Exploring the Power of Writing in the Primary Grades

This week’s activity gave us the chance to experience the writing process  first-hand by selecting a topic and writing a story within a limited time frame. Although I have always taught my students that writing is a process, this exercise made me realize just how demanding that process can be. Writing under pressure felt hectic and overwhelming, and it reminded me that good writing takes time, patience, and multiple stages , from brainstor ming and drafting to revising and refining ideas. At first, I believed I needed to complete a polished story within the 40-minute session, but as time passed, I realized that writing cannot be rushed. This experience gave me a new perspective on how my students must feel when I ask them to write a full story on the spot. It reminded me that effective writing instruction requires not only clear expectations but also empathy and time for students to think, plan, and revise. Moving forward, I intend to create a more supportive and flexible environme...

  Appraisal beyond Errors By: Polly Jeremiah for weekending 24 th October, 2025   Throughout my entire tenure as a teacher, I have assessed, taught and graded students’ written literature from a ‘pessimistic point of view, where my general focus was on correctness (mechanics and register), and not the most important trait, voice; the young writer’s expression of thoughts and feelings. I failed to give ample attention to students’ content. I must also say, I was also swayed at times by presentation, where hand writing and overall neatness of the piece influence my appraisal of the quality of work produced. I also failed to pay attention to the fact that students’ first language (Grenadian dialect) is adequate for the full expression of any idea. This week’s activity (analysis of a sample piece), showed me how much I erroneously viewed students’ writing, while putting them under unnecessary pressure, to conform to the Queen’s English.   For the first time I analy...

This week’s activity gave us the opportunity to work in groups to analyse a student’s piece of writing using the 6 + 1 Writing Traits . The exercise was both fascinating and eye-opening. By examining the writing through the lens of each trait  ; ideas, organization, voice, word choice, sentence fluency, conventions, and presentation I began to see how these traits provide a clear and structured way to assess and support students’ development as writers. What stood out to me most was how effectively the traits highlight both strengths  and areas for improvement . Rather than focusing only on errors, the framework allowed us to appreciate what the student was already doing well, such as expressing clear ideas and attempting organization, while also identifying areas like sentence fluency and conventions that needed guidance. This experience made me realize that assessing writing is not about finding faults, but about recognizing progress and planning meaningful next steps. Throu...

  This week, we worked in groups to analyze a Grade 3 child’s piece of writing. The experience was eye-opening because it reminded me that a child’s writing can show much more than what first meets the eye. The child wrote mostly in their first language and used very little punctuation. At first, it seemed full of errors, but as I looked closer, I began to notice a steady flow of ideas and real thought behind the words. Even though the piece did not follow all the conventions and mechanics , it showed a natural stream of thinking and a clear attempt to communicate meaning. During our discussions, I realized how often teachers focus on correctness and forget to notice the ideas a child is trying to share. This exercise helped me see that the content and intention behind writing are just as important as grammar and punctuation . I also recognized that a child’s first language is not a barrier. It is a bridge that helps them organize their thoughts and express their experiences in ...

  Writing from a 6+1 Traits Perspective Weekending 17 th October, 2025 By: Polly M. Jeremiah   As soon as I begin to think that I have learnt sufficient strategies, tools and methods, to effectively teach writing at the primary level, there comes the presentation of another astonishing tool, one filled with components that cause me to think; why had I never thought of this before? And, so, this pattern goes on week-after-week, to the point that I keep counselling myself, to just simply sit back and relax, for I am in the hands of one of Grenada’s most learned experts in the field of literacy education; Dr. Alana B. Charles.   With my anxiety laid to rest, I can continue to focus on this week’s points of learning; the 6 + 1 Writing Traits , which reminded me of my past practice, where I attempted teaching writing without a clear set of guidelines to follow. I was further reminded of my over simplification of the same traits, unknowingly, when it was time to asse...

       What does it really mean to be a good writer? This week in LIT, exploring the 6+1 writing traits made me reflect on that question more deeply than ever. I have always thought about teaching writing as mostly showing students the rules, but examining traits such as ideas, organization, voice, word choice, sentence fluency, conventions, and presentation made me see writing in a new light. Each trait acts as a tool that helps students communicate their thoughts more clearly, confidently, and creatively. Writing is not just something students do. It is something they grow into, and each trait gives them ways to express themselves and develop their own voice.      One question I asked myself during the week was how I can help my students become better writers. This question was answered through our discussions and activities in class. Our lecturer asked us to get into groups based on our grade levels and explore the Language Arts standards of the OE...

