Writing Should Be Fun!

Non-Magical Thinking: Presenting Writing Developmentally in Schools 

by Janet Emig

            "Writing is predominantly learned rather than taught." -p. 140

            This statement challenged my thinking. After some wrestling with it, I venture to say her definition of teaching included a different perspective than mine. If she means telling students they must start here then do this and so on in a prescriptive manner to "teach" students to write, then I agree.

            On the other hand, if she means never explaining to a child different types of writing and giving that child opportunities to practice and become comfortable with those, I disagree. If she means not looking at students' work and sharing feedback about their writing from a teacher's perspective, I disagree.

            I think conferencing with our students, presenting information on different types of writing, and leading our students as they process through writing are all part of teaching. How do students learn if there is no one to lead them--to read to them, listen to them, and share from their own learning?

            Getting down from my little soapbox, I don't think that's quite what she meant.

            "Writers of all ages as frequently work from wholes to parts as from parts to whole." --p.140

            This validates other reading that I have done. (Was it Gardner? Perhaps I'll look when I am doing other research.) People tend to be wired differently as far as big picture or detail orientation. It is logical that this would apply to writing.

"The processes of writing are...recursive--we not only plan, then write, then revise; but also revis, then plan, then write." -p. 140

            Barry Lane in After the End states: "From my work as a writer I know that revision is more than a stage...it is the source of the entire process...Each word I write revises a hundred others I could have written." (p. 5) Lane points out that revision begins even before we get anything written down on paper.

            I notice that I am always revising in my head as I am writing about word choice--choosing then quickly re-thinking--before I even finish a rough draft--especially if I feel a time constraint.

"Children need frequent opportunities to practice writing, many of these playful."--p. 139

            This statement intrigued me. Dr. Duvall mentioned in her presentation how she tells her students, "Isn't this fun!"--even bribing her students to say, "Math is fun!" while eating crackers. What do I do to make writing fun? I have tried to make it a relaxing, quiet environment for my students, giving them time to write and revise.  Fun was not usually factored into my equation. Since children often learn through play, it is only logical that writing should also be fun.