Interactive & Independent Writing

Interactive Writing

During interactive writing the teacher and class, or small group, work together to create written text. The group agrees on what to write through discussion and negotiation. In order to produce the written words, the students articulate the sounds with the teacher and then write the letters and chunks of words that they hear. The teacher may fill in parts of words or whole words, depending upon the group's stage of writing development.Interactive writing is used for creating stories, writing poems, the retelling of favorite literature, recipes, directions and lists. According to Dorthy Strickland (2007), the framework for writing is designed to help all students learn to read and write effectively. The pieces created by the students become a part of the classroom environment and are used for reading and rereading.The class may use the pieces for shared reading or may enjoy reading some independently.

Independent Writing
During independent writing, hildren are encouraged to get ideas on paper by using pictures, letters, and words. Children can write in journals, make their own books, or write notes. Teachers should accept approximations so that children will have opportunities to become risk takers and explore sound to letter relationships. After a certain amount of time, the children are able to share their writing to the class. Usually, the teacher chooses 4-5 children to share.

Reference:
Strickland, D. (2007). Balanced literacy: Teaching the skills and thrills of reading. http://teacher.scholastic.com/professional/teachstrat/balanced.htm retrieved on November, 9, 2007.