 

  Mastering The Use of The writer’s workshop Weekending 10 th October, 2025 By: Polly M. Jeremiah       We generally hold the view that our knowledge of practices used in our daily dispensations of our duties, are either effective or are the only method possible in meeting our objective. However, our introduction to better alternatives, is a clear reminder, of our constant need to continue refreshing our expertise with new best practices, or alternative ones. This is precisely the case with my learning in relation to using the ‘Writer’s Workshop’, this week.       My emersion into the use of this effective teaching method, was rather fascinating, for I recognised aspects of it, which I used in my writing classes, however, I got them from colleagues, who themselves learned it from other teachers through observation and discussion, but never knew of its origins or its full principles. Never the less, I was rather amazed to se...

  Before this week’s session, I had never really heard about the Writing Workshop. I used to think that writing lessons mainly involved giving students a topic and having them write a piece to be graded. After learning about the Writing Workshop, I now see that writing is not just about producing a final product, but about guiding students through a process that helps them grow as writers. I really appreciated how our lecturer explained each stage of the workshop and how it fits together to create a meaningful writing experience. What stood out to me most is how structured and student-centered the Writing Workshop is. It gives students a sense of ownership because they have the opportunity to choose their topics and work at their own pace. I like that it includes time for direct teaching, independent writing, conferencing, and sharing. Each part has a clear purpose, supporting students in developing their ideas, improving their writing skills, and gaining confidence. When I retur...

Before this week’s discussion, I thought the Writing Workshop  was just an occasional activity used during Language Arts lessons. However, after exploring it in depth, I now realize that it is much more than that , it is a structured, student-centered framework that supports authentic writing and long-term growth. I learned that students learn best when they write frequently, for extended periods, and on topics that interest them. This approach empowers them to take ownership of their writing and to see themselves as real authors. What stood out to me most is that the Writing Workshop is not a one-off classroom task but a carefully planned and school-wide practice. It should ideally be part of the school’s writing culture, taking place at least once a week in our context, even if time does not allow for daily sessions. This idea really changed my mindset. I now understand that implementing the Writing Workshop across an entire school can build confident, capable writers and ensure ...

  Going through the stages of the writing process this week was truly fascinating. I now understand more clearly how children develop as writers, from the emergent stage  to the fluent stage , and how these stages overlap across grade levels. In the emergent stage, for instance, I picture students in Kindergarten to Grade 2 who are still learning to express ideas through drawings or invented spelling. Some older students may also be at this level if they are still developing confidence in spelling or sentence formation. This helped me realize how important it is to meet each child where they are rather than where we think they “should” be. During our group discussion, one of my classmates mentioned that even older students sometimes return to earlier stages when learning new genres or languages, and that really made me think. It reminded me that the writing process is not linear but rather flexible, with students moving back and forth as they grow. The stage that caught my att...

  Reflective Journal 2 Understanding the Stages of Writing Development Weekending 19 th September, 2025       As we continue on our journey of acquiring conventional methods of teaching writing, throughout the primary school system, I continue to be impressed with the amount of strategies and tools that exist for this purpose. I am indeed impressed, however in a state of awe in relation to my lack of knowledge, thereof. I thought I was quite knowledgeable and competent to teach writing. As has been the popular belief by many; writing is a simple skill, which any literate person can teach.       Last week’s sessions opened my eyes to the whole principle of writing in stages and the need to start at an early age. A fact that stood-out was the high level of success in writing that is possible with an early start. I then realised how much our children’s true potential is hindered by a late introduction to the writing process. The...

     This week’s focus on the ROG writing process made me think a lot about how writing grows and what it really means to support students at each stage. I realized that writing is not just about getting words on paper. It is about shaping ideas, building confidence, and finding a voice. The stages of emergent, early, developing, and fluent writers reminded me that growth in writing happens step by step, and each stage needs patience and support.      Thinking about the different stages, I see that writing is both personal and mental work. Emergent writers are exploring and trying new ideas, early writers are learning to organize their thoughts, developing writers are refining their ideas, and fluent writers are expressing themselves clearly and intentionally. Reflecting on this makes me appreciate how much effort each student puts in and how important it is to meet them where they are instead of rushing them toward a final product.      This...