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Ashley Wienken
Motivating Students to Write
Annotated Bibliography
Tompkins, G. (2012) Teaching Writing: Balancing Process and Product. Boston, MA: Pearson Education
Inc.
Chapter 5: Personal Writing
Part 1 WHAT --- What did you learn? 8 10 bullets with ideas that you learned from the source.
Variety of purposes for journal writing- record experiences, activate prior knowledge, engage
imagination.
Helps to develop writing fluency and legibility.
Journals can be a combination of writing and drawing.
Double-entry journals: Two columns. In one column students write quotes or make notes from
things that they have read, and in the other make a connection to their personal life.
Teaching how to write an E-mail! (Mini Lesson- page 127). Incorporates technology into the writing.
Blogs: can be either personal or topical. Students could use a blog to address literature. Also
incorporates technology.
Students can write letters to their favorite authors and illustrators to share their thoughts, ideas and
feelings about the books that they have read. They can ask questions as well.
Teaching mini-lessons on brainstorming techniques helps writers determine what it is they WANT
to write about, rather than being assigned a topic or becoming frustrated because they dont know
how to choose.
Part 2 SO WHAT What connection can you make? Connect to classroom experience, other resources,
and/or personal experiences.
Students often use journals for their specific content areas. Using personal journals in the
primary grades definitely helps to establish fluency and legibility. Students can also use their
personal journals express their creativity and use their imagination. I remember in first grade my
teacher allowed us to draw pictures then tell a story about that picture several times a week.
Part 3 NOW WHAT What will you do with the information? How will this information be helpful in your
teaching
For my future teaching I will make sure to implement a variety of ways students can
interact with writing. First by providing them opportunities to write about themselves, both informally
and formally to get them comfortable with writing. I also think that in today's day and age students
need to become familiar with writing and technology. Teaching students correct format and
etiquette when writing for an email or a blog is important since so much of what students do in their
free time is internet related. Allowing students to conduct projects in the form of a blog might be
more useful and meaningful for them than would a formal essay- even though this is an important
concept as well.
Ashley Wienken
Twenty-five Ways to Motivate Young Authors. Teacher Vision. Retrieved from

https://www.teachervision.com/teaching-methods/resource/5048.html
Modeling! Teachers need to model good writing behaviors like brainstorming and drafting to let
students know that writing is a process and that they shouldnt become frustrated.
Allows students to choose what form they would like to write it- but around one particular topic.
(multigenre)
Make the "authors chair" a special time. Set aside a time and place where students can share their
work with their peers.
Using students work as examples. Celebrating what they are doing correctly.
Go somewhere other than the classroom to write. A new environment is exciting and can generate
inspiration to their writing.
Create a class newspaper, students are involved throughout the entire process. Can write about
current events, what is happening in the community, and what is happening in their personal lives.
Can also include comics.
Draw first then write.
Mail station in the classroom where students can send and receive mail.
Allowing students to show what they have been working on is great way for students to feel
accomplished about what they have been working hard on. I remember sharing in front of the class stories I
had written, or even having them posted in the hallway for peers and parents to see. It was always fun
being able to point out what I had done, and either read it to them or explain it. I also remember working in
the CDL lab on campus where they had the mail station. The students loved sitting down to write letters, put
them in envelopes and drop them in the mailbox. Even though they were not able to fully write they were
able to write down some letters scribble or draw pictures which was getting them in the right direction.
teaching.
In my future teaching I will make sure to always model what it expected of my students! I will also
make sure to celebrate students work, whether it is by allowing them to share at the author's chair, what
they have just accomplished, or displaying their work in the classroom. Students need to feel as if they are
accomplishing their goals and celebrating their accomplishments is a great way to make students feel
welcomed and encouraged in their learning environment. I also really like the idea of the "draw first and
then write". I think this is a great strategy to motivate students who may be stuck. I think that this idea could
be taken across all content areas. For example, in Social Studies students could draw a picture of a
historical event of their choosing and then write about it.
Morris, Gayle. Motivating Students to read and Write in All Disciplines. University of Michigan.
https://www.lsa.umich.edu/UMICH/sweetland/Home/Downloads/MotivatingStudentstoReadandWrit
einAllDisciplines.pdf
Ashley Wienken
Provide students with an appropriate amount of challenge. Goals and expectations need to be
reasonable but still challenging so that students do not become bored.
Students enjoy sharing their work, allowing for peer review helps to establish a sense of
community.
"Invention Journal" let students record their progression. They can write a variety of things in this
journal whether its ideas for an assignment, recording personal reactions, or for organizing their
thoughts.
Students look back at old work, like from the beginning of the year or term, and then analyze it.
