Running head: DEVELOPING A WRITER’S IDENTITY
Developing a Writer’s Identity in Upper Elementary Students
through a Writing Workshop Model
Megan Rhodes
Peabody College of
Vanderbilt University
June 15, 2014
DEVELOPING A WRITER’S IDENTITY
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Abstract
The purpose of this capstone essay is to synthesize the literature on teaching writing through a
process-oriented approach—specifically a writing workshop model—and to draw connections
between this type of writing instruction and how it can help build the writer’s identity that
teachers hope their students develop as a product of their education. First, I will examine how the
elements of a writing workshop model, when implemented in a classroom setting, can foster
development of a writer’s identity in students. I will also explore the developmental
characteristics common of a young person in the upper elementary grades and how these
influence an individual’s self-perception. I will discuss several aspects of an ideal learning
context through which educators can provide students with meaningful and authentic writing
opportunities to foster development of a writers’ identity. Through an overview and brief
analysis of one writing workshop curriculum used by some educators, I will discuss how these
models align with state standards despite lacking explicit connections. Finally, I will discuss
practical implications for the classroom as well as potential “next steps” to be made before a
writing workshop approach can be most effective.
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Introduction
Research has shown that 76 percent of first-graders believe they are writers and are
interested in writing. However, by the end of middle school, this number drops to 40 percent
(Clippard & Nicaise, 1998, p. 9). This significant decrease in student interest in writing deserves
a closer look to identify potential underlying causes. One possible cause is a developed negative
attitude toward writing as a result of how writing has been often taught in schools. A Writing
Workshop curriculum is just one of several possible instructional approaches that could be
implemented in classrooms to reverse this trend. Evidence shows that students become stronger
and more experienced writers by writing with great frequency for a variety of purposes, so in
order to increase the average level of writing in students, educators must provide more varied,
authentic, and extensive opportunities for their students to engage in writing experiences
(Calkins, 1986). Although this may be widely acknowledged, in the last NAEP assessment that
included elementary students in the report, approximately two-thirds of fourth graders scored at
or below the basic level of writing (Gilbert & Graham, 2010; The National Commission on
Writing, 2003). Despite these lower numbers related to students’ attitudes toward writing, only a
few recent studies have focused on the potential factors which impact these low test scores,
including a lack of literature about the development of a writer’s identity in students (BangertDrowns, Hurley, & Wilkinson, 2004; Graham, Kiuhara, McKeown, & Harris, 2012; Rogers &
Graham, 2008).
Nancy Atwell, Lucy Calkins and Donald Graves are several of the leaders who brought
about a shift in writing instruction and drew attention to the benefits of process-oriented writing
instruction, and in particular, writing workshops (Troia, Lin, Cohen, & Monroe, 2011). While
these scholars are prominent figures in the field of literacy education and have made many
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strides in promoting new and innovative methods to teaching writing and literacy, there is still a
significant need within the field of education for research related to writing development and
writer’s identity in elementary aged students, particularly students in grades 3-5. In their metaanalysis of studies related to writing instruction, Graham et al. (2012) identified only four writing
treatments—process writing, strategy instruction, assessing writing, and word processing—that
had been tested in 10 or more studies.
There is little research or support for identifying and addressing best practices in regards
to writing instruction in elementary grades. The National Commission on Writing in 2003
included several recommendations for improving writing instruction, such as increasing the
amount of time devoted to writing throughout the school day, better preparing teachers to teach
writing, and engaging students in more meaningful, useful, and extended writing activities which
are authentic to a writer (Gilbert & Graham, 2010). Many will argue, however, that while these
best practices should be implemented in any writing classroom, educators may be unsure of how
to approach teaching utilizing a workshop model. If these educators are not confident in their
abilities to successfully implement a new approach to writing, then students will likely not
receive the kind of writing instruction needed to help students begin to identify as writers
themselves (Troia et al., 2011).
I chose to focus on how educators can help their students develop a writer’s identity
because as a student, I was never confident in my own writing, regardless of the topic or type of
assignment. I currently work with students who are part of an extracurricular creative writing
program, and many of these students do not possess a writer’s identity despite being talented
writers. This personal experience has driven my interest in examining writing instruction in
upper elementary classrooms. In this paper, I will review literature that focuses on teaching
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writing through writing workshop models and how these process-oriented approaches allow
students to engage in writing in more authentic contexts than direct instruction methods. I will
discuss the importance of incorporating each stage of the writing process into writing instruction
because each influences the final written product and how the audience will respond. Several
essential components of the learning context, through which students are best able to view
themselves and their peers, as writers, will also be discussed because a presence of these
components will guide students in developing a writer’s identity. Currently, the education system
places a strong emphasis on standardized testing and assessment scores; many argue that this
focus detracts from the time educators have to effectively implement a writing workshop
curriculum in their classrooms. I will discuss ways to circumvent this time constraint while still
providing sufficient assessments of student learning and meeting other academic goals and
standards. While there are countless benefits to a process-approach to writing, there are also
concerns to be addressed. I will discuss a select number of these later in this paper.
