Living Life Twice

Here are five of the most popular  Living Life Twice  posts for 2023. Thank you for your continuing support and interest in teaching writing and all it entails. Writer's Notebooks -Some forward Planning Is Required Ownership, integrity and engagement are all enhanced when the writer's notebook a young writer is holding, is one they have personally identified as meeting their individual needs as a writer. Young writers frequently share their preferences for particular notebooks when we are discussing this important matter. https://livinglifetwice-alwrite.blogspot.com/2023/11/writers-notebook-some-forward-planning.html Using Strategic Talk To Assist The Developing Writer Talk has a great contribution to make during pre-writing. It can contribute to the sparking of potential writing idea. Equally, it can also assist the writer to clarify the direction they wish to take with their writing. It can used to reflect and review writing pieces already under construction.  It is sai...

At the conclusion of each school year, I feel compelled to write, urging teachers to quarantine a little of their well deserved holidays break time for some writing.  As we rapidly approach the end of another challenging year, my message remains unerringly simple.  If you are a teacher who writes, it is easier  to present as a writer who teaches.  Will you be embracing the challenge of keeping your own writer’s notebooks in 2024? Well, that notebook will greatly benefit from some early feeding and summer always presents as a potential feast… I am aware of the level of exhaustion that exists in schools at year’s end.  The need to tie up a multitude of loose ends prior to school closing for the summer holidays remains.   The final days of school seem to take the longest time of all the many school weeks. School becomes the epicentre of fatigue for both students and staff. I am also aware that on summer’s horizon teachers will have free time to relax and regen...

  Over many years I have found myself frequently reminding young writers that it helps if you know in your head where and when your writing piece will end before you commence writing. You can stop off anywhere along the way, but at least know where you’re ultimately heading. It’s easier to plot a story if you have a sense of direction. It represents the most basic form of planning. Planning essentially begins with the rehearsal of broad ideas. Rolling words and phrases around in your head, telling your story to yourself and others assists in the formation of solid ideas. It crystallizes thought. Writers are storytellers and often tell their stories many times before they write. Young writers need to know this important fact. Talk is a powerful ally of the writer. Classrooms that foster quality conversations around writing intentions greatly assist the inexperienced writers to identify and enact writing intentions. It is important to confront the entrenched view of writing that decr...

As the school year moves closer to its conclusion, it's an opportune time to consider the choice of writer’s notebooks for next year. So, here's an alert... Handing out a one size fits all notebook relegates this special writing resource to little more than workbook status, in the eyes of young writers.  This situation is totally avoidable, but it requires some pre-planning on the part of those responsible for managing student resources.  Let's be clear, we are talking writer's notebooks, not a string of sausages. Let's work to elevate the writer's notebook to a status possessing some integrity.  Choice begins with allowing young writers to choose the type of writer's notebook they wish to 'own.' One size doesn't accommodate every writer. Every writer is unique. Most pleasingly an increasing number of schools are facilitating this important, differentiated change when it comes to selecting writer's notebooks. Lined, unlined, thick, thin, big,...

It is important to note that a personal writing project does not equate to the allocation of ‘free writing time.’ where the writer is given a small portion of time to write ‘creatively.’  Free writing time generally focuses upon the time given, rather than the actual writing that may be involved.  For this reason free writing time is little more than a tokenistic gesture. It lacks gravitas, for its purpose is often ill defined. It is offered in the misguided belief that such an allocation of time provides sufficient investment in supporting and engaging young writers. It fails to enshrine authentic writing practice, selling young writers short. It's an example of fickle literacy. When a writer chooses to write 'freely' in order to discover what it is they want to say, they may pursue the drafting of a piece to determine what is important, by trying out ideas. Here they are trying things out with a purpose in mind.   Doling out occasional periods of 'free writing time...

When writing is taught from the perspective of  'what' to write rather than 'how' to write, the pedagogy tends to become isolated.   Discrete genres end up being taught. A set amount of time is frequently given to each particular genre and as a consequence,learning  silos are created. These specific genre studies are often referred to as units of work.  Student choice is greatly diminished and writing frequently becomes somewhat perfunctory. Under such approaches student voice is sacrificed to assuage the need for the teacher to manage the writing task.  Establishing a neat and tidy writing environment overrides other considerations. Such an approach flies in direct opposition to the ideal of 'independent writing.'  What follows are remarks such as. 'Today we are all going to write an information text.' This approach lessens the chances of a teacher being either informed or surprised by the writers in their care. It frequently results in writing that i...

Student   writing samples provide tangible evidence of where they are situated in relation to sentence structure.  Such writing samples immediately inform our instructional response.  Sentence structure capabilities can be rapidly improved by teaching into a range of simple, yet effective strategies. Many of the same techniques used to teach fluency in reading can be used to improve writing. Student writers need to be alerted to the importance and power of fluency. This process can begin by exposing them to writing samples that flow easily. Encourage young writers to listen to the words initially, before examining them more closely.  Help them to more readily recognise good sentence structure and apply this skill to their own writing. Grammar taught in context has the best chance of impacting the quality of student writing. Therefore a range of quality literature titles and mentor texts must be enlisted as exemplars of effective sentence structure. In truth, young wr...

Learning to be keenly observant is a valuable life skill. When one has a writer’s notebook it is such an advantage if the notebook owner possesses keen observational abilities. The mindful writer strives to notice things in the world around them, more acutely, more consciously, including sensory observations. They appreciate how such observations can complement their writing efforts. Observation serves the writer well. A window is always available through which to capture a little magic. To assist inexperienced student writers develop this essential awareness requires mindful action in the classroom:  Share text examples where the writer includes sensory details. Details that enable the reader to visualize the scene. Where writers employ  show, don't tell,  the reader is more likely to visualize the events and actions described. The words are decidedly reader friendly.                           ...