencils, colored pencils,
computers with word-processing pro-
gramsthat the children could choose
from to write and publish their work.
I introduced the children to different
authors by reading aloud and discuss-
ing quality childrens literature, fiction
and nonfiction, so they could understand
how authors use their ideas to share sto-
ries and knowledge through writing.
The environment needed to be print
rich. Therefore, we collected words and
categorized them in meaningful ways that would help the
children when they wrote. We created a word wall for word
families (words ending in ame, ime, and ake, for
example) to aid in spelling. We sorted words according to
themes, to give children new ideas for writing topics. The
themes evolved from a variety of sourcestopics discussed
in literature (the fiction and nonfiction books we read), on
field trips, in a school assembly, by a guest speaker.
The children created word bankscollections of words
related to their writing topics. Children can gather the
words during any type of classroom experience and use
them later in their writing. Children collect words individu-
ally, in small groups, or as a class. For example, if four
children wanted to write about the same topic, they worked
together to create a list of words they could post in their
31
personal word banks. Most of Family time also included
the words were posted so the Writing Workshop Routines a guest readera child who
children could touch them. shared a favorite piece of lit-
They could trace the letters in erature or her own published
Family Time
the words, which helped them work. Having guest writers and
Student generated
remember. This was important readers share written works
Guest authors from among the children share their
as the children studied words with the class helped the chil-
own work or their favorite literature (20 min.)
to add to their writing. dren understand how closely
Throughout the year, the Writing Time writing and reading relate to
children made connections Teacher generated one another.
between the words they were Teacher presents a mini-lesson (10 min.)
learning and how those words Writing time. Following fam-
Teacher models writing a story, and so forth (5 min.)
helped them to write. Daryl ily time, the writing part of the
Children write on a given topic (5 min.)
explained, You can just look workshop began. I presented
around and see a word that you Teacher/student generated a mini-lesson focusing on an
like, and that gives you an idea Children choose to continue writing on the given topic important writing behavior,
to write about. In referring to or go back to a work in progress (20 min.) and then I read aloud a book.
her personal word bank, Sam The book might align with a
stated, If I forget a word, I know study topic, like penguins, or
where I have them all. Tony show how authors develop
explained how he used a book he had read (Marc Browns stories. Next, the children wrote for five minutes, usually on
Arthur Writes a Story) to help him write a story about a topic of my choice, often related to the book. Afterward,
Arthur: I made up the entire story, but I read the book to they could either continue writing on that topic or go back
make me think about how to spell Arthur. and write on a work in progress from their story drawer.
In either task, they followed the basic writing process
formatplan, write a sloppy copy, edit (by oneself, in peer
Establishing routines for young authors
conferences, and in a teacher conference), create the final
Most of the children in my classroom were just discover- copy, and publish. The process was not linear; children
ing writing, and I wanted to make sure that I had adequate could revisit a previous stage before moving forward.
time for all of them. Therefore, I established basic routines
in the morning for the writing workshop, which lasted As the children learned the routines in the writing
approximately 60 minutes (see the diagram, Writing workshop, I gave them more controlperhaps choosing
Workshop Routines on p. 34). their partners themselves or having more time to write.
Eventually, I realized that the writing workshop routines
Family time. We always began the day with family time, could be nested within any subject throughout the day. As
which the children lead. During that period, guest authors a result, the children learned that as authors, they could
(children who had published their work) shared their sto- write for a variety of reasons, not just to compose a story.
ries with the class. First grade children publish a story by
developing it through the writing process, then putting it in Developing focused mini-lessons
book form to share with others.
Publishing and sharing their work as guest authors was Mini-lessons (approximately 10 minutes)short, focused
very important to the children from the beginning. They lessons that held the childrens attentionwere an impor-
wanted to share their published writing with anyone who tant part of the writing workshop. I selected topics accord-
would listen. They liked publishing their work their own ing to childrens specific needs in developing their writing
way. Some children preferred to handwrite their story on skills. I usually identified the topics during individual or
special paper, and some liked to publish on the computer. group conferences, from my informal observations while
the children were writing, or by examining their writing
samples. For example, I might offer a think-aloud mini-
lesson to show children how to stay on topic when writing
or how to move forward when they were stuck on a new
Some children preferred to handwrite word (see A Mini-Lesson about Spelling).
their story on special paper, and some When modeling any aspect of writing, I wanted the chil-
dren to understand that authors do make mistakes. This
liked to publish on the computer. point became an important component of most of the mini-
lessons, and the children seemed to absorb the message.