Writer’s Identity and the Upper Elementary Learner
Writing teachers have found it beneficial for students to view themselves as writers
because students who are confident in their writing abilities tend to become more talented and
effective writers, which is an identity they will employ for the rest of their lives (Brindley &
Schneider, 2002; Brown, Morrell, & Rowlands, 2011; Troia et al., 2011). Informed by Calkins
(2006), writer’s identity is defined as the confidence students develop in which they hold the
belief that they possess thoughts and words worthy of being shared. In my own experiences, very
few students I work with see themselves as talented and confident writers, and this lack of a
writer’s identity is, in part, influenced by how writing is taught in schools. Based on my personal
experience, writing is often taught as an unrelated subject to other content areas and does not
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receive the same amount of attention as other academic subjects. Writing is also frequently
taught in isolation from any other literacy, which does not allow students to see these clear and
explicit connections between reading, writing, speaking, and other forms of communication. This
lack of confidence I see in my own students has also been noted in research. In a study about
factors that influence students’ motivation to write, Codling, Gambrell, Kennedy, Palmer, and
Graham (1996) found that while many children reported they were comfortable with their
writing ability and enjoyed sharing their written work, a large number of these students viewed
themselves as “poor” or simply “OK” writers (p. 17). In order to change students’ perceptions of
themselves as writers or not, educators must work to strike a balance between engaging students
in writing experiences that achieve the goal of the educator while simultaneously providing
students with an opportunity to grow and develop as writers.
As a writer develops, the identity each student possesses of him or herself as a writer
influences the choices and changes that will be made to the piece of writing based on the reader’s
needs, what has come before in the writing, ideational and stylistic needs, enough time to make
careful decisions, and writer interests and satisfactions (Tway, 1984). These are skills that are
developed over time through many cycles of the writing process from brainstorming to final
product and not skills developed by writing one draft and never revisiting it. To effectively teach
these writing skills in an authentic context through which each student will begin to identify as a
writer whose words carry importance, a writing workshop approach provides the opportunity for
learning various writing skills and developing a writer’s identity.
Writer’s Identity and Motivation
In order to help students begin to want to develop their own writer’s identity, we must
understand what influences will factor into this identity development. It is widely recognized that
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in order to be motivated to engage in any activity, an individual must feel competent at
accomplishing it (Codling et al., 1996). Student motivation plays a significant role in nearly
every facet of an individual learner and his experiences at school. More specifically than
motivation alone, the expectancy-value theory “posits that the value an individual places on a
task or goal determines whether or not the individual will expend the effort necessary to
accomplish it” (Codling, et al., 1996, p. 10). It is imperative, then, that educators help students
recognize the importance and necessity of becoming proficient and experienced writers through
developing a writer’s identity. In order to transfer this belief, we as educators must believe in the
importance of being able to write competently as well as the importance of viewing ourselves as
writers.
To consider motivation from another perspective, the self-determination theory “posits
that individuals will be more willing to engage in activities, even those that are not of inherent
interest, if the ultimate goal is of personal value” (Codling, et al., 1996, p. 10). In other words, if
students recognize the value of being able to write well and of identifying themselves as
experienced writers not only in the current context of school but also in future contexts of
various careers, students will be more likely to engage in purposeful and meaningful writing
experiences. Students can still find personal value in writing even if they have no desire to be
professional writers. Writing can serve as an outlet for self-expression, entertainment, cognitive
processing, and recognition in the form of accolades, among other personal values. An individual
student’s sense of personal competence as a writer directly influences the intentionality and
effort that will be put into pursuit of the goal related to each writing experience each student
encounters (Codling et al., 1996).
Writer’s Identity and Cognitive Development
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In addition to motivation, a student’s approach to writing is influenced by many other
factors, including “personal home background, culture, and community, and the reading and
writing relationship” (Brindley & Schneider, 2002), all of which affect the student’s
development as a learner. Additional factors that influence students’ abilities to begin to develop
a writers’ identity include the cognitive, emotional, and social stages in their development.
