The Web of Writing USING REFLECTIVE WRITING AS A LITERACY STRATEGY

Reflective Writing Reflective writing – a process by which an author writes imaginatively about his or her experiences, activities, and thoughts, with an emphasis in provoking spontaneity and awareness. Family Educators stated that they did not know how to get their families to write.

Problem Assessment Family Educators often have not been trained to properly introduce reflective writing into their weekly home visits with families. Family Educators are often not yet able to use reflective writing as an effective tool for teaching reading and writing skills to consumers and for learning and documenting the family’s stages of development. Family Educators often have not been trained to read and assess reflective writing nor have they been taught to see in the reflective writing that which will help them become better teachers. Most parent and child family members are afraid of writing as a skill and afraid to have their skill exposed to an audience.

The Web of Writing There is a critical link between reading and writing. Writing supports the imagination and is a key communication building block, and reading models creativity, structure, and expression. The term “writing” refers to a collaborative act and process of writing rather than the final finished product. There is a salience to the process that encourages the use of “peer educators” who can create supportive environments and enhance morale. The Web of Writing means that Family Educators act as mentors, and as models, by writing along with the parent, writing along with the child, and encouraging the parent to write along with the child. There is a strong emphasis on writing as an “everyday” act that can be spirited and playful. This means that writing in these contexts is non-judgmental (it is not a test).

Writing Workshops Support Family Educators by helping them to understand how reflective writing can be an effective teaching and learning method, and an effective assessment tool. Workshop methodology allows participants to work individually and collaboratively to learn what it means to be a writer, what all writers face as obstacles to write, and what they need to do to make writing a successful part of the learning process.

Practicing Reflective Writing Difficult Happy Consumer Together Anger Success Energy Frustration Tell me about your experience as a Even Start participant using the following words:

Writing Process Write in a journal notebook Read reflective writing in a journal notebook –Not graded or judged – not a test! Respond to reflective writing –Questions to ask yourself and your writing collaborator: Do not ask questions that can be answered with a “yes” or “no.” Ask how your specific idea, narrative, and/or feeling be expanded? Ask why did you think and/or feel that? Ask how what was written connects to other experiences that you have? Inspire a consumer to write in a journal notebook – brainstorming ideas

Self-Reflection How did you feel when you found out that I was going to ask you to write? Were you afraid that it would be shared? Did what you wrote depend on what you knew about your potential audience? What were the difficulties of writing?

Some Pointers Keep writing simple Use different strategies for different writers Use brainstorming techniques- outlines, lists, words, sentences Be playful! Create a safe space. Emphasize process over rules (length, content, grammar, mechanics) Write during the family visit Use exercises to elicit writing (“Let’s describe…; “If I were a millionaire…”

Expanding the Web of Resources Peer Education and Community Partner Volunteers –Screening issues –“Making Connections” training Continuous instruction Appropriate assessment –Writing portfolios

Main Benefits Contributes to literacy Opportunity to chart the learning progress of the consumer Reflective writing discovers the author behind the writing Connect what is happening in the consumer’s private life to his or her public work

Thank you Family Educators and Even Start Staff Jack D. Harris, Ph.D. Local Evaluator, Finger Lakes Even Start