I was very impressed with Regie Routman's Writing Essentials. The school that my main placement is in does not have a set writing curriculum, but I can see that many great teachers that I've observed there are using principles that Routman discusses.
For example, I observed a lesson taught by Mrs. T. about writing. She puts a lot of emphasis on the telling of the story out loud or to yourself before you actually begin writing. This is something that Routman discusses on page 37. Mrs. T. also follows the next guideline of shared demonstration where she thinks aloud as she writes. Mrs. T. demonstrated the writing of a memory about riding bikes when she was a kid. As Mrs. T. wrote, she was constantly thinking, revising, and editing as she went. Routman writes how important it is to let students see you as a teacher struggle. "One of the most powerful ways for students to grow as writers is to watch you write--to observe you plan, think, compose, revise, and edit right in front of them, pretty much off the cuff" (Routman, 45).
Another concept that Routman discusses that resonated with me was to keep your audience in mind. When kids write, they often forget about the reader. When I ask a child to tell me about something they did over the weekend, I get a lot of detail and emotion. If that same child writes about the event, often they write a very dry recount of what they did and don't keep the reader in mind.
I look forward to reading more of Routman and learning ways to help each student become a confident writer.
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