According to Piaget’s stages of Cognitive Development, students in the upper elementary grades
are in the Concrete Operational Stage of their development. At this stage, students become less
egocentric and become more aware of external events that may not directly impact them. They
also begin to realize their own thoughts and feelings are unique and may be different from those
of other people, including the thoughts and feelings of their peers (Piaget & Inhelder, 1969). This
is a logical time to encourage students to begin thinking of themselves as writers because they
are in the early stages of recognizing distinct differences in themselves when compared to their
peers. At this time in their cognitive development, students are beginning to readily identify
themselves as unique and separate from their peers; therefore, this is a pivotal time to begin
emphasizing their abilities and skills as young writers who have a unique writing style and voice
to share.
It is also at this point in their development that students can begin to be coaxed beyond
their former comfort zones and work with content with which they may be unfamiliar. When
adults allow children choice, they are more likely to be motivated and self-regulating as long as
teachers are present to provide instrumental support at appropriate times and challenge students
to move beyond their comfort zones (Perry, Nordby, and VandeKamp, 2003). However, as The
National Commission on Writing (2003) states:
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If students are to make knowledge their own—and make shared knowledge among their
community of learners (Brown & Campione, 1990)—they must struggle with the details,
wrestle with the facts, and rework raw information and dimly understood concepts into
language they can communicate to someone else. In short, if students are to learn, they
must write.
Educators must let loose the reigns of power and control in the classroom and allow students to
struggle through challenging situations and scenarios in which they find themselves during the
writing process, which will happen at one point or another in the process. Students also need to
learn and recognize these frustrating and challenging moments happen to every writer regardless
of the level of experience possessed by that writer. Writers learn through these struggles and
become stronger writers as a result.
As stated previously, in a writing classroom, students who believe themselves competent
writers are more likely to pursue opportunities to write, put more effort into their own writing,
and demonstrate a greater desire to achieve writing competence (Bottomley, Henk, & Melnick,
1998). The teacher is in an ideal position to provide instructional support and scaffolding that is
crucial to help young writers develop crucial writing skills, thereby ensuring their competence as
writers and subsequently, their personal view of themselves as writers. These supports will move
students beyond any level of writing they would have reached had they remained in their comfort
zones and not been challenged to develop as writers. Students can learn from their teachers as
well as from their peers about writing and components of the writing experience as long as the
classroom environment is supportive and is one that fosters individual and communal growth and
development among all members.
Enacting an Authentic Writing Curriculum
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An Overview of the Writing Process
The writing process begins first with an idea. This idea may arise with minimal effort and
a more detailed concept of what to write may be developed right away. Or, a general idea may
emerge but a more detailed concept may take weeks to shape into a cohesive writing idea. The
time constraint placed on students in a writing context at school inhibits students from
developing their ideas to the fullest extent (Tway, 1984). Writing is a “complicated, intricate, and
symbolic process that develops out of and in conjunction with talking, drawing, and playing”
(Brindley & Schneider, 2002). Students are likely to grow discouraged or lose interest in an idea
for a piece of writing if they are not allowed the time to flesh it out in a way that is meaningful
and effective for them as individual writers with unique styles and preferences. However, when
presented with a writing workshop approach, students can take the time needed to work through
each stage of the writing process in a way that is best for them as individuals because writing is
an individualized process and is taught that way in a workshop model.
The writing process, when carried out thoroughly and thoughtfully, is a time-consuming
series of stages that require significant thought, effort, patience, and desire. Educators must make
it clear to students that as writers, there are many times when they will have “little conscious
control over the actual flow of words at the moment of writing, just control over whether or not
to use what comes” (Tway, 1984, p. 16). This is part of the writing process, and as writers, many
ideas come into our minds that we must sort through to find the ideas that align with what we are
currently writing. Not all writing time is spent putting words on paper; much of the process
actually takes place in the writer’s mind or in conversation with another person (Tway, 1984).
Writing does not have to be an individual and silent endeavor, nor should it be. Sharing and
discussing what happens during the writing process as well as discussing ideas, drafts, and
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challenges can be incredibly powerful for everyone involved in the discussion. It can also help
build a community of writers in the classroom that includes all students and educators. I will
provide concrete ways to begin to build writer’s identity in students later in this paper when I
discuss practical implications of a workshop approach to writing for the classroom.
Effective Writing Instruction
Essential components of effective writing instruction include a process approach to
writing instruction that involves repeatedly engaging in the processes of planning, drafting,
writing, and reviewing, taking ownership of pieces of writing, allowing opportunities for selfreflection and evaluation, creating opportunities for personalized instruction to meet the needs of
each student, and providing more explicit instruction to individuals or small groups as needed.
