What's Next for this Beginning Writer?: Mini-Lessons That Take Writing from Scribbles to Script

Anne Hutchings, a former elementary-school teacher-librarian with the
Durham Board of Education, is an educational consultant.

Ten questions form the framework for this blueprint for working with
young writers. Answers to the first nine questions, which range from
“On what beliefs should I base my teaching of writing?” and
“Doesn’t reading come first?” to “How should I deal with
spelling?” are found in the introductory chapter and summarized in a
chart. The chart identifies 13 stages in the development of a writer,
from children whose pictures consist solely of “scribbles and
squiggles” and who can print their own names (Stage 1) to students who
are able to produce written pieces in a variety of genres, spell, and
use punctuation correctly (Stage 13). The rest of the book provides
answers to the tenth question, “What’s next for this beginning
writer?”

Each chapter presents a detailed lesson plan focusing on a specific
skill. Lessons may be repeated as often as necessary to allow the
student to progress to the next stage. The authors are careful to point
out that there is no set time frame over which this development may
occur (it could take a few months or even years to reach Stage 13).
Three important assumptions underlie each lesson: reading and writing
are complementary activities; children learn to write by writing; and
teachers, while accepting of approximations, provide opportunities to
develop new writing strategies through demonstration and guided
practice. Techniques for assessing a student’s progress are included
in each lesson plan.

Story maps, charts, a brochure for parents containing information about
the stages of writing development, suggestions for working with ESL
students, a list of the authors’ favourite books for children, and a
list of further reading are all included in appendixes.

This detailed guide, with its wealth of practical sequentially arranged
ideas and suggestions, would be invaluable for both beginning and
experienced teachers. It should be a first-choice purchase for every
elementary school library, and many teachers will want to add it to
their own collections.