WRITING CONFERENCES

The writing conference is an integral aspect of “growing” good writers. The following techniques will help you keep your young writers on track:

• Assigned Conferences—Set up a specific time to meet with each student. Create a sign-up sheet so that no student is missed. Conduct conferences informally but take notes. With this system, you can keep records of your meet- ings and can monitor the progress of each student.

Communication

• Cruise Conferences—Circulate around the room. Look through each writing folder, review the

work in progress, staple samples to the folder, record grades, etc. This can be accomplished in just

a few minutes at each work area. This method helps keep all students on task because they know their folders are checked regularly.

• Student-initiated Conferences—Set aside a time for students to come to you for help or with

questions about their writing. You could use the “take a number” system. Example: If you have a 40-minute writing block, you can see eight students for 5 minutes each (numbers 1 through 8).

• Combination Conferences—Rotate periods of assigned, student-initiated, and cruise conferences.

Managing the Conference

A writing program that includes productive conferences with each student requires efficient use of time. Here are some tips for managing conference time.

• Focus on the writing process. Ask open-ended questions that lead your students to self-assessment. Check spelling, grammar, etc., especially when their work is in progress.

• Look for missing sections or ideas in the work. Ask students to explain what they intend to say, then show them how to incorporate the ideas into their work.

• Teach skills in the context of your student’s writing. Keep grade-level appropriate writing samples on hand to illustrate such skills as indenting paragraphs, putting conversation in quotes, and making nouns and verbs agree.

• As you look at students’ writing, take note of the skills with which several or all of your students may need help. Form an instructional group to teach or reteach individual skills as needed.

• Use a portion of the conference time for positive reinforcement of progress, even if it seems minimal. Try to make a written comment on the work. If the work is in progress, note where your conference left off and the date. At the stu-

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dent’s next conference, you can skim to that point. • Be sure to spend conference time with each student on a regular basis. Make

every effort to give that student your complete attention during his time.

1. Tell me about your writin

2. What gave you this i

3. How is your work g dea?

4. Are you stuck? oing?

5. What were you thinkin

g as you wrote this? During conferences with

Conference Questions

6. Where do you wan

7. What do you m t to take this? ean by this? students, your questions

8. What do you wan

9. Who do you wan t your reader to think?

should lead them to

t to read this?

reflect on their works in

10. Have you r ead what you wr

progress. At the right is a

11. Have you r ead this to som ote aloud? list of questions that you

12. Has one of your peers r eone else? may want to ask.

13. Are you pleased with what you have written? ead this?

14. Do you wan

15. What can you d t to make any chan ges now?

16. What can you d o differently now?

17. How can I h o with this part? elp you?

18. Do you wan

19. What do you plan to d t to add anything to this?

20. Do you wan

o next? t to publish this?

WRITING CONFERENCES