Literacy Journal - Finding Our Voices

Finding Our Voices

We search, and struggle it would seem to be writers.  It’s not that we don’t want to write, or write well.  It’s just we can’t seem to get started in many cases.  We procrastinate, we put it off, we can’t quit find the right words to start.  Why are we afraid to write?  I am writing this on behalf of myself, and the children I see struggle every day to get something down on paper.

As I began reading Routman, some of my anxieties began to be addressed, and solutions found. One thing Routman does, that I have yet to see, and has sparked my interest is that she models by doing it.  Sure many teachers focus on creating a great subject, and getting the kids to cite the accompanying details that support that subject.  What I don’t see, and what I find valuable in the reading is for the teacher to take it a step further by modeling the writing process.  It''s the connection of these details in a fluid way that makes the story coherent, and interesting.  It is precisely here where they struggle in many cases.  Model the process as Routman does for the students she stands in front of, to “let students see you struggle”.  Seeing the real problems we all face as writers I think may give our students the courage to write, and not be afraid to make mistakes.  We also as teachers must celebrate the successes both small, and large. We cannot over emphasize the importance in doing this.  It also goes without saying that we need to set the environment where students are not afraid to write, least their work be judged, laughed at, or marginalized.

I have worked during the dyad mostly one on one with struggling readers, and writers.  With no formal experience at all in teaching literacy I try to make the connection with the oral story telling of my students to the written form.  To demonstrate to them that they are writers I will have them orally tell me their story and scribe it for them.  Then I will go back and discuss changing the order of things, what facts are pertinent to the story, and what are perhaps not.  The biggest challenge is leading them into the transition words that connect their thoughts. When finished we read the story together.  See, I tell them, your a writer, and all we did was massage your thoughts a little, and that just takes practice to get better at it.  It’s the confidence building that needs to be built upon.  As Routman puts it, “we must think of ourselves as writers”, which sadly in many cases we do not.

My primary placement, in a gifted classroom of 1st and 2nd graders brings with it it’s own literary challenges.  While penmanship, vocabulary,  and spelling is typically high, they in many cases have problems with the creative aspect of writing.  Here again they can have difficulties getting off the starting line, or worst yet a striving for perfection that can hinder the writing process by seeking out just the right phrase or word.  Just write, just write.  We can clean this up later, get it just right later.  For now let your thoughts flow.  We as teachers, especially in the primary grades can’t over structure the writing process and make our writers too fearful to write.  Punctuation, spelling, word usage can gradually be introduced as they become more proficient in their writing.  Other points brought out in the reading is to make writing varied, not just reports on what they read.  Poetry, note writing, cards, letters, book reviews all lend support to the writing process and add interest.