32 Young ChildrenJuly2009
Sam stated early in the year, You just try the hard-
est that you can and do your best. But everybody
makes mistakes. Daryl explained, If you dont know
a word, just circle it; put a line under it, and then
look in the dictionary when you are done. Susan
reflected on a sentence in one of her stories:
Mmm . . . Me and my friend go to school. . . . You
have to put friend first and you on the end, because
that is polite. Like, My friend and me go to school.
But we should change me to I.

Childrens writing skills

(and my understanding) grow
In many ways, developing a writing program was
as instructive for me as it was for the children.

Young authors develop topics

I had a difficult time understanding that first
grade children can develop their own topics. I knew that
many of the children would struggle to write one word, so
in the beginning I kept the format simple to allow them to
get down their thoughts. For example, I used patterned
stories, such as I like _________________, and the children
filled in a word. In a few weeks, after various mini-lessons
modeling how to develop a topic, they were able to write
a sentence or more. By October, those same children were
writing on the front and back of the paper. Daryl wrote
about how he gets scared when his mom turns out his light
and papers flutter in the wind. When this work was being
published, Daryl reminded me to include the writing on the
back of the sheet.
A Mini-Lesson about Spelling
First-graders think that every word has to be spelled
correctly, and many would not try to write new words
unless they had the words right in front of them. Often,
frustration about spelling interrupted their flow of ideas
while writing. I wanted the children to think about the
sounds in words and to write down at least the beginning
and ending sounds. To help them, I modeled how to write
a story and think out loud about all the sounds in words.
As I wrote my story on the chalkboard, I sounded out
the words and printed the corresponding letters. I circled
words that did not look right, so I could go back to them
when I finished writing the story. This mini-lesson showed
the young writers that instead of interrupting their train of
thought to come up with an accurate spelling, they could
go back and correct mistakes later.
I wondered, at first, when I modeled
how to get a story down on paper, whether the children
might copy my story rather than developing their own.
However, I found that the children preferred their own top-
ics to mine. Shelly explained, Sometimes [Mrs. Thacker]
picks topics that not all of us know about, and then that
makes the story shorter and not as interesting. Having
choices for writing also helped children like John, who
struggled with reading and writing. He wrote three pages
about his dad, which he said was his best work.
Young authors develop plans
To help the children understand why planning before writ-
ing is important, I needed to help them become aware that
stories are made up of organized details. One day, I picked
up a book that I thought they would enjoy, read one sen-
tence, and then closed the book. When they responded with
Hey, thats not all! I pointed out that they were writing only
one or two sentences and calling their work a story. This
lead to a discussion about what a story looks like, and they
began to understand that a story includes many elements,
like characters, setting, problem, events, and ending.
Initially, the children drew their plans. Drawing pictures
gave them time to think about the details they wanted to
include. I encouraged them to share (rehearse) their plan
with a peer who could ask questions that would help them
add details. Even though the children learned other ways
to organize their ideas (such as webbing), many of them
continued to draw pictures, because they felt that draw-
ing presented more details for writing. While developing a
plan about penguins, Kenzi stated, Right now, that is all I
have on my organization, but I might think of more details