By teaching through a writing workshop approach, students also learn to write for real audiences,
interact with other writers—peers and adults alike—to provide and receive meaningful and
constructive feedback, and create a community of writers within a writing environment (Graham,
et al., 2012). A writing workshop model that includes each of these elements allows students to
begin to identify as writers and offers freedom to move among the different stages of the writing
process as needed. However, it is imperative to recognize that
The whole process of writing cannot be confined to set periods of time in a school day,
and, for this reason, school class periods are not conducive to any but the most
perfunctory kinds of writing. For more inspired writing, instruction must break away
from assignments that require neat, prescribed pieces to be turned out at a given time and
turn toward providing opportunities for young writers to gather ideas, live with growing
ideas, put them on paper, get reader response, revise, polish, and share beyond the
classroom. (Tway, p. 9)
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In an authentic learning environment in which writing is embedded in nearly every facet of the
classroom, students will quickly come to understand that the act of writing is not conducted
solely during the period of writing time. Writing can carry on throughout the school day and
outside of school. In developing a writer’s identity, we must realize and accept that our ‘writing
selves’ always exist regardless of where we are or what we are doing at any given moment on
any given day.
Individualized and Differentiated Writing Instruction
A process-oriented approach to writing can be easily adapted to each individual student
because the teacher can still consider personal characteristics of each student including
motivation, attitude, and readiness, as well as their perceptions of writing (Calkins, 2006). By
implementing a workshop model in the writing classroom, the teacher is able to individualize
instruction and differentiate materials for her different learners while still incorporating
collaborative components into her instruction and providing students the opportunities to learn
from each other. In today’s world of education, there is an emphasis placed on the practice of
individualized and differentiated instruction and learning materials for all students when possible
(The National Commission on Writing, 2003). A writing workshop model appeals to those who
believe students are all unique and have learning needs that are different from each of their peers
because each student, ideally, is able to receive scaffolded support and time to complete each
step in the writing process according to her developmental and experiential needs as a growing
writer. Teachers can use a variety of scaffolding techniques to support an individual student, as
well as the whole class, to learn critical writing processes, skills, and strategies. Supports could
include checklists, posted rules, and dictionaries (Troia et al., 2011). Students are also able to
move through the different stages of the writing process in a time frame that is suitable for their
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writing needs, and although students will inevitably be at different stages of the writing process
at any given time, students are still able to easily discuss, support, and question through
interactions with peers and teachers (Calkins, 2006).
Creating an Authentic Writing Context
The Learning Context
The learning context in which students engage in writing experiences must encourage
students to adopt a learning, or process-oriented, stance rather than a performance, or productoriented, stance (Codling, et al., 1996) through which they readily and willingly offer and receive
the support of their peers. This collaborative mentality of a writing workshop model, the specific
steps of which include brainstorming, conferencing, and revising, are essential and beneficial to
the learner in a writing environment (Brindley & Schneider, 2002). For students who are not yet
comfortable in viewing themselves as writers, a classroom environment needs to exist in which
students’ written work is celebrated and constructively critiqued by teachers and peers. Through
this constructive and supportive feedback, students will not only recognize the value of receiving
constructive language and feedback in an academic setting, but they will also learn how to
effectively and respectfully provide their peers with constructive feedback. Building this level of
trust and respect between everyone in the classroom is an essential element of the writing
workshop model (Calkins and Martinelli, 2006).
Modeling the Expert Writer
Frequently modeling behaviors, actions, thoughts, and practices enacted by people who
have chosen writing as their career is one of the first steps in creating a writing context that is
conducive for student exploration of their own identities as novice or expert writers—or any
level of experience in between. (Gilbert & Graham, 2010). While perhaps not writers by trade,
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educators should have mastered effective communication through writing because they are
required to be in constant communication with students, administrators, other teachers, parents,
and the community. Who better to model these practices of an expert writer than the teacher in
the students’ own writing classroom? Presumably, educators have received a college degree and
are constantly working to improve their teaching practice, which involves their own writing and
the writing instruction they provide. Evidence has indicated that teachers who are confident in
their own writing and writing abilities are more likely to be effective teachers of writing and can
better make adaptations for their students than teachers who are less confident in their own
writing practices (Brindley & Schneider, 2002; Brooks, 2007; Gilbert & Graham, 2010). In other
words, teachers must view themselves as writers if they expect their students to begin to see
themselves as writers, too.
