Why do we do personal writing?

1. To value children's own experiences and to use these as inspiration to develop quality writing. To help develop a sense of self.
2. To get to know the real them - their lives, their point of view, their thinking. To build a sense of a shared community of ideas.
3. To help those previously 'turned off' writing, enjoy it again. (These children will need real help and praise).
4. It gives us a chance to diagnose children's expressive abilities and technical skills and then interact with those who need real help and to extend all others. All books should show qualitative improvement.

1. We should have some idea of what quality is. It is impossible to achieve what we can't imagine. Check with other teachers, read published children's work. Admire any growth points in your class. Encourage a variety of personal styles.
   Quality doesn't happen by accident. Developing it is hard work. Without a sense of quality, work becomes routine. Dull routines kill the imaginative spirit.
2. To achieve quality we should be aware of what strategies we and the children can use to help.
   Some ideas which may help - you might like to use some of these as check list headings in your roll book.
   1. Encourage them to focus on the most memorable incident and not to write 'boring shopping lists'. Share good ideas with the class as 'models'. Children should be encouraged to think out possibilities in their head. During language/experience time, model as a class lesson. (You write out on blackboard or children write individual stories about the one theme, e.g. out in the wind - then share good example.
   2. Encourage them to write about how they felt at the time, rather than a report about what happened. Read their draft - ask for ideas to be elaborated, e.g. that looks exciting, how did you feel? Model this during class language/experience themes.
   3. Get children to appreciate that it is ok to make changes in drafts. To use arrows to insert new ideas. Write out drafts leaving every second line to allow changes/or leave wide margins. During a class lesson model on blackboard or OHP how a draft can be changed, refined, elaborated.
   4. Encourage opening sentences that interest the reader. On the draft the beginning is often the second sentence or phrase. Read out good beginnings. Endings are equally important - as is knowing when to finish
   5. A good story/poem leaves something to the reader's imagination. Praise writers who keep readers in suspense. Share examples with class. Discuss this when reading literature to the class.
   6. Encourage them to use appropriate phrases and vocabulary. Value imaginative ideas, metaphors, words. Illustrate these during looking at poems/literature etc. Read out minor excellencies, (copy out and put on wall).
   7. During 'rough draft' stage, along with helping with idea elaboration (the number one priority), also help with teaching spelling strategies. Value approximations (nearly rights) - they tell you a lot about children's skills. Get them to learn 'words they nearly know'. Encourage them to proof-read (place ruler beneath line and check slowly - read each word). There should be no mistakes in final copy. Write out words to learn - 'nearly rights'. Show them what they got right! Remember to double space.
   8. Finally the good copy - should be ready to write out Tuesday? Wednesday? Thursday? - depending on how much help needed - some will need only a quick look.
      1. Plan out the layout
         • rule 1 cm border
         • rule line 2 cm from border for heading
         • leave 2 cm and start
      2. Decide where to put illustration - normally at end of writing, but children can plan with teacher help, other possibility, e.g. leave ¼ page framed at top. Show good example to children.
      3. Write from margin to margin (as in proper book unless a poem format).
      4. Insist on best handwriting (each page should show improvement).
      5. Illustrations should be treated as an important element and will need proper teaching:
         • Focus on main idea - draw in pencil. Colour in main thing (foreground) and background. Encourage detail and patterns/textures. Target those who need help.
         • Idea: Study illustration styles and techniques in journals and books. Copy small areas you like for practice.
      6. Colour in Heading - Children may need to be taught how to make capitals. There are notes available on this
      7. Pattern in Border - Borders may be left plain. All other work should be done before the border is patterned. Borders should reflect the theme of the writing if possible and should not simply be unthinking repeats.