The Writing Process

1. Think of an idea. Use your imagination and experience.
2. Then brainstorm. List, cluster, map, make an outline.
3. Write a rough draft. Double space as you write.
4. Read and revise. Read your work aloud and revise it. Draw lines through what you change rather than erasing. You may later want to recover a word or an idea. Revising means:
   1. Adding words.
   2. Taking out words that aren't needed.
   3. Changing words to make your meaning more clear.
   4. Rearranging words.
   5. Changing or combining sentences.
5. Then share your writing with someone. Is the meaning clear? Are there questions or suggestions? Revise as needed.
6. Then edit. Check correctness of spelling, punctuation, capitalization, form.
7. Prepare a final draft. Use your best handwriting.
8. Finally publish. Share with an audience.

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Brainstorming

Brainstorming is essential for good writing. In addition to teaching children to list, outline and use cards, show them how to bubble, cluster and map. They will eventually find their own preferred method of brainstorming.

• Bubbling
  1. Write the topic in a big circle in the middle of a page.
  2. As you think about the topic, draw more circles, each with one or two words to remind you of an idea or thought.
  3. After writing all ideas, go back and use color to highlight ideas which belong together.
• Clustering is similar to bubbling, but you connect circles to related ideas as you go along. Ideas can be connected to more than one place if they apply.
• Mapping is a form of outlining.
  1. Write the topic in a circle in the middle of the page.
  2. Write the main ideas on spokes connected to the circle.
  3. Write supporting ideas on lines connected to the main ideas.
  4. Write details connected to supporting ideas.
  5. When finished, go back and number the main ideas, supporting ideas, and details to indicate a sequence to use for writing.

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What Are the Traits of Quality Writing?

Here's a list to help you focus in on what's good about your students' writing. Always look for and comment on what's good. Limit comments and teach in another context anything that's not so good. It is extremely important to constantly encourage children in the area of writing, as they are easily discouraged.

Ideas / Development

• Makes sense
• Writer knows the topic
• Lots of interesting details
• Makes a point
• Makes you want to keep reading

Organization

• Opens with a real lead
• Effective sequence
• Good pacing
• Smooth transitions
• Builds to a high point, has momentum
• Sense of resolution

Writing Conventions

• Spelling, punctuation, capitalization, grammar, indents
• Essentially correct (not necessarily perfect)
• Consistent

Word Choice

• Strong vocabulary
• Natural
• Energetic verbs
• Precise nouns, modifiers
• Everyday words with a fresh twist
• "Ah, that was good!" moments
• Minimal repetitions, cliches, abstract language

Sentence Fluency

• Rhythmic sound
• Natural
• Easy on the ear
• Easy to read aloud
• Sentences have power: clear, graceful, emphasis is obvious
• Variety in length and structure of sentences
• Fragments are effective if used

"Voice"

• Person behind the words
• Writer-reader interaction
• Writing to be read
• Audience awareness
• Commitment and involvement
• Conviction
• Text is lively and has vitality
• Personal, individual, expressive

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"Benchmark" Writing for Grades 1-6

The following writing samples were among those written by all students in a large elementary school on their own without adult assistance. They were selected as representing average, above average and below average writing for the age group. They are reproduced verbatim. These are included because many home school parents are not familiar with "normal" writing for children at various ages and as a result have standards which are unrealistically high and which discourage children. It is my hope that you'll discover that your kids are doing OK!

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First Grade Writing Samples

Above average
This is the first time I leared how to ride my bike with no training wheels and I am glad that I know how to ride my bike with no training wheels. When I tride to get on my bike I told my mom that I got on it. When I first tride to stop it was sort of hard but I got in to it. my dad said that he wood take them off and I got it from my mom and dad for my birthday and I like the colors on it our hot orange and purple and I like my bike a lot and my mom told me that I had to go slow but the next day I got to ride my bike fast and one time when I got to go around the block I had to go down the hill and it was fun. the first time I was going to go with my mom around the block I was scared but I got the hang of it. When I got my bike for my birthday I just turned 6. When I first got my bike it did not have training wheels and I was scared but when I turned 7 I leared how to ride it and I was proud of me and I like riding it too. When I ride my bike sometimes I try to make my bike go up.

