Think Piece #6



For this week’s reading, one of the themes that stood out to me is that of handwriting. “There will continue to be many settings in which fluid, legible handwriting and correct spelling are essential” (p 179). I think the importance of handwriting has decreased over the years. Students today are so used to technology tools to help them write papers that they don’t realize they are missing out on an important aspect of writing.

Well developed penmanship used to be a requirement for professional work. Handwriting, mostly cursive, was once a large part of writing years ago. Now, it is a small part that is taught along with other aspects of ELA. People today, students and adults, do not write as much as we used to in the past. Less people write letters because of e-mails and fewer students write with a pen or pencil for school because of computers.

New York State still requires students to write handwritten essays for several standardized tests. If students do not get any practice of this during the year, they will not know what to expect on the day of the exam. Legible writing is a necessary and practical skill that students do not get enough practice of.  Poor handwriting can also help people form negative judgments about others. It may look like they do not care or didn’t take the time to put the effort in the writing.

There is controversy over the different types of handwriting and when they should be taught. There are millions of ways to form letters of the alphabet. A few questions raised are: “Should children be introduced to writing through a traditional manuscript alphabet and later bridged into cursive…? Should students begin with cursive to prevent the difficulties of learning a new way to write in later grades?” (p 195). I believe students should learn the traditional manuscript and then cursive, as most of us were. When students are in their first years of school, they are reading words in the traditional format, not cursive. Students would be confused because they would be taught to write one way but read letters that are formed differently. One of the few advantages of learning cursive first, in my opinion, is the fact the b and d in cursive will be less likely to be mixed up.

I know from experience that my two younger sisters have terrible handwriting. They are only 5 and 10 years younger than me, but this just shows how fast technology has advanced. I remember being told in elementary school that in middle school and high school teachers make you write only in cursive. The use of cursive was not to this extreme once I reached the higher grades. I sometimes found myself writing in cursive to take notes because it was faster and easier for me, but it wasn’t neater.

I have said on numerous occasions that I wish I had “teacher handwriting.” Since I grew out of writing in cursive in high school, my cursive is not as legible as I wish it to be. So many of my teachers have “pretty” and “flowy” handwriting and I am afraid when I have to write notes home to parents, it will look like a student wrote it (judgments!). I understand all people, including teachers, have their own style, I just have to accept mine. Writing on the board is also a problem for me! I really wish there was something I could do to learn how to write like a teacherJ. Practice makes perfect.

Think Piece #5

In this week’s reading, Chapter 7, in Best Practices in Writing Instruction, revising was the focus point. Revising is a very important step in the writing process and is beneficial for the student to participate in. “Revising is a way to learn about the craft of writing” (p. 141). It doesn’t only occur after the writing has been completed, but often throughout the writing process. Students are always looking to go back and change and edit their ideas. Not all students are excellent writers so the revising step can help them enhance what they have already written.

“Peer revising is a common feature of writing-process classrooms, and it is often recommended as a way of providing student writers with an audience of readers who can respond to their writing, identify strengths and problems and recommend improvements” (p 146). I always loved the peer editing step of the writing process because I need feedback from others to provide confidence as well as constructive criticism of my writing. I agree that peer revising is more efficient than group revising because more can be accomplished when two people are trading papers, as opposed to an entire group.

On page 151, steps to a peer revising strategy are as follows:

1.      Listen while the author reads the paper

2.      Tell what the paper was about and what you liked best about it

3.      Read the story and ask the evaluation questions

4.      Discuss the evaluation and ways to make the paper better

5.      Author makes changes.

I think these are great steps for students to follow. The students provide positive feedback about what they liked best and then they have the opportunity to give constructive criticism. I like how the students have the chance to discuss what they think, not just write it down or “grade” their papers and hand it back. Whenever students can talk and discuss their writing, ideas and processes, the better writer a student becomes. The author also has the final decision so if they completely disagree with their peer, there is no pressure to have to change what they have written.

This chapter also talked about the use of Word Processing. There are both advantages and disadvantages to using programs such as Microsoft Word to write. I think students, especially at the early levels, should practice writing first drafts by hand and editing and revising on their own or with a peer. When you sit down to type a paper, Word corrects spelling and grammar and I think students often take advantage of this. I believe computers are great for final drafts and it is much easier for the teacher to read something typed, but I think it also promotes laziness in young students’ writing motivation.

I think revising is very important for writers of all ages because they need the time to go back and reflect on what they have written. There are always changes that could be made, whether it adding more detail, changing sentence structures, or even making sure such things as capitalization and punctuation are correct. The writing process should be taught at a young age so students don’t think that they write something and then they are done with it right after. Even adults who write should still practice editing and revising. Adults make mistakes too and if you have a friend or colleague look over your work, they are most likely going to see something different than you, the writer.

Independent Reading Project

For the Independent Reading Project, I read Katharine Davies Samway's book, When English Language Learners Write: Connecting Research to Practice, K-8.

What is this book? When English Language Learners Write is a great resource for teachers working with ELLs as well as native English speaking students. She focuses on proving the several misconceptions many people have about ELLs, including that they can’t write and that they have writing problems.  She also provides a variety of writing research and strategies to help our students become effective writers.

Who should read this book? Any teacher working with ELLs should definitely have this book on their shelf in their classroom. It is a great resource explaining the way an ELL thinks and writes. There are many aspects that influence ELL writers including instruction, community and environment, which also have an impact on English speaking students. Teachers of writing should also use this book as a resource because many of the tips can also apply to enhancing the writing of native writers as well.

When should I read this book? If you are a teacher who is just starting out working with ELLs or a teacher who has been working with ELLs for years, it is not too late to read this book. It has so much helpful information that no matter what point in your career you’re at, it will still be beneficial.

Why should I read this book? You should read it to gain knowledge of what influences an ELL’s writing. You will learn how ELLs are stereotyped into being poor writers, when in reality, they often express their ideas and emotions better through writing as opposed to speaking.

How should I read this book? Go buy it and open it up! This book is a textbook, meant to be used as a resource. You won’t want to sit down in your favorite chair and have the expectation to sit for a few hours for an enjoyable read. It is a resource that you can turn to for writing guidelines and ideas to help ELLs become the best readers they can be.

**To read the complete review, please go to this link: Book Review

**To see my brochure for this book, please go to this link: Brochure