They can see the progress they have made- and can revise this work to make it better.
Strategies for improving writing: Training students to Read like a writer. Several questions. Ex:
Authors purpose? Intended audience?
Discovery Drafts: Free writing exercises that allow students to think out loud.
Providing student's feedback is critical to foster further growth. Positive feedback is needed, along
with areas that they should look further into.
Teachers need to remind students of their personal investment in what they are learning- and how
it connects to their long term and professional goals!
I think it is so important for students to look back at previous work and see the progress that they
have made. This is also helpful for the teacher to keep a record off, for their own personal goals for the
student but to also be able to show parents and colleagues. Portfolios are always needed of student work
to assess their progress. If there is anything that I have learned throughout my course work it is that
students need to feel as though they belong in their learning environment, and that they also need to be
challenged. Establishing a community of learners is vital for students to be successful. Students also need
to see that they have expectations that they need to meet, recognized for when they do and then proceed
to the next challenge.
teaching.
As a future educator it is important that students feel that what they are learning will benefit them in
the future. Reading and writing are critical skills for communication and academics. Making sure that
students are confident and successful in literacy is something that I will strive for in my future classroom.
With this being said it is also vital that I provide students with just enough challenge. Tasks should be just
enough of a challenge to keep them interested, engaged and progressing without being so easy that they
become bored or so overwhelmed they reach frustration. As a teacher I need to make sure that I am aware
of all of the levels of my students and scaffold as necessary so that all of my students will benefit from what
they are doing.
Vasquez, Vivian. Getting Beyond I like the Book: Creating Space for Critical Literacy in K-6 Classrooms.
International Reading Association. 2010.
Ashley Wienken
Pairing writing with social issues. Teachers can use text dealing with social issues and students
can respond by writing what they feel- or any connections that they have to it.
Six sessions with social issue texts- During session two students revisit a picture book for a second
time. They look at the pictures and respond to prompt, by talking with a partner or writing.
Six sessions with social issue texts- During session 6 students will revisit the same prompt and
write in notebooks. They get a fresh perspective and can expand on their ideas.
Literacy can be incorporated into writing. Students can write songs and chants that help them
remember content subjects.
Students can write surveys that can be used in their classroom. Say a student wants something to
change about their classroom, students can express their concerns by writing a survey and
receiving feedback from their peers.
There are many books that cover social issues that are age appropriate for upper grades and can
be used to respond to. Some examples include: Seed Folks, Stand Tall, and The Wump World.
Incorporating writing in math using math journals. Students can write about how math is important
in their everyday lives, and include illustrations.
In their math journals students can also define terms and include illustrations that help them better
understand and remember those concepts.
I have been able to see several teachers incorporating writing into their content area subjects. Many of
them will use journals that are designated for a specific content area. In these journals students may do
many things. They may take notes or define vocabulary. I have seen some teachers have students respond
to a writing prompt. Other than writing I have seen this done a lot in Social Studies. In my Mentor Teachers
classroom students may respond to a writing prompt over an objective covered that day such as Goods
and Services. Students were asked to draw a picture of a good or a service and then write about their
drawing and how they knew whether it was a good or a service. I have also observed a teacher who utilized
math journals. In these journals students would sometimes write down problems written on the board, take
notes, or glue in worksheets that they had completed in class.
teaching?
I love the idea of using math journals for more than just taking notes. This resource allowed me to see how
students responded to using math journals in a creative way. By allowing students to both write and
illustrate math concepts they were able to make deeper connections to what they were discussing. I also
plan to use social issues that are age appropriate, to spark interest and passion in my students. When
topics bring out a lot of emotion in students it not only makes them engaged and interested in the topic, but
also helps to get them motivated to write. I could use social issue topics and ask students to respond to
questions like, How does that make you feel? What would you do differently? How can we make a change?
What problems do you predict for the future? Using social issue topics will be a way that I try and get my
students motivated to write.
Ashley Wienken
Stempler, Ephraim. 25 Ways to Get Kids Writing. Scholastic Teacher. Retrieved from
http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/article/25-ways-get-kids-writing
Writers block: The Purdue online writing lab offers virtual remedies that students can use in order
to find things to write about.
Students can write their own folk tales. They can create their own myths while weaving in ideas
from folk talks that they have heard before. (the scholastic website has examples)
Using Mad Libs to teach/learn about the parts of speech. It is fun and creative. Students can be
provided a word bank for assistance. Students who are shy about sharing may really enjoy sharing
their funny stories.
Using contests to motivate writing! A little competition can bring out students best work. Teachers
can submit students work into contest (or have a class contest). One example of an online contest
is My Hero (myhero.com). Students can submit essays to honor their heroes- which means they
are writing from the heart.
