How To Connect Writing To Students' Interests

In my experience as a middle school teacher I've found that very few students walk into my classroom without something to say, something they want to say, or something that they heard that they want to share. As a language arts teacher, I view a student's social network as a means of tapping into writing ideas. My job is to find a way to encourage students to express their ideas, even if it is about something they heard in the hallway. I then help students expand those experiences into a piece of writing. Once again, I turn to the writer's notebook to help guide students through the steps of this task. The writer's notebook, or journal, is a place where students keep their writing ideas, strategies, and personal journal entries throughout the school year.

Operating under the premise that all students have something important to say, I begin writing lessons by giving them the opportunity to write in the journal section of their writer's notebook. I do not assign topics, or prompts, for this assignment. Students are free to write about whatever is on their minds. If they can't think of anything to write about, they can consult the "ideas" section of their notebook, and choose a topic. I also invite students to work out writing ideas during this time. Some students begin with a list of topics, and then begin writing. I once had a student who always started journal entries with a picture, and then would add a story. Many students write about their friends, their home, and the activities they are involved in. Friday entries almost always discuss the upcoming weekend, and likewise, Monday entries seem to cover exactly what happened over the weekend. The opportunity to allow students to write about what is important to them helps to change many negative attitudes towards writing. When it is time to move on to a lesson about a specific writing strategy (e.g., writing an interesting lead), students have a multitude of their own words to look back over, revise, and improve. It makes writing pertinent to their lives, and supports the idea that we all have something important to say.

Other, more specific, writing activities I like to include in the writer's notebook belong in the "strategies" section. I use this section to teach writing strategies, techniques, and anything else I see students struggling with in writing. Since these lessons come straight from students' writing, the contents of this section changes from year to year and sometimes from class to class. For example, when we are covering word choice, I have students write a brief description of the strategy, then have them try it out with a short activity. The activity I like students to try is a sort of game where students write a story making sure the last word of the sentence is the first word in the following sentence. Students enjoy writing and then reading this work aloud (see Ruth Culham's book "Six Traits of Writing" for more information about word choice and corresponding activities).

After students have had a chance to look at, try out, and discuss a strategy, they turn to their own journal entries to revise and/or edit their own writing.  When students are struggling with summarizing, I have them once again turn to the strategies section of their notebook and make a two-column chart. One side is labeled "major events" and the other is labeled "supporting details." Using class reading for context, together we chart out what is most important to the story, and eliminate any events and/or details that we decide wouldn't change the overall message of the story if left out. Again, after students have worked with this strategy they may turn to a journal entry and revise their writing. Many students use their weekend entries to accomplish this task. There are many other ways to help students expand their writing, and promote the philosophy that they have something important to say. The following lesson plans are excellent ways to help students explore and improve their writing.

Writing Lesson Plans:

Short But Sweet: Students learn the art of summary writing though analyzing and evaluating news articles found in a newspaper review section. They focus on the criteria for correctly writing summaries. Students produce two summaries by the end of the activity. The first summary is about a student-selected newspaper article, and the second summarizes a historical event. This lesson also does an excellent job connecting reading with writing instruction.

For Your Dining Pleasure: This writing strategy allows students to connect writing to personal experience through sharing opinions about favorite ethnic dishes, and then expanding that experience through research. Students then write a review of a new dish. Again, this creative lesson connects reading and writing. Students can gain experience in another writing genre, while expanding their personal connection to text.

Quarter Response Writing: In this lesson students learn how to write summaries and critical responses by engaging in a partner activity where each group receives a quarter. Students summarize receiving the quarter, and then look at how adding "feeling" words surrounding the events of receiving the quarter provide a response rather than a retelling. This lesson can help students learn to differentiate between summarizing text and responding to text.

Word Perfect: Students learn the art of personal letter writing, as compared to text-messaging and email. After reading and discussing an online article about letter writing, students will learn/review the parts of a friendly letter and choose a topic to write about. In this lesson students write a letter about themselves, the teacher collects it, and it is returned at the end of the school year. This lesson stresses the permanence of the written word.