Tip #7 - Sensory Reportage

All writing, to some extent, involves translation of observations or ideas into words set into sentences and paragraphs. Writing prompts that call for “sensory reportage” recognize that individual students process ideas in different ways. Three of these ways are the visual, the auditory, and the kinesthetic.

Let’s say that the topic for a writing exercise is camping. One way to acknowledge that some students may be visual learners, others auditory learners, and still others kinesthetic learners is to develop a selection of prompts that allow students to choose. For example:

• Design a campsite layout. Draw the layout and then write a description. (Visual)
• Create a key to birdsongs or calls. Try to imitate the sounds and then write a description. (Auditory)
• Roll and store a sleeping bag. Experiment with a sleeping bag to discover how best to roll it and then write a description. (Kinesthetic)

Each of these prompts requires the student to make a translation — that is, to translate a visual design, birdcalls, or a physical activity (rolling a sleeping bag) into words. For this assignment the translation is a description. For others the required writing might entail explication or analysis.

Like any sort of translation, part of the process will entail identifying words to use. Translating from a visual, auditory, or kinesthetic plan, observation, or experience will involve a prewriting process of gathering words to use, in this case, descriptive words — strong verbs, adjective, adverbs, and so on. This process can be compared to a chef preparing to cook. Having decided on the meal, the chef must gather the ingredients before preparing the dishes.

Sensory reportage is a strategy that helps make students aware of language and how writers translate ideas into words.

Tip #6 - The Case of Pronouns

Do you notice students mixing up pronoun cases, for example, writing, “Me and her went to the mall,” when the correct use would be, “She and I went to the mall”? It’s a common problem. But helping students understand and use the correct pronoun case is an easy fix.

Instead of teaching with the case labels — nominative, objective — use natural language. This strategy first involves separating the pronouns and then trying out the sentences that result:

• Is “Me went to the mall” correct?
• Is “Her went to the mall” correct?

Students easily recognize that both are incorrect uses of me and her. The corrected sentences are, “I went to the mall” and “She went to the mall.” Together therefore the compound subject would be, “She and I went to the mall.”

The same strategy holds for the objective case. Is “Dad bought ice cream for him and I” correct?

• “Dad bought ice cream for him” is okay.
• “Dad bought ice cream for I” isn’t.

Most students will readily make the correction: “Dad bought ice cream for him and me.”

Separating compound subjects and objects helps students hear incorrect pronoun cases and make corrections using natural language.

Incidentally, it’s also standard usage to put the other person first in a compound subject or a compound object: “She and I” rather than “I and she”; “him and me” rather than “me and him.”

With a little practice, most students can apply these pronoun fixes with little or no teacher prompting.

Tip #5 - Easy Apostrophes

A frequent question from teachers is, How do I teach students the basics about using apostrophes? Let’s keep it easy.

“Its” or “it’s”? Some students find them endlessly confusing. So one easy answer is that personal pronouns never use apostrophes to indicate possession. Examples: “That hat is hers” (not her’s). “The apple is noted for its red color” (not it’s). Nouns, on the other hand, do take apostrophes to show possession. Examples: “That is Joan’s hat” or “The dog’s collar is missing.”

Another common use of apostrophes is to indicate that letters are missing, as in contractions: “isn’t” for “is not” or “I’m” for “I am.” Formal writing, such as reports, still tends not to include contractions. They are present in most other writing, but overuse should be avoided. It’s hard to justify “should’nt’ve” for “should not have,” for instance.

Help students keep in mind that English is a living language and therefore periodically changes. These changes can be a fascinating study in themselves. For example, the word bus, the vehicle, began in the 1800s as omnibus. In the early twentieth century, as buses became more widely used (and motorized), the word was briefly seen in publications as ’bus, with the apostrophe standing in for the missing omni. Later, common use of the word led to dropping the apostrophe.

Another example of such “evolution” is the word email. This shorthand for “electronic mail” started as E-mail, but rapidly was reduced to lower case e-mail. Some publications still retain the hyphen, but many have made the transition to the unhyphenated form.

Eras also used to be written using an apostrophe: 1890’s or 1950’s. Today, however, that apostrophe is seldom used. Eras are written as 1890s or 1950s. Other plurals involving letters and numbers still use the apostrophe. Examples: “The sum of those numbers contains three 7’s” or “Little Tom knows his ABC’s.”

To sum up, three easy, basic rules can help you teach correct apostrophe use:

• Don’t use apostrophes to show possession with personal pronouns, but do use apostrophes to show possession with nouns.
• Use apostrophes to stand in for missing letters in contractions, but stick to common contractions and don’t overuse apostrophes.
• Be aware that language changes over time, which can alter the correct use of apostrophes and other punctuation marks.

Tip #4 - Teach Spell Check

Students (and adult writers as well) often think that running a software spell-check program, such as the one that comes with Microsoft Word, is the same as proofreading for spelling. But spell check has limitations that students need to keep in mind to use it effectively.

