Write: Routman chapters 7 and 8 are about teaching and organizing writing. Consider one or several ideas from these chapters in terms of writing process, traits, or genre, as well as in relation to your field placement.
Routman begins chapter 7 with the following quote from Mem Fox, "writers don't improve their craft unless they have a real purpose, a real audience, and a real investment in their writing" (pg. 141). Routman has been expressing these exact beliefs throughout her book. I've been thinking about this and wondering about ways to offer real audiences to my students. Routman says that "contrived writing stifles voice" (pg. 146), but how can teachers help make writing authentic? Through an authentic audience, of course, but who would be their audience for a narrative, a biography, expository writing? When a writing assignment needs to be introduced, where and how can a teacher locate an audience?
On page 148, Routman admonishes us not to assume that our students "got" the demonstration. Teachers need to think out loud and ask questions regarding the points that the students should transfer to their own writing. For example, "why is this lead better?' (pg. 149) identifies the quality the teacher is looking for.
One of the suggested guidelines for proven strategies mentioned on page 170 is to keep writing assignments short. The benefit to the student is that short assignments are easier to complete - less writing, revising, editing - and are, therefore, less overwhelming. There is one student in my Dyad who, during Writer's Workshop, is writing a novel. At first I was very impressed as this is a child who considers himself to be a poor reader. I was very pleased to see him delve so into writing a story. But now I see that this assignment is going to be a nightmare for him to revise and edit. I'm so afraid that he will give up before it is complete.
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