Educators as Writers
Brooks (2007) conducted a case study on fourth grade teachers that examined the
hypothesis that “teachers must be confident, avid readers and writers to be effective reading and
writing teachers” (p. 177). In his report, Brooks (2007) included literature that supports the
implementation of a writing workshop into a writing classroom. He found that teachers assumed
different positive roles and identities in the classroom as a result of their participation in writers’
workshop. They experienced similar struggles and joys of creating and revising, which, in turn,
not only taught them to be more empathetic to the experiences of their students, but also
‘humanized’ them to their students. Research has shown that students’ feelings about writing are
greatly influenced by their teacher’s approach and feelings about writing (Corona,
Spangenberger &Venet, 1998, p. 28). When teachers have an ambivalent attitude toward the
importance and value of writing and, consequently, do not write independently on a regular basis
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or choose not to write when their students are writing, their ability to support their students’
writing is negatively affected and limited (Brooks, 2007). These teachers who do not value
writing in their own lives will often fail to provide their students with sufficient time or the
necessary support needed for them to begin to develop a writer’s identity (Corona, et al., 1998),
and students’ attitude toward writing will reflect their teacher’s beliefs.
Varied Writing Opportunities
A majority of elementary students spend only 20 to 25 minutes per day writing, and this
is largely in part because teachers view writing instruction as a time consuming practice or do
not view writing as a productive use of time (Gilbert & Graham, 2010). It is unclear, however,
how students will be able to produce the high quality writing expected on standardized
assessments if they are not provided with varied and frequent opportunities to write for a variety
of purposes and audiences. Engaging students in writing and providing them with sustained
opportunities to write is important for improving their writing abilities, which, consequently, can
influence whether or not a student identifies as a writer (Codling, et al., 1996). There are a
variety of ways in which the classroom environment can be adapted to better serve students in
terms of the writing time they receive during any given school day. In addition to narrative and
expository writing—two of the most frequently taught writing practices—teachers can include
both formal and informal opportunities to engage students in writing instructional tasks including
story writing and publishing, using computers, peer conferences and editing, creating reports
across the curriculum, writing authentic letters, reading response logs, writing personal journals,
writing portfolios, and using ‘affirmation notes’ with peers and teachers (Brindley & Schneider,
2002). To help students begin to identify as writers, a personal journal can be kept in which
students can write ideas, stories, thoughts, etc. to access when it is time to create a piece of
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writing. If grading a personal journal is deemed necessary, a completion grade can be awarded
for consistent use of the journal as opposed to the content of the journal. Teachers can also
employ the assistance and support of others involved in the students’ lives outside of the
classroom. This is an ideal opportunity to build connections between school and family
communities while providing students multiple and varied opportunities to write for different
purposes as well as different audiences (Gilbert & Graham, 2010).
Writing Workshop Curriculum
Example of a Writing Workshop Model
The writing workshop curriculum is valuable in guiding students’ growth as writers.
Current writing theory and research suggest, “the regulation of thoughts, feelings, and actions,
and the writing process is pivotal to writing success” (Troia et al., 2011). Written by Lucy
Calkins and Marjorie Martinelli (2006), Launching the Writing Workshop: Grades 3-5 provides
teachers of grades 3-5 with a series of seventeen sequential writing workshop lessons through
which teachers can help their students become stronger and more experienced writers. In this
curriculum, it is expected that students “understand that writing is a process of making choices
about what to say and how to say it” (p. 185). Each lesson within the complete unit has a minilesson at the beginning through which the teacher makes a connection, teaches a certain strategy
or procedure related to writing, provides opportunity for students to actively engage with the
strategy or procedure, and makes a link between the topic of the mini-lesson with the students’
own writing. When discussing or learning about a strategy, the teacher is to create a situation in
which a writer needs the strategy (Calkins & Martinelli, 2006). This provides an opportunity for
the students to see real situations they might encounter in future writing workshops or in other
situations where they are the writer. Calkins (2006) states that writing workshops and the mini-
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lessons embedded in them are intended to be used to help teach students strategies and
procedures they will be able to use “on the run” (p. 29). In other words, arming students with
these strategies in addition to providing them with varied opportunities to employ them and
experiment with them can facilitate transfer.
Students then engage in writing and conferring, and are given the opportunity to share
with the class or with a partner. At this point in the writing process, students begin to immerse
themselves in the different elements of writing a piece of work. They brainstorm ideas, create
graphics or other visual or written displays to help them organize their thoughts. They draft a
first attempt at their piece of writing with the understanding that they will create many drafts of
the same piece of writing during the process. They work with their peers to conference, revise,
troubleshoot, collaborate, and support each other. Only when they are satisfied with their final
draft will students go through the process of editing for grammatical and mechanical errors.
Placing an emphasis on editing during the drafting stages of writing can decrease creativity and
discourage students from writing in their own voice if they are focused solely on proper grammar
and mechanics during the creating stages of writing. A final copy will be written and students
will then have the opportunity to publish and share their work with teachers and students in the
classroom as well as other audiences outside of the classroom (Brindley and Schneider, 2002).
