Pamela M. Fowler
A
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Tell me about your piece of writing.
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B
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What part do you like the best? Why?
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C
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Can you tell me more about it?
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D
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Ask questions about any part that is not clear to you.
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E
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Do you have enough information?
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F
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Do you have too much information?
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G
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How did you feel when this happened? Did you write your feelings?
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H
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Why did you choose this subject to write about?
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I
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Do you have more than one story?
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J
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What did you learn from this piece of writing?
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K
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What do you intend to do with the next draft?
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L
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What surprised you in the draft?
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M
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How does this draft sound when you read it out loud?
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N
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What is this important to you?
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O
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How does this piece compare to other pieces you have written? Why?
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P
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What kinds of changes have you made from your last draft?
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Q
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Underline the part that tells you what the draft is about?
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R
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Circle the part that is the most exciting.
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S
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What do you think you can do to make this piece better?
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T
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What problems did you have or are you having?
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U
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What is the most important thing you are trying to say?
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V
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What works so well you’d like to try to develop it further?
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W
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How do you feel about your story?
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X
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Tell them what you liked about it.
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Y
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Are you happy with your beginning and ending?
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Z
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Explain how your title fits your story.
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AA
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What are your action words? Can you add others?
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BB
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What do you need help on?
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CC
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What questions did your conference partner have for you?
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DD
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Where is this piece of writing taking you?
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EE
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Did you tell about something or did you show us by using examples?
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FF
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Can you think of a different way to say this?
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GG
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Does the beginning of your piece grab the reader’s attention?
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HH
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What questions do you have of me?
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A Few Suggestions
1.
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Short conferences are more effective than long conferences.
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2.
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Frequent conferences are more effective than infrequent conferences.
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3.
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Try to limit the student’s response and yours to one concern. We learn most quickly if we take one step at a time.
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4.
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If you don’t know how to respond, draw more about process out of the student or encourage the student’s opinion of the text.
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PUBLISHING
WHY PUBLISH?
It has become obvious that the majority of students work best when a reward is offered. The student’s reward for writing is the published piece at the end of each quarter. They will see their work in a form the have never thought. Within the class the teacher may decide to create a class library, or display the books in the main office at their school.
WHEN TO PUBLISH?
1.
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Students who have been doing writing before
:
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About every 8 weeks; when they’ve done a fair amount of writing. Writers produce thousands of words before they find 50 words to satisfy them. The student chooses the piece of writing to be published. She should summarize for you (and show you if you don’t know for certain that the writings exist) the major pieces of writing she has completed and tell you why she chose this particular piece of writing for publication. Reasons may vary and any
specific
reason is acceptable.
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2.
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Students new to writing process
:
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When you get a sense that she has worked hard on a piece. The piece seems to hang together around a theme, however loosely, then you suggest that this piece may be good enough to be published when she’s completed the revisions you have discussed.
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3.
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Readiness and early first graders
:
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These students may publish books which are more like picture books with labelling (a la Richard Scarry). Or when you feel a student has been working hard, you suggest that she pick her favorite 5 or 6 (or whatever) pages to be published in a book. These may be unrelated sentences, one per page which will be illustrated.
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The guidelines are here, but the students are treated as individuals and exceptions occur.
No book should ever be published without some revision work. We want to send the message that publishing is hard work. Only the best work (at this point in time for this child) is published. Revision for young students may be adding a word or to or a letter or two.
FINAL MANUSCRIPT
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Not necessarily recopied, but
must
be readable
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Insertions, additions should be clearly marked
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Author should edit for what you feel she is capable of editing.
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Teacher must do final editing for typist: spelling, punctuation, capitals, usage. Do not do editing of sort which is qualitative. i.e., word choice: very, thing; organization.
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Readiness and Grade 1: It’s OK to leave me in as part of a compound subject. (Me and my brother went . . .) Also, it’s OK to have 79 words connected by
and
. Teacher must punctuate and capitalize where appropriate.
PUBLISHING FORM
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Needs to be readable by typist.
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Needs to be edited by teacher for spelling and clarity.
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Counting Words: Do not include the title, author, dedication, About the Author.
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Author.
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Exactness is not necessary.
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Pictures: Cut white paper to the dimensions below and give to the student. For both sizes the 5-inch sides are the top and bottom.
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1/2 page picture = 3 1/2 inches x 5 inches
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full page = 5 inches x 8 inches
If there are to be pictures on each page or facing each page, then the author will wait until the text is typed so she can match the illustrations with the text. Before the illustrations and typed text are returned to Mrs. Flemming, the author will put numbers on the back of each illustration (use pencil rather than marker which may come through). These numbers will tell the typist where to place the illustrations.
If there are only a few illustrations, then the manuscript needs to be marked with a number to indicate where the illustrations will be placed in the text. On the back of each illustration the author will put a number corresponding to the number in the text to tell the typist where to include the illustration. These illustrations will be turned in with the manuscript.
Do not use crayon.
Type Size: Encourage Readiness and First Grade students to use large type, but it is their decision.
Write About the Author
: Again, final editing done by teacher.
As authors live, they change, have new experiences and insights, and know how to write better. Therefore, in each book the About the Author page will be different.
BOOKS WITH MINIMAL WORDS
: These books will be a different size. Generally the illustrations can be drawn directly on the page after the words have been typed.
TYPING A MANUSCRIPT
1.
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Read the form for publication which has been completed by the author
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2.
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Estimate the number of pages needed.
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a.
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Small type 100 words per whole page.
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b.
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Large type 80 words per whole page.
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3.
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Add 3 pages to the above estimation for the title page, dedication page and About the Author page.
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4.
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Divide this number in half = the number of sheet of paper you need.
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5.
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Fold each sheet individually.
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6.
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Put the sheets together in book format.
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7.
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With light pencil, mark:
Type only on the right page.
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a.
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the title page with a T;
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b.
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the dedication page with a D;
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c.
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the page numbers for the story;
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d.
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the About the Author page with an A;
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e.
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where to begin typing if pictures are to be included; 4” down from the top for pictures on bottom.
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f.
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where to stop typing on each page.
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8.
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Take the sheets of paper apart. Put in the typewriter the title page and type the title,
by
, and the Author’s name. These should all be centered.
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9.
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At the bottom of the page, type: PES Publishing Co. (centered)
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-
month year
10.
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Continue typing the text. Do
NOT
type misspellings or mis-punctuations.
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11.
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Use correction materials. Proofread each page before you take it out of the typewriter.
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12.
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If in doubt about a word, ask the child’s teacher or the child.
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13.
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After typing, use the rubber cement to glue in the pictures if there are some.
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14.
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Bind the text into its cover or place the typed text in the book cover and put it in the box for binding.
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Publishing Endnotes
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Be sure the student has selected a piece to be published and articulates why this piece has been chosen. This piece must be revised and edited before being published.
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Be sure there is a title.
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Will it be dedicated to anyone?
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Has the author written About the Author information?
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Does the author want illustrations?
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What size type will be used?
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Have the author choose three colors for the cover?