"What if?" prompts. Examples like, what id cows gave root beer instead of milk? Or, What if it really
did rain cats and dogs? Students can respond to these prompts in fun and creative ways. Teachers
can also mix this up and have more serious prompts in other content areas, like in Social Studies,
What if Christopher Columbus never sailed the Ocean?
Using the senses to write. This incorporates science into writing. An example would be
retelling/rewriting the story of the "Gingerbread Man" using sensory details.
Students need to practice typing their work. There are many typing games that students can use
on the computer to help with these skills. Growing up using technology such as smart phones,
many students are only able to use two fingers.
Story maps and graphic organizers. These really help to organize student's thoughts and ideas
before writing. These are especially helpful for ELL learners.
I was able to make several connections to this resource. I have seen "What if" prompts used in my
Social Studies methods course. My professor has also suggested using these prompts to spark student's
interest in the content and to think critically about how our world might be different. He gave us several
examples like, "what if Christopher Columbus never sailed The Ocean to discover the Americas? Students
responses will vary because this type of prompt is open ended. I have also used Mad Libs before I
remember one of middle school teachers using these as a free activity when we had already completed our
work for the day. They were always fun to do and share with a partner. I have also seen teachers using the
senses when reading books to get students to really picture what the author is trying to convey. I think that
this can easily be flipped and used as students write their own stories to convey something to their
audience.
teaching.
Ashley Wienken
I plan to use several of these idea in my future classroom. I loved the idea of the "what if" prompts.
This is something that I think students would really respond well too. Students could use this as a short
writing response and later in the year return back to it. Edit it, and even publish it. I think this idea would be
great to incorporate into other content areas as well. I also plan to implement the use of Mad Libs into my
instruction, not only are these fun but really help students become familiar with the parts of speech!
Aguilar, Elena. Motivating Students: Writing for an Audience. Edutopia. February 18, 2011. Retrieved from
http://www.edutopia.org/blog/motivating-student-writers-audience-elena-aguilar
Students may feel unmotivated to write if they are not receiving a grade for their work.
Letting students know how you will be grading or evaluating their work is also helpful in motivating
reluctant writers.
Suggestions for grading student writing: Half a page, its a C. Full one side of page, its a B. Full
two sided page, it's an A. Participation grade.
Students want an audience for their writing.
A students audience should not just be the teacher, they should be able to share their writing.
Students enjoy writing letters to other students. There are several ways in which teachers can
organize this:
o Students can write to pen pals at another school or in another country.
o Students can write to other students in their class.
o Students can write emails to other students.
Providing students with an audience that they can teach or inform is useful. Things like health
concerns where they create a brochure or community events coming up. When students completed
this type of activity they felt useful.
Sharing family history. Students interview their family members and learn about traditions, heritage
and native countries. With this information students will write short essays that will be compiled into
a book!
I made a connection to this article through the idea of brochures. I remember using brochures to
teach about a topic as well. I was able to create brochures both on a piece of paper using markers, crayons
and colored pencils and on the computer using programs like Word. With these brochures we would
conduct a lot of research to find out about a particular topc, and then we were allowed to present the
information in creative ways that made us familiar with the features that would be present in actual
brochure. The genre inside of the brochure could be different. Sometimes it was informative and sometimes
it was persuasive. As a student this type of writing was something that I really enjoyed.
teaching.
In my future classroom I definitely plan to utilize brochures. Students can become familiar with both
persuasive and informative writing with this type of project. This activity also requires students to conduct
their own research and they can present the information in ways that are meaningful to them. They can
Ashley Wienken
also choose their own topics, meaning they are seeking out information that they are interested in- making
them automatically more engaged and invested in the assignment. I also would want to implement the
family history book in my classroom. This would be a great beginning of the year activity for students to
become more familiar with one another, but to also get them writing!
Terrell, Shelly. Motivating Students to Write. TESOL. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_m-JLnNfMU
Teachers need to remember that when ELL students are writing it can be intimidating. They often
feel embarrassed. It is not that do not WANT to write but more that they are just feeling uneasy or
embarrassed.
Not all writing responses should be the same! Use other types of writing. Like dialog in a comic, or
a tweet!
The teacher can different types of music and students can respond to how that music makes them
feel and their connections to it. Another idea for journal entries.
Teachers can take their students to a different location like outside and let them be inspired that
way. Sometimes students just need another location in order to be inspired.
Teachers should change up their writing prompts. Visual writing prompts. Students are given
visuals and they respond to it. What is the problem here? How does this image make you feel?
Teachers can use writing prompts that revolve around upcoming holidays and events. (Using
Pinterest you can find writing prompts for everyday of the year).