Young ChildrenJuly2009 33
to put in my plan, and then my story will be longer. Daryl
explained how he used both a picture and mapping to plan,
because when you get the picture done, it helps you to
think about what to put on your plan [map]. That helps me
write my story so it makes sense.
It was common for the children to have more than one
work in progress in their file drawer. In some instances, a
child would develop a plan and then move on to another
topic, knowing that she could always return to the plan and
continue to develop it.
Planning
Periodically, the children reflected on all
their works in progress. Early on, I doubted
whether many of the children would reflect
on their writing and then complete important Self Edit
pieces, but I was wrong. While reflecting on his
plan for a new story about Peach and Blue, a
book about a talking peach and a blue toad, by
Sarah Kilborne, Daryl said, Here is the Peach
and Blue picture. I started a good one. There
is the pond over there. Yes, this is a keeper. I
will write a story from this. Shelly also began
a story about Peach and Blue: Yeah, I began a
34
story about Peach and Blue. But I havent written it yet. I
have other stories to write, but I will finish it. I think it will
be a good story.
Young authors edit their writing
In January I introduced the editing process. To begin, I
wanted the children to know that authors also have to edit.
This was easy to show with the book Diffendoofer, by Dr.
Seuss. In the back of the book is the original manuscript,
and Dr. Seuss explains how the story evolved throughout
the editing process. I taught the children to first self-edit
and then to select a peer to read the story. The children
used different colored pencils to code each editing stage
blue for self-editing and red for peer editing. To guide the
childrens thinking during editing, I developed a checklist of
the writing conventions we had covered thoroughly, such
as using capitals and ending a sentence with a punctua-
tion mark. As the children learned more about writing, the
checklist grew longer.
Making decisions about their writing empowered the
children. Kenzi shared her thoughts on editing: When you
publish, I think people that are reading [your words] should
know what they are. So, we like to partner edit. The red ink
is with my partner. Then Kenzi gave an example of how
she helped her partner edit: Well, [the author] thought the
word snow was okay. So, I asked some questions. I asked
if his story had a beginning, an ending, and a middle, and
if there was a big letter at the first of the sentence. Tony
showed how to stretch words out so his partner could
hear the sounds: If somebody does not know how to spell
California, then I will help them: California.
The Writing Process
Revisiting a
Writing previous stage
of the writing
process
Peer Edit
Teacher Conference
Published
Young ChildrenJuly2009
Young authors reflect during a conference
Holding regular conferences both with individuals and
with groups of children was very important. I wanted to
be out among the children, moving from person to person,
helping them, and seeing what they were doing. The writ-
ing workshop allowed the children to move independently
from one step in the process to the next. I was very used
to being in control, but then I would observe them busy
working through the writing process at their own pace. The
children needed to be in charge of their learning.
We held small group conferences based on individual
childrens needs, so the groups
of participants changed. For
instance, I would hold a confer-
ence with children who needed
In some instances, a
help developing complete sen- child would develop
tences. When a child was stuck
in the writing process, I held an
a plan and then move
individual conference to help him on to another topic,
get started again. As the children
became more independent, they
knowing that she
would at times request a confer- could always return
ence with me to work on a spe-
cific writing problem. To monitor
to the plan and con-
how often I met with children tinue to develop it.
and why, I kept a log of the meet-
ings and the topics discussed.
Informal assessment was con-
tinual and multifaceted in my classroom. Some assessment
was child initiated. At the end of every term, the children
reflected on their progress as they examined their work. In
the process, they selected the pieces they wanted to show-
case for their parents and other interested parties. The chil-
dren, in most cases, wanted to show not only the finished
product but also the drafts that demonstrated the process.
By the end of the first grade year, these children were
writing experts. The student teacher gave the class a
stuffed horse. One of the last assignments was to write
about the horse. The children had to name the horse,
describe its habitat, where it lived, and what it ate. They
wrote pages. These children were not only really good writ-
ers, but they enjoyed writing!
Conclusion
Shirley Thacker and her first-graders demonstrate the im-
portance of children having a vested interest in what and how
they learn. They can reflect on their progress and can learn
how to make corrections. Further, they show that primary
grade children can work collaboratively within their learning
environment. In the process, Shirley learned that her chil-
dren are much more capable than she previously thought.
She said it best: My instruction has forever changed.
Young ChildrenJuly2009
Developing a Writing Workshop:
Important Lessons
Be patient! Learning takes time. Take time to guide
children through the many different activities associated
with the writing process in the workshop. Once they are
comfortable with a routine, such as self-editing, then add
a new layer of complexity, such as peer editing. Teachers
also need timeto think about how to meet childrens
individual needs as their writing skills develop.
Createaflexiblewritingenvironment.
Organize the classroom environment so the
children can move from one writing routine to
the next. This may result in a classroom that
looks busy, with students working on their indi-
vidual writing samples. Some children may be
on the floor editing with a peer, working in small
groups to develop a topic, examining their writ-
ing file to finish a work in progress, sitting on
the carpet reading a story similar to one they
are writing, or writing using a computer. Chil-
drens different locations and groupings show
that they can work independently and are fully
engaged in all aspects of the writing process.
Connectwritingandreading. Sharing and discussing
literature with children during reading and writing activi-
ties helps them connect their learning to how all authors
develop their stories. Children discover that authors write
for readers and for authentic purposes. This guides them
to think about the importance of words in writing a story.
An effective writing program should support childrens
writing by having a variety of quality literature and also
collections of words discovered while learning.
References
Calkins, L.M. 1994. The art of teaching writing. 2nd ed. Portsmouth, NH:
Heinemann.
Clay, M.M. 1980. What did I write? Beginning writing behavior. 9th ed.
Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Clay, M.M. 2001. Change over time in childrens literacy development.
Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Graves, D.H. 1994. A fresh look at writing. Portsmouth: NH: Heinemann.
Elbow, P. 2004. Writing first! Educational Leadership 62 (2): 813.
Harwayne, S. 2001. Writing through childhood: Rethinking process and
product. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
McGee, L.M., & D.J Richgels. 2004. Literacys beginnings: Supporting
young readers and writers. 4th ed. New York: Pearson Education.
Ray, K.W., with L.B. Cleaveland. 2004. About the authors: Writing work-
shop with our youngest writers. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Temple, C., R. Nathan, N. Burris, & F. Temple. 1988. The beginnings of
writing. 2nd ed. Newton, MA: Allyn & Bacon.
Copyright 2009 by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. See
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