Living Life Twice

  Here are some matters that have arisen from my ongoing work with the presentation of 'The Young Writer's Program.'  This initiative is a joint collaboration between PETAA (Primary English Teacher's Association of Australia) and the Victorian State Government.  The program aims to support young writers (Primary and Secondary) who have demonstrated aptitude and/or interest in writing. The program also aims to assist teachers to more adequately engage writers in the classroom writing program.  The matters identified might form the focus of further conversations or investigation within a school writing program. They may inform planning.  Hopefully, they will shine a light on writing actions that might serve to push writing development to the next exciting level.  I present these observations in no particular order. They are laid out for your consideration. I have been documenting my observations across several presentations of this excellent program.  If...

  Making The Most of Mentor Texts Mindfully and strategically used, mentor texts, present as a powerful tool when alerting the inexperienced writer to a multitude of techniques writers employ to make their writing both effective and memorable. When choosing suitable texts, select examples that you also enjoy reading. It will help heighten the sharing of literary treasure. Choose exemplars possessing specific techniques  and craft moves you would like your students to embrace as writers. Alerting young writers to the power mentor texts possess to inform and enhance their writing, forms an important part of the cognitive apprenticeship we wish them to experience. Consider the following steps when choosing suitable mentor texts Begin by reading aloud the chosen book, for pleasure. This provides young learners with a sense of the text’s totality. The whole story is revealed.  • Reread the book with a specific focus on some different writing techniques used by the author. In...

  This week, I changed over my writer's notebook. Once more with feeling fellow writers... Mixed emotions swirl around me when commencing a new writer's notebook. The prospect of filling the fresh pages brings with it anticipation, presenting as a prospect to be enthusiastically embraced. Honestly, after almost forty years of notebooks, my delight remains undiminished. To see newly generated words spread out across previously unmarked pages, delivers a buzz. The very act of capturing the raw stuff of my writing life, delivers order and a sense of accomplishment to my active mind. The harvesting of words and ideas adds to the energy for writing in this new place. I am akin to the farmer ploughing a new field.  I make a conscious decision to choose a notebook with different dimensions and qualities to its predecessor. Some writers select the same notebook each time a replacement is required. I embrace the notion of change along with the unique shape and form of the potentia...