What’s Right About Writing – Response to Linda Rief Article

I agree that in order to be good teachers of writing, teachers need to think about their own beliefs about writing and how those beliefs transfer into classroom practice.  That’s why I love taking literacy classes because it gives me the opportunity to look at research and make educated decisions about how I teach.  It’s my responsibility then to take my classroom experiences and learn from them, adjusting my teaching as needed. 

Teachers also need to be writers themselves because it helps them “understand what we are asking our students to do” (p.38).  By writing themselves, teachers understand that the writing process is not a linear process to be taught step by step, but rather is it a recursive process where writers can think critically throughout their writing. 

  In order to succeed as writers, students need to read a variety of texts and genres.  They should be provided with opportunities to read examples of any type of writing they are expected to create.   According to Linda Rief, “writing is reading.”  Many schools have put writing on a back burner to focus more on reading, but to be strong readers, students also need to be strong writers. 

“Writers need constructive response” (p.33).  Students benefit greatly from effective conferencing.  Asking questions encourages students to think about their own writing and decide whether or not they’ve succeeded in getting their meaning down on paper.  Pointing out what’s right and meeting with the student throughout his/her writing rather than only at the end provides immediate feedback which helps students grow as writers.

Writing is a critical component not only for language arts, but it should also be integrated into all areas of the curriculum.  It requires students to use higher order thinking skills to clarify and organize their thoughts.  When students write about a subject, they must think about what they know and what they don’t know about it before they can write about it.  This process helps them to solidify what they know. 

Writer’s workshop offers opportunities for kids to write daily.  It provides a structure where kids can explore and practice their writing abilities.  Mini-lessons provide a focus, and students are given time each day to practice their writing about topics that are meaningful to them.  Writing allows students to create, imagine, voice their opinions, work through their wonderings and feelings, and think about themselves and the world around them.  I agree with Rief that “if we want children to become adults who are articulate, literate, and thoughtful citizens of the world, they must learn to think deeply and widely” (p.35). Writing allows them to do that.