Some sessions include an assessment section through which Calkins and Martinelli
(2006) provide several suggestions for how students, teachers, and peers can view and assess
work both formally and informally throughout the session. Assessments are performance-based
in the sense that students are creating and producing pieces of writing. The teacher is able to
informally assess the students’ understanding of the information taught because students are
engaging in writing that requires the use of various writing strategies. Students will also be
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evaluated only in comparison to their own previous assessments; they will not be compared to
their peers or graded against the written work of their classmates. The focus should be on
whether or not students are engaging and experimenting with the writing strategies and
procedures they have been taught rather than focusing on how well the students are carrying out
these skills. Mastery of these writing skills and procedures will come as the students use them
more frequently and in varied settings. If a student is having difficulty understanding a certain
skill, teachers are encouraged to focus on how the student can be supported to master the skill
rather than why the student is struggling to understand. The goal is that students will learn
important strategies and procedures they can implement in their own writing process that will
help them produce a strong piece of written work through this workshop approach (Calkins and
Martinelli, 2006).
While this curriculum provides guidance for the teacher using it, there is a great deal of
room for adjusting the lesson and expectations to best fit each set of students depending on their
writing strengths and weaknesses as well as their experience with writing. The lessons are
structured in such a way that at the beginning of the year, the writing workshops are completed
in shorter time frames because students need to build the stamina to write for extended periods of
time, which is expected by the end of the unit. This curriculum provides students with abundant
opportunities to engage in writing activities to be conducted over varied lengths of time to best
meet the needs of each student and help them begin to identify as experienced writers.
Writing Workshops and the Virginia Standards of Learning
Because I will be teaching fifth grade in Virginia, I am focusing my analysis of learning
standards for education on those Standards of Learning (SOL) of Virginia rather than on
Common Core State Standards (2012). In looking specifically at the Writing Workshop guide
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written by Calkins and Martinelli (2006) that was previously discussed, the Writing Workshop
curriculum does not include any type of writing standards; however, the activities in which the
teachers engage their students can be connected with Virginia SOLs with minimal effort because
many basic writing standards and expectations are embedded in the curriculum (Virginia
Department of Education, 2012). The skills and strategies taught in this curriculum are essential
to becoming experienced and strong writers. The SOLs expect writers to be able to
Use oral and written communication skills to describe key concepts and information
contained in the mathematics, science, and history and social science Standards of
Learning. In addition, the student will plan, draft, revise, and edit writings to describe, to
entertain, to explain, and to persuade. (2012)
Additionally, in focusing on fifth grade Virginia SOLs, students are also expected to:
5.7 The student will write for a variety of purposes: to describe, to inform, to
entertain, to explain, and to persuade.
a)
Identify intended audience.
b)
Use a variety of prewriting strategies.
c)
Organize information to convey a central idea.
d)
Write a clear topic sentence focusing on the main idea.
e)
Write multi-paragraph compositions.
f)
Use precise and descriptive vocabulary to create tone and voice.
g)
Vary sentence structure by using transition words.
h)
Revise for clarity of content using specific vocabulary and information.
i)
Include supporting details that elaborate the main idea.
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5.8 The student will edit writing for correct grammar, capitalization, spelling,
punctuation, sentence structure, and paragraphing.
a)
Use plural possessives.
b)
Use adjective and adverb comparisons.
c)
Identify and use interjections.
d)
Use apostrophes in contractions and possessives.
e)
Use quotation marks with dialogue.
f)
Use commas to indicate interrupters.
g)
Use a hyphen to divide words at the end of a line.
h)
Edit for fragments and run-on sentences.
i)
Eliminate double negatives.
j)
Use correct spelling of commonly used words.
k)
Identify and use conjunctions (Virginia Department of Education, 2012).
In comparing these standards with Calkins and Martinelli’s (2006) writing workshop unit,
these seemingly unconnected materials fit together in such a way that a teacher could easily
implement this curriculum into the classroom despite the differences in Virginia SOLs and
Common Core State Standards and still provide instruction and activities that are challenging
and rigorous for the students.
Another Virginia SOL, standard 5.8 CF, expects that students have a significant amount
of practice “writing on demand, for shorter time frames, and over extended periods of time”
(Virginia Department of Education, 2012). When carried out effectively, writing workshops
provide students with abundant opportunities to engage in writing activities to be conducted over
DEVELOPING A WRITER’S IDENTITY
21
varied lengths of time, and therefore, meet this Virginia state standard (Calkins & Martinelli,
2006; Virginia Department of Education, 2012).
