DWashington

Craft Lessons (Pgs. 79-92)

Focus and the "power" it can generate in our student's writing is examined in this section. The authors state it may take several mini-lessons before students can successfully incorporate this important strategy in their writing. This particular strategy can be a valuable tool in helping my  resource students with the writing process. One way the authors suggest to teach the craft of focus is to share with our students our own  pieces of writing. This strategy is something that as a resource teacher my students will be able to relate to. The use of photographs and comparing them is an example of teaching focus that my students will be able to easily understand. Time is also discussed as an important strategy. What is the time frame of the story? Will it take place in the afternoon? A weekend? Over the summer? It is important that I help my students learn to "manipulate" time to make their stories more interesting. It is equally important that they understand that most stories are a "series of events connected in time."The authors use the example of a strand of pearls. It is not as important as how the pearls are ordered as the fact that they are all connected by the "strand or focus" they select. Learning to write "succinctly" is also an important writing skill. Students need to ask themselves, "Are there any parts here I don't need?" "Am I drifting off my topic?" These questions can be valuable tools in helping my students stay focused on their subject also.  Keeping the reader of their story interested can be determined by the "lead." The lead can make or break a student's writing. This is  another important writing strategy for all students. A good story includes" surprising imagery" and lots of description. Students need to learn to create an "effect" for the reader. One way to do this is by varying the length of the sentences. Several longer sentences may be followed by a short one. Recurring lines, supporting details, naming characters and using telling details to describe characters, as well as physical descriptions and gestures are all important strategies in making stories "come alive" for the reader. All of the above mentioned strategies are skills my resource students will be able to apply to their writing. This will help them know where to begin and hopefully, create an interesting, focused piece of writing.