Free Writing is common component in TPRS®/CI classrooms. Many teachers do weekly, timed free writes; others are less consistent, but you will be hard pressed to find a trained TPRS®/CI teacher that doesn't use them at all.
As with anything, though, we like to keep our students guessing, don't we?! More than that--we need to keep them guessing. If you've ever attended a Carol Gaab reading strategies workshop or webinar, you've learned about the importance of variety when it comes to reading.
But what about writing? How often do we 'shake things up' when it comes to writing?? If you're like me--not that often. And why not? If variety is so important in all other areas of instruction, it follows that it would be just as important when it comes to writing.
So, with the help of Pinterest, I have compiled a document with nine different ways that you can do a free write (some are actually 'focused' free writes, but close enough, right? :) ). You can view the image on this post, or click on this link to access the PDF, which includes links to more detailed descriptions of each idea. (The links in the image are inactive.) Over the next few weeks, I hope to put together some resources for each of the ideas as we tackle them in my classes.
What are some ways that YOU switch up the writing process for your students?