Assessments and the Writer’s Workshop Model
Writing is one of the most neglected subjects taught in our schools, even though it
“remains a primary medium by which students demonstrate their knowledge and the primary
means by which teachers evaluate student performance” (Clippard & Nicaise, 1998, p. 7).
Additionally, because of the strong emphasis on testing, teachers focus their writing instruction
around writing recipes like the five-paragraph essay rather than employing more effective
instructional approaches that support students in developing a writer’s identity (Brown et al.,
2011). Quoted in the report of a survey conducted by Brindley and Schneider (2002), a teacher
stated, “If students leave elementary school only doing good writing for tests we, as educators,
have failed them just as much as we would have had we taught them nothing” (p. 335). The
current methods employed by schools and states for assessing student writing are impractical and
will continue to hinder students’ development of writers’ identities as long as the system
currently used remains in place. The current education system does not provide students with
adequate time to work through at least one, if not several, cycles of the writing process when
writing a single piece of writing because of an emphasis on standardized testing of which writing
plays a smaller role than reading and mathematics (Brindley & Schneider, 2002).
Wiggins and McTighe (2006) argue that in order to effectively and fairly assess students’
knowledge the assessments used must be “grounded in authentic, performance-based tasks” (p.
153). When thinking about authentic writing assessments, the work we are assessing needs to
“resemble or simulate the kind of work done by people in that field” (p. 154). In order for a
student to discover meaning, entertainment or power in writing, he must feel a personal
DEVELOPING A WRITER’S IDENTITY
22
involvement in the act of writing itself. When students write, they are not only composing a
piece of writing but are also composing themselves and putting themselves inside their writing—
thus developing their identity as a writer (Tway, 1984). The assessment should reflect this
student’s involvement and commitment to his writing. It is not enough to simply assess the final
product with a prescribed rubric as is often done when assessing students’ written work.
Because of the methods by which writing has been incorporated into our education
system—as an isolated block of frequently no more than ninety minutes a week (Troia et al.,
2011)—children rarely have incentive to write other than the grade they know they will get for
the final draft of a written assignment (Lewis, 1999). Due to this emphasis placed on assessments
of final products, many students will complete an assignment without ever becoming deeply or
personally invested in their own writing (Calkins, 1986). A critical component of possessing a
writer’s identity and bringing a piece of writing to life comes through recognizing the desire to
be involved, to feel committed, and to want to say something (Tway, 1984). Until the writer’s
mind is engaged in something that provokes thoughts, feelings, or other emotions, any writing
completed is likely to be obligatory and not meaningful. In order for this to happen, assessments
must be strategically and thoughtfully administered throughout the writing process. By providing
students the opportunity to work on a single written assignment over the period of several
weeks—for example, a grading period—they are also given the time to establish a genuine and
personal investment in their writing as they work to brainstorm, draft, write, revise, conference,
and edit the same piece of writing. This fluid process of writing becomes readily apparent in a
writing workshop model, and students begin to recognize writing as a process rather than a fixed
product. Tway (1984) argues, “There is much to be done with the process in order to improve the
product,” (p. 10) and through assessing students’ informally with formative assessments that
DEVELOPING A WRITER’S IDENTITY
23
evaluate their efforts and work throughout the entire writing process than simply with a
summative assessment evaluating their final piece, we are recognizing the time, effort, and work
each student puts into each element of the writing process.
From Theory to Practice: Implications for the Classroom
Clippard and Nicaise (1998) argue that writing should not be reduced to a collection of
lessons taught by direct instruction on the mechanics of writing because ‘real’ writers engage in
entirely different processes when writing that are much more natural to the organic nature of the
writing experience. Writing instruction must include all elements related to writing including the
frustrations and failures that come with writing. Through the process-focused writing workshop,
educators can guide students through the entire writing process in a way that is natural and
authentic to how ‘real’ writers work. Because writing is a critical form of communication in
today’s society, it must be presented in a way in which children see its value in their lives. When
writing is taught as a subject separate from other literacy areas, students cannot clearly see its
benefits to them as human beings who must be able to effectively interact and communicate with
others. One of the benefits of teaching the entire writing process through a workshop model is
that students are introduced to writing experiences through which they become comfortable and
confident in their own ability to maneuver through the chaotic and complex nature of writing
proves to be much more effective than teaching them writing as an isolated and abstract subject
in school (Brown et al., 2011).
