Expressive Writing

1. How can I manage my time so that every child can dictate writing for me to record?

You don't have to record every child's writing during your language arts time. Talk to children individually at other spare moments throughout the day or over the next couple of days after the lesson. Keep a list and check off students' names after you record their writing. If you have a classroom aide or volunteer, you may want to teach her how to help record children's dictated writing.

2. Can children use invented or temporary spelling in Quick Writing activities?

Yes. It is important for children to understand that writing is one way to communicate ideas. This concept is reinforced when children write their own versions of words, letters, or even scribbles, to express their ideas. After children finish their work, rewrite what they wrote to model how the words are written correctly. Keep in mind that temporary spelling should be temporary! As children learn letter-sound correspondences, they should be expected to encode the letters for sounds they have been taught. Help children correct encoding errors in words they should know how to write.