Average
The first time that I was at the doctdos I was very scared. I wantied to go. then I wasint scared eny more. decause I was scared dusit mene I am scaredycat OK, Win I was at the dotdos I ckood not see the dotde. So I opied my aeys so I can see him I relliy kood see him.

Below average
I lost my tooth the vaex tooth kaim not vaie hab my tooth kam nott.

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Second Grade Writing Samples

Above average
The first time getting my teeth pulled. The first time I got my teeth pulled when they wern't ready was when I was just a little kid. It really hurt when they gave me a shot in my gum I got my teeth pulled because I didn't have enough room for my front teeth. They gave me the shot because if they didn't when they pulled the teeth out I would feel it. I know that it would be really painful. It only took about 30 minets and after those 30 minets were up my lip was num for about an hour. When somethings num you can't feel it and you don't even know its there. All I know about numness is it comes from a shot and what I just told you. I told you alout about my self.

Average
My first time I broke my toe I hit the whall. My dad brotgh me to my room. He put pillows under my foot. To make the blud go down so it wom't hurt.

Below average
I got bit by a dog and cut my foot on glas and wint to the dokter and got a stiker.

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Third Grade Writing Samples

Above average
My first experience in rollar skating was very scary. When I went it looked like I was going to be the only one who didn't know how to skate. When I got out there I stayed by the wall. Everybody made fun of me. I was determend to show them. When I worked up enough nerve to go out in the middle. They were very surprised. I was glad. I had a sensation after I took my skates of. Like I was going to float right of the ground. I liked it.

Average
I had 2 cats and 2 dogs. 1 of the cats was mymy. She would tak out her clos and shred up the tolet paper. when ever we put her out side. She would kill a rat and scratch on the door then we open the door and she puts it in side. Wem I flush the tolet she would get on the tolet seat and watch it. Are other cat would sleep on the couch and my brother would put his hed on her and lisen to her per.

Below average
Win I ferst swam I wint on the hidiv My bruther dint no I was on the hidiv. He was walcing back wets he axssdidle posht me off. Tin my dad swam so fast he got me tin we bof wint don thin we bof wit up.

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Fourth Grade Writing Samples

Above average
One warm sunny day in Nebraska my dad, my little brother and I were going to a guys house who owns a ranch and one or two horses. He also takes care of a buffalo for the owner. when we got there I asked "can I take the buffalo for a walk?" he said, "sure". Dad helped me hook the leash on the buffalo's colar and with dad a little ways behind me I started walking the buffalo around the corral. After I walked him around the corral a few times he started pulling harder and harder! Then with a sudden jerk I was being drug around by a buffalo! Dad yelled to me, "let go, let go" so I let go!

After we caught him I was worn out but furious!! I brushed myselfr off and we went home after I fed the buffalo. That night I slept very, very well!!

Average
My first experents was skateboarding. when I first got on it I jumped off untill I got used to it. Then my friend showed me how to turn the skateboad. the first time I rode it was a little down hill. When I whent down the little hill I turned into the grass to stop. When I got the hange of it I whent straight on flat ground. When I try to stop I can't but I can stop sometimes. when I go down hill fast I go to the grass case I can not stop yet.

Below average
When I first rode a bick every time I stoped I would crash. Once I crashed into my dads work truck beacuse I forgot how to use my brcks

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Fifth Grade Writing Samples

Above average
The first time I went horseback riding, I was five years old. It was my sister's thirteenth birthday on April first. It was a hot summer day in Wasilla.

My family and I all got onto a gigantic horse (from my point of view). They were all good-natured mares. A big chubby man put his fat hands out. "Just step into my 'ands, Missy", he said in a country-sounding voice.

I sat on a light bay mare. Horseback riding was scary at first, but very exciting!

My family, the lady guide, and I rode on a cobblestoned path. Later on in the day, we went through a broad river. I wasn't afraid, but my mother was scared out of her wits for me! She was frightened that I would fall off the horse and break my neck or something else just as gory.

What was funny, thought, was the way my horse was lagging, nibbling sweet grass and such. I was right in back of the leader, so I made the whole family lag.