Spell check works best for catching typos, words students may know how to spell but incorrectly keyed. A “suggested corrections” feature may give them possible alternatives and thus allow them to spot the correct spelling and fix their work with a click of the mouse. The implication, however, is clear: Students need to be able to recognize correct spellings, which means that you still need to teach spelling. Software cannot substitute for basic spelling instruction.

Spell-check software also is no substitute for careful proofreading. Keep in mind that spell check won’t catch typos that actually are words. For example, if a student types “fox” instead of “fix,” spell check won’t flag it because fox is a real word.

An extension of this issue applies to homophones (words that sound alike but are spelled differently). For instance, if a student means “their” but types “there” or “they’re,” the spell-check software won’t catch it. This software limitation argues for giving special emphasis to teaching homophones and alerting students to pay particular attention to “to-too-two” types of usage.

The bottom line: Teach spelling — but also teach students how and when best to use spell check. Software is not yet sophisticated enough to replace careful proofreading for spelling and other aspects of composition. But it can be a valuable aid, in part because it also helps students and teachers pinpoint topics for additional teaching and learning.

Tip #3 - Daily Writing

“Daily?!” Before you groan, let me explain. Writing is an instructional strategy for learning content and developing composition skills. It’s most effective when students write often. Daily writing fills this need and it’s easy to implement. Once a pattern of practice is established, daily writing also is easy to maintain.

Begin each class period by having students respond to a question posted in a standard place in the classroom. The question can be a lesson starter or a discussion starter, but it should require higher-level thinking, not merely recall. Establish a routine that students come into the classroom, quietly take their seats, take out their journals, and write a short (3-5 sentences) response to the posted question. They write independently, settling in and getting focused for the lesson to come, while you take care of your own routines such as taking attendance. Take only about five minutes for this part.

Then the first whole-class activity will be a brief discussion about what the students have written. Don’t use daily writing only for getting students settled (though it also works well for this purpose). Use it to initiate the day’s lesson:

• Review a previous lesson before continuing on the same topic.
• Activate prior knowledge before starting a new topic.
• Arouse interest or curiosity about the day’s lesson content.

By asking a few students to share what they have written, you are teaching all of them 1) that writing is part of learning, 2) that such writing assignments are integral to the lesson and not merely busy work, and 3) that what students write is valued.

Using students’ daily writing in this way also will give you an informal way to check for understanding (formative assessment) and thus gauge how best to proceed with instruction.

Tip #2 - Use Wait Time

Remember the advice about asking questions during a class discussion: Wait a bit for the answers. Silence may seem uncomfortable, but students need time to think and frame their responses. The same is true for writing assignments. When you want students to think critically and creatively, give them time to process their ideas.

Often, especially with longer writing projects, it’s a good idea to get students started in class and then turn to something else, some other activity. The in-class writing time allows students to ask questions or seek clarification. Going on to other things then lets them process subconsciously before taking up the writing task again, either in class or on their own.

Some people write in one long burst of creativity, but many writers find that alternating writing with other activities (including sleep) actually helps them be more focused and creative when they do write.

Writing does not necessarily stop when students are not scratching with pen on paper or tapping computer keys. The subconscious mind is an idea factory, processing raw material and resolving dilemmas. Many writers “write” in their heads, and then when they get back to the keyboard those newly processed ideas flow more readily.

The same “wait” advice applies when you ask students to edit or proofread their own work. But it works a little differently. In this case, the down time provides a more objective perspective. Reflect on this: When you try to edit or proofread a piece that you’ve just written, your mind fills in the blanks that occur on the page. By taking a break and coming back to the work later, you return to it with “new eyes.” The same is true for your students. After some wait time, reading and editing as “naïve readers” helps students to see and correct problems in their own writing.

Using wait time is a helpful strategy for clarifying both writing and editing.

Tip #1 - Beginning, Middle, Ending

Many students are inclined to start writing in response to a question or an assignment without thinking much about the final structure of the total composition. Consequently, the response can be meandering or incomplete.

Teachers can help students to think intentionally about the structure of a response by asking them to consider beginning, middle, and ending —whether they are writing an answer to a discussion question, a letter, a report, or some other type of composition. Here are some thinking prompts:

Beginning. What is your topic? What will you tell your reader? How will you draw the reader in? A good beginning sets a course. There’s an adage worth remembering that says: Tell the reader what you’re going to tell him, then tell him, and then tell him what you’ve told him.

Middle. What points amplify your topic? Whether the middle is a couple of sentences, a paragraph, or several pages, it should be guided by the course set in the beginning. Beware of tangents that take the reader in unpredictable or unproductive directions. Details and examples are hallmarks of well-developed middle sections of any composition.

Ending. What key points need to be summarized? The ending is a vantage point for looking back over the course on which you have taken your reader. Review the course, draw conclusions, and sum up.

Writing is like baking a cake. Assemble the ingredients, make the batter, bake the cake. Leave out any step and you’ll get a mess rather than a delicious dessert.