Kid Writing

From creator Eileen Feldgus, PhD...Kid Writing! Writing Workshop time on a daily basis is teaching and learning time, not assessment time. In most districts, children's writing samples are formally assessed using a prompt once each reporting period. The goals of Kid Writing are to joyfully and quickly bring children to the point where they can independently write down their thoughts, so that a reader can figure out the child's message. This requires the ability to accurately use high frequency words that have been explicity taught (interactive word wall) and to effectively "stretch-through" other words to the point where those words are phonetically logical and contain enough sound-symbol correspondences to be understood. Initially, vowels are often missing or inaccurate. We must keep in mind that our young children are developing as writers. It is unreasonable and counter-productive to expect five-year-old to spell and punctuate as well as high school students.

Teachers across the country have been extremely successful in bringing young writers to high levels of literacy development, joyfully and quickly, through the Kid Writing process. The Kid Writing process is critical in children's ability to "get those thoughts down" whether it be narrative, informational, or persuasive (opinion) pieces.