Kidsblog.org is an easy website for students to use that can introduce them to blogging. No email
is required and is super easy for teachers set up for their class.
Makebeliefscomix.com is a website that teachers can use that gives them comics that students can
fill in the dialog. Lots of topics and illustrations.
I made a connection to this webinar when she was talking about ELLs and writing in the classroom.
When I was taking my Billingual/ESL classes my professors stressed how teachers need to be very aware
of the uneasiness and hesitation that some ELL students may have when they come into a English
speaking classroom. They may sometimes feel as if they are unable to be successful so they do not put
forth the effort to complete assignments and write. Because of this teachers need to know strategies to help
students to feel comfortable with writing and make sure to not pressure students too soon. ELL students
may need to gradually ease into writing assignments. I have also heard teachers talk about how they have
taken their students outside to do their writing.
teaching.
From this resource I got a little bit of a refresher of the importance of taking into consideration the
needs and feelings of my ELL students when it comes to writing. I need to be aware of how they are feeling
and their frustrations, so that I can help them and make modifications if needed. I also think using comics is
a Brilliant idea! I will definitely be stealing that idea, the website provided a really cool website that I can use
that provides templates of comics that students an fill in their own creative dialog. I also really love the idea
Ashley Wienken
of using music and have students responding to that. This could also be a really great way to get students
to calm down and focused, depending on the time of music that the teachers provide for students. As
students are responding to music they can express several things, how the music makes them feel, what
kind of sounds they are hearing, or connections they are making to the music.
Donovan, Courtney. Rasmussen, Kelsey. Making the Right Environment to Write in an Elementary
Classroom. 2009-2010. Retrieved from
https://ed.psu.edu/pds/teacherinquiry/2010/donovanCourtney_rasmussenKelsey_20092010Inquiry.
pdf
This research was conducted in response to a third and fifth grade class being reluctant to write. The
student teachers of these classroom decided to conduct some research to determine how to change their
teaching practices to meet the needs of their students. They first used a pre- assessment to determine
student's attitudes and feelings about writing, then they implemented several activities into their everyday
classroom routines, and then utilized a post assessment to receive student's feedback. From this article I
learned the following:
The first thing I gained from this article is the importance of listening to the interests and needs of
your students! If something isnt working, teachers need to adapt and modify their instruction so
that all students are engaged.
Students expressed that they are more motivated to write when they know that their work is going
to be shared with their peers. They work harder to make sure that they have quality work.
More than half of the students expressed that they enjoyed listening to music while writing. Not
responding to the music that was being played, but having the music playing in the background.
Most student either enjoyed receiving or giving feedback to their peers during revisions and before
writing activities.
Using an engagement scale the teachers also assessed the engagement of their students during
lessons and found similar results. They also observed that student's engagement in writing lessons
that used different mediums increased.
o Instead of writing predictions in their journals. Normal length was 2-3 sentences. Using a
"magic fan" students on average wrote ten sentences.
The teachers concluded that students liked to write in areas that were comfortable rather than at
their desks. In cozy corners or on a rug seemed to really help students write.
The teachers spent time interviewing and talking with individual students about how they felt about
their own writing. This helped the teachers to address some of their concerns, and reflect on their
own teaching practices. Professional Development!
Every year the set of students in a given classroom will change. That means that their needs will
change. What worked for one set of students could not work for the next years students.
The connection I made to this article concerns students unwillingness or lack of motivation to write.
As a student observer I have observed classrooms in which students were very much reluctant to write,
and would give minimal effort. I believe that this was primarily because of the teaching practices
Ashley Wienken
implemented into their daily routines. Often students do the same thing every day, and this can become
boring and uninspiring. Changing up how assignments and work are used or presented can be really
beneficial to get students more engaged and willing to forth their best work. I also have observed teachers
utilizing spaces like the "cozy corner" for students to work in, primarily for reading but I can see how these
can easily be used for writing as well.
teaching.
I will use this information in my future classroom by first making sure that I am listening to the
interests and needs of my students. These teachers realized that the practices that were being used in the
classroom werent working and went about finding out what it was their students were wanting. I plan to
utilize conversations and interviews with my students regularly to make sure that I am aware of their
personal feelings and concerns that they have about their writing. I really love the idea of playing music for
students as they work, not just in writing, it can be calming and help students focus. I will also have
students share with their peers, even for pre-writing activities. Having students share for pre-writing is a
great way to share ideas and for students to make connections in their own writing.

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Ashley Wienken

Motivating Students to Write

Twenty-five Ways to Motivate Young Authors. Teacher Vision. Retrieved from

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