1. Overcoming Problems Faced in Writing
Composition Cautions
Overcoming Problems Faced in Writing
Susan Roberts
Reading Specialist
Jefferson County Schools

2. Reference Writing the Four Blocks Way
Drs. Pat and James Cunningham, Dr. Dorothy Hall, and Sharon Moore

3. Caution 1: Students Lack Motivation

4. Caution 1: Students Lack Motivation
Students with a motivation problem:
Attempt to avoid writing
Don’t know what to write about
Given a topic, don’t know anything to say about it
Can’t write because they can’t spell the words
Write a little, claim they’re finished

5. Caution 1: Students Lack Motivation
Three aspects to the motivation problem:
Lack of self-efficacy in writing
Lack of intrinsic motivation to write
Lack of independence in writing

6. Caution 1: Students Lack Motivation
What can I do about it?
Encourage self-selected writing frequently
Allow single-draft writing
Share first drafts in a positive atmosphere
Allow phonetic spelling

7. Students need the four square graphic organizer for self-selected writing because they need:
The sequential steps that they complete with a piece of writing
To repeat the steps with the next piece of writing… and the next
To repeatedly engage in first draft writing with phonetic spelling
To share their writing in a positive environment
To receive feedback from peers and teachers

8. Caution 2: Telling rather than showing

9. Caution 1: Students Lack Motivation
Avoid giving students knowledge about writing when what they need is….
Knowledge – how to write….
SHOW…..DON’T TELL!

10. This is where the mini-lesson comes in….
A mini-lesson is:
Focused on a particular skill or process
Modeled writing by the teacher by the teacher at the overhead while students watch
Followed by student independent writing

11. Caution 3: Students who think that “writing is not speaking:”

12. Caution 3: “Writing is Not Speaking:”
These students have the problem of writing their speech down when it requires additional skills that speaking does not.

13. Five aspects of the “writing is not speaking” problem:
Capitalization,
punctuation, and
formatting are the
rule-governed
mechanics of writing.
Handwriting
and spelling
comprise basic
writing fluency.
Handwriting
Spelling
Capitalization
Punctuation
Formatting

14. Speaking requires none of these,
but writing requires all five.
Handwriting
Spelling
Capitalization
Punctuation
Formatting

15. Caution 3: “Writing is Not Speaking:”
What can I do about it?
Teach students the basic rules that govern the mechanics of writing.
Teach writing mini-lessons on topics such as:
Capitalization
Punctuation
Format
Grammar
Steps in the writing process

16. Caution 3: “Writing is Not Speaking:”
What can I do about it?
Teach editing:
Teach students to proofread and correct their own first drafts for correct spelling and correct application of the rules.
Use mini-lessons to teach editing and revising.
Use an editor’s checklist as a list of rules for editing, revising, and publishing

17. Caution 4: Students who lack the ability to “juggle” all of the components of writing at the same time
This lack-of-automaticity problem is a very natural one.

18. What can I do about it?
Teach writing skills often through mini-lessons.
Have students write often to gradually increase in their automaticity with the parts of writing.

19. What can I do about it?
With frequent practice, empower students gradually to improve in length, sophistication, and mechanical correctness.
Allow students to self-edit their own first drafts as soon as they are able.

20. Caution 5: Expecting final or published drafts to be totally free of mechanical errors

21. Students should edit their own papers.
Puts the responsibility for editing on the student rather than on the teacher
Allows you to check their editing and help them fix a few things (conferencing)
Allows for much more learning of writing rules by students

22. Caution 6: Starting revision too early in the year
Do not ask students to revise until most of them have:
developed some self-confidence
with writing
developed intrinsic motivation and
independence in first-draft writing
developed independence in editing

23. Caution 7: Allowing students to recopy pieces before they are revised, edited, and approved.
Do not try to achieve perfectly neat handwriting or correct spelling on a draft.
Eliminate all recopying during process writing.
Only recopy or type once during the complete writing process.

24. Caution 7: Allowing students to recopy pieces before they are revised, edited, and approved.
Make small revisions in the space above each line. (skip lines)
Make larger revisions by cutting and pasting (literally or on word processor).
Copy first drafts after they have been revised and edited.

25. Caution 8: Having students revise every first draft seriously erodes the students’ willingness and enthusiasm to revise.

26. Students should write at least three first drafts for every one they revise.
Students end up more willing to revise.
That revision does not dampen their interest in writing first drafts
Students work harder on a first draft if they get to choose which of three or more to take through the writing process.

27. Heed these composition cautions…
to overcome problems faced in writing.