Pen Pal's Letter Reflection

Effective writers have the ability to draw upon a multitude of underlying component abilities. Educators have the daunting task of developing these abilities in their students’ writing and this process at times, can be a challenging process for all students, of all abilities. Educators who are effective in their teaching of writing must be aware of any underlying components abilities (such as reading difficulties, spelling difficulties, etc,) of their students as well as have a comprehensive program of instruction that addresses the abilities needed for good writing. Writing is a foundational skill that enhances all areas of education. In observing my pen pal’s letter, it is evident that this is a young writer who enjoys putting her ideas …show more content…
In this story my pen pal did a nice job of telling the story of the day her family went to the pet store and choose a family kitten. The story flows nicely, however, the writer would benefit on lessons on using more descriptive verbs as well as adding more details to the story. Her sentences tend to be very short and straight to the point. In teaching how to use descriptive verbs, writers are taught to describe a person, place or thing in such a way that a picture is formed in the reader’s mind (Forney, 2001). Forney explains that by teaching writers to capture an event through descriptive writing requires writers to pay very close attention to all five of their senses (2001). If my pen pal were further instructed to write more descriptively, her stories would be more interesting and engaging to …show more content…
The beginning stages begin with the basics of learning letters, learning the sounds and spacing of letters. Once they have this foundation, they move onto making words, then sentences, and then finally putting those sentences into stories. As they move through each stage, it is important to remember that there will be variations in the way students move through the writing stages (Forney, 2001). Effective writing programs need to focus on the following elements: focus, organization, support and elaboration, style, and conventions. Through various mini-lessons and direct instructions, teachers will be successful in helping their students in these five areas. Classrooms that utilize direct instruction that is integrated into the process of writing, are more successful in the instruction of writing than classrooms that isolate the writing process. “Innovative writing teachers change their student’s dread of writing into anticipation and success” (Forney, 2001, page 2). Classrooms that encourage collaboration among peers and allow for students to freely share their ideas and thoughts with one another, will be more successful with their writing endeavors. Writing is an essential skill that all students will need as they grow. As students’ progress through the writing process, they need that continual support and positive feedback from their teacher. They need to be encouraged as they go