Modeled Writing, How to

By Greg Swimelar

Children need to see demonstrations of whatever it is that they are going to learn. It is very helpful to students if they can also see how a writer thinks when they are writing. Therefore, “Modeled Writing” is a teaching technique where the teacher shows how he or she writes. This is done in fron of the children and the teacher thinks aloud while doing it.

Children learn a lot from each demonstration. They see the direction the the words go on the paper. They see how letters are formed. The see that writing has to make sense. They see that the final draft doesn’t come directly out of the pen; that there is some struggling involved and that this is normal. The children see that first drafts do not have to be perfect. The see that writing can be fun, and that we can write about things that we know about.

How to do it –

Decide which part of the writing process you want to model:
Brainstorming, drafting, revising, editing, or publishing. Have a piece of chart paper or the chalkboard to use, making sure that every child can see the words that you write. Tell them what you want to do and tell them what your purpose is and who your audience is. If you do not know this, then brainstorm it in front of them. Remember to think out loud while you are writing. “Let’s see, what do I want to say here?” “Let me see, does that look right?” “Oh, I forgot to include the name of the city, let me stick it here for now.”

Summary

It’s a “think aloud” demonstration of the writing process. Learners can begin to see the possibilities and eventually emulate what the person giving the demonstration is doing. What are some of the parts of the writing process that can be modeled? Any genre of writing: poems, songs, narratives, notes, letters, lists, informational texts, or instructions. Stages of the writing process can and should be modeled: brainstorming, first drafting, peer conferencing, revising, editing, final drafting, publishing, and so forth. Other things to model are how to identify your audience and your purpose; how to write in a particular genre; how to get facts for a non-fiction piece; how to use ideas from books and other writing (the reading-writing connection); proofreading; getting spelling right, etc.

It is best to do it regularly and in all learning areas. It can be done with the whole class, small groups, or with individuals.

Planning: Determine the genre, audience, and purpose.

Explain what you are doing and why you will be thinking out loud. Show them how writers sometimes struggle; show them how you struggle with ideas, use of words, attempting to spell correctly, etc. This will show them what real writers do and it will encourage them to make approximations.

When you are modeling first drafts remind them that the emphasis is on meaning and not on spelling, punctuation, and other conventions. Show them how real authors cross out words and draw lines to show where they may insert text as they write. It can be a messy process.

Model often and don’t be afraid to let your students work in pairs when they are trying to get control over writing in a new genre, or attempting to get control over some new device.

Good luck! Don’t be afraid to “have a go” with this, and your kids will be willing to “have a go!”