So, the guide broke off a medium-sized stick off of a tree and told me,

"When your horse lags, hit it lightly in the rump with this."

And -- guess what? What happened was that the horse sort of made a bumpy trot, and that made me bump up and down! And that made my whole family laught along and with the guide.

But then, my sister showed me how to make the horse gallop. That was a useful bit of information for the next time we would go riding -- near the ocean in New Mexico.

With that, we turned around and went back to the stables. It was twilight, so we watched the sun set. It had been a great day.

Average
When I was three my cousin came up from Sitka. The kids whent outside and my cousin Josh was riding my brothers bike, he told me to get out of the way so I whent up in my neghers yard. Josh didn't mean get up in the yard because thats were he was heading but he didn't tell me that. Josh rode up the hill and hit me whith my brothers bike. I fell on the only rock in the yard, and shatterd one of my front two front teeth on accident All I could eat for a week was soft foods espialy Oatmeal.

Below average
When I broke my arm. I felt veary ruber like stuff and it was mume. It sound like it was broke. So my mom took me to the hospital. And it was broke.

I had to stay home for a lot of days and had a lot of make up work so I went to get a cast and so I can go to school. And finsih my work and get help for my work. And I touched my arm and it hurt and it had hair on it. It had more hair then my other arm. and in a long time got it took off.

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Sixth Grade Writing Samples

Above average
I had lived in the Green House for all my life. It was an ordinary, small, one floor house painted green on the outside and eletric blue on the inside. It was like that when my parents bought it. They painted white over the blue, but never did anything about the green. It wasn't neon, so oh well.

Mom had a weaving room -- she has a loom, so huge she has to have a whole room for it and her yarn. It's in storage now that wher'e crammed in this stupid little duplex.

Mom weaves alot, and can sell what she makes. She makes fiber art jewelry and sells both at craft fairs. So do I --it's fun to make jewelry -- and money!

On the subject, I shared a room with Craig, my bother. Untill we didn't have a living room 'cuause mom moved her loom in there so I could have my own room. Craig & I had shared furniture, so I got new stuff. Meanwhile, our house whent on the market.

My parents had been planning to build a house since Craig was born. Now it's finally happening. Our house sold after two weeks.

How could I be happy when all my memories and emotions where going down the drain? I grew up in that house! How dare they take it away from me? They dare.

That house is different now. The middle age couple who bought it made the huge backyard all dug up into planters, and are tearing down the fence Dad built and carefully repaired so many times. It covers all of ours -- not there's -- property. They are painting the deck dad built as a suprise present for my mom. They probly replaced the brown and gold carpet. Other people think it's ugly but I grew up in it, and it was beautiful to me. Legally, they own my house. But emosionally, it will always belong to me.

Average
One of the very first times I went on a boat was a pretty dramatic experience. It was a nice sunny day, and my family and I were going fishing at Lake Raburn. I had on a big, bulky, bright orange life jacket, which was choking me, and I was super scared. I was positive that there were big, ugly, monster fish in the water and that the boat was going to turn over, and they would eat me.

Then it started to rain, hard. A storm was coming. I paniced! The boat tossed up and down as huge blue mouths bit at the sides of the boat. I was screaming and I clung to the boat like super glue. I was sure the boat would turn over, and the gaping blue mouths would devour us. I was screaminjg were all going to die, were going to crash, turn over, drown!

My dad started going faster and faster as the rain got harder and harder, and I got more and more frightened. We finally reached the dock. I hoppede out of the boat and ran to the truck as fast as my short little legs would carry me. There my mother comfortet me and said, "See, you didn't die." At last I felt safe.

Below average
The first time I rode a dirt bike. It was loud. I went off a jump with my friend Criss. He broke something I don't no. I was little and young. It was in anchorage. It was fun for me, Criss, and Shawn. Criss is in his 20es. Shawn is thirteen. I am eleven. I never rode a dirt bike again.

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Recommended Resources

• Dinah Zike's Big Book of Books and Activities. Telephone: 210-698-0123. Phone orders: 1-800-99-DINAH.
• If You're Trying to Teach Kids How to Write, You've Gotta Have this Book.

       

May he give you the desire of your heart, and make all your plans succeed. Psalm 20:4