As educators who read current research to inform their teaching practice, there are many
suggested instructional practices that can improve quality of writing beginning with an
implementation of a comprehensive writing program such as the Writing Workshop curriculum
(Calkins & Martinelli, 2006; Graham, et al., (2012). Educators begin by explaining, modeling,
DEVELOPING A WRITER’S IDENTITY
24
and guiding students through activities that help them gather and organize ideas for their papers
before even beginning to write. They provide writing experiences in which students work
independently as well as in small groups to plan, draft, revise, and edit papers. Students learn
how to constructively provide and receive feedback from their peers, increasing their levels of
communication skills and their exposure to different styles of writing, which will help them
begin to shape their own identity as a writer. The educator works with students to set clear and
specific goals for what they are to accomplish throughout the writing process. Students work
alongside their teachers to assess their own writing and progress in mastering each stage of the
writing process. Finally, students must be provided more time to write in order for them to
become more effective and experienced writers. They need opportunities to write for varied
audiences and purposes and must be given the chance to write for themselves (Graham et al.,
2012). By incorporating these instructional practices into students’ daily lives, educators will
create opportunities for students’ to learn who they are as a writer and how they want to be
identified as such.
Challenges and Limitations
Evident from the information provided throughout this paper, there are countless benefits
to teaching writing through a writing workshop approach in upper elementary classrooms. In
order to provide students with adequate writing instruction using these curricula, however,
teacher education programs must do a better job of preparing teachers to teach writing to
children in upper elementary grades. Students in these grade levels must spend more time writing
both in and out of the classroom. Teachers must assign a broader range of writing activities and
must provide students with time to write on a more regular basis (Gilbert & Graham, 2010).
Students need to be exposed to a variety of purposes for writing including persuasive writing,
DEVELOPING A WRITER’S IDENTITY
25
writing to inform and describe, writing research reports, and writing for oneself. Teachers must
devote more time to teaching writing to their grade 4-6 students and must utilize evidence based
writing practices on a regular basis instead of only in the weeks before a writing assessment
(Gilbert & Graham, 2010). Until these changes are made, a writing workshop approach may not
be the first instructional tool educators choose to implement in their classrooms.
Additionally, when students’ writing challenges begin to impact academic performance,
many teachers take a “reductionist” approach (Clippard, 1998). This may occur because of time
constraints educators feel they are under due to standardized assessments and many other
academic requirements. The reductionist approach teaches writing as a subject separate from
reading and speaking. Writing becomes a series of worksheets to be completed, a list of
mechanical skills to be mastered, instruction driven by basal texts, and tightly sequenced lessons.
When writing is broken down into disjointed tasks that do not allow students to engage in
meaningful writing experiences or find their passion and desire to develop into experienced
writers, we are merely perpetuating the writing deficit that currently exists in our schools (The
National Commission on Writing, 2003).
Moving forward, it is essential that scholars and educators alike examine how teaching
experience, teacher levels of comfort with providing effective writing instruction, students’
perceptions of themselves as writers, and the teaching and learning context interact with
educators’ pedagogies, beliefs, and practices (Troia et al., 2011). Through a close examination of
these elements and how they relate, educators will begin to more effectively meet the needs of
their students and can further support the development of writer’s identity in young learners.
Conclusion
DEVELOPING A WRITER’S IDENTITY
26
I have minimal experience with Lucy Calkins’ writing materials but have always thought
they were materials I would use as a teacher. After evaluating this writing curriculum according
to the design considerations of Wiggins and McTighe (2005), I am even more confident that I
will use a workshop approach to writing in my own fifth grade classroom. The standards for the
quality of writing students are expected to produce are high but not unreasonable. As long as
teachers recognize progress of individual students, this curriculum designed by Calkins and
Martinelli (2006), as well as other workshop models, allow the teacher to push all students but
also allows opportunities to provide additional scaffolding and support for students who are not
quite meeting the high expectations set for each grade level. The students certainly have high
expectations to meet due to increased rigor in state and national learning standards, but ideally,
they are also encouraged, supported, and celebrated as developing writers in a workshop model
(Calkins, 2006; Virginia Department of Education, 2012, Common Core State Standards, 2012).
This is a balance that does not often exist in curriculum today, and it is an extremely important
balance that needs to be present in the classrooms if educators hope to create writers of their
students.
Perhaps over the course of the school year, many aspiring and experienced writers will
have emerged. For these students as well as any student who is beginning to identify as a writer,
their teachers may begin to encourage students to submit their work to online magazines or
newspapers, or local publications, which are authentic and natural outlets through which these
student writers can share their work. One of the greatest joys a writer will know is a “public
appreciation of a piece of work that took many hours, days, or even years to complete” (Clippard
& Nicaise, 1998, p. 24). It is our responsibility as educators of budding writers to provide
opportunities for developing their craft.
DEVELOPING A WRITER’S IDENTITY
27
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