dc, I'm so glad you and Terry got started! I absolutely do
NOT want to be in charge; in fact, I don't think we ever even
officially decided to read Crafting Writers together--I just
said it was what I'm reading.

Anyway...I agree with you both. My idea of specificity was
saying, "Hmmm, maybe you could use some details here to give
the reader a better idea of..." I LOVE Crafting Writers
because of her recognition of her own need as a learner for
"someone to name the small skills that would add up..." Yes!
I blushed guiltily when I read "instruction that supports
recognition of descriptive writing should be purposefully
different from instruction that helps students write
descriptively themselves." Oh, yes (again)! I admire, sigh,
swoon over lovely language, but I was just beginning to learn
(from Everyday Editing) how to help kids put that language
into their writing--and along comes Hale to tell me exactly
how to do it. And, not only does Hale give me a blueprint, it
is a plan that FITS (see synthesis post) perfectly with UOS. Yes!

I'm wondering about your chart idea, dc. It sounds like a
good idea, but I am going to try this without notes because
right now I think she's just giving us examples (and that's
why I used emotion in my previous example--I wanted to try
something she hadn't suggested...at least in what I've read so
far). She does say in this chapter that she's going to share
"a process for looking at writing so that you can accumulate
specific craft points on your own." So maybe she does mean we
are 'saving' something. But, whatever way we choose to teach
this, I love (Jan, are you reading this--you'd love this, too)
that Hale wants us to teach craft to show "students one
particular way to write at a time so that each one is small
enough to hold in their hands and own."

Finally, I love that, like workshop itself, this process is
naturally and easily differentiated; I love that I can think
of a general idea most kids need to work on and then think
about, and teach, that skill/strategy in individual
conferences in varying degrees of difficulty. Sorry, I know I
keep saying this in different words, but it's truly the
biggest gift of the text (so far) for me.

Phew,
Judy

On 7/02/08, dc wrote:
> I finished reading Chapter 2 of Crafting Writers and don't
> know if I'm supposed to wait for Judy to open a thread or
> if she would be relieved to not have the whole
> responsibility of it all. Either way, please know that
> I'm not trying to step on toes, Judy, or be too gung-ho,
> or leave anyone out, or usurp anyone's authority, or do
> anything that would make ANYBODY abandon our delicious
> casserole!
>
> I'll throw in my two cents about Chapter Two and if I'm
> going too fast, just don't respond until you all are
> ready, OK?
>
> Chapter Two Thoughts:
> This is where she really gets into describing what she
> means by "specific" craft. Instead of telling kids to add
> more descriptive details (I'm guilty of this), she
> describes ways to be more specific and how to label
> exactly what she wants the kids to be able to try in their
> writing. An example she gives of specific craft is the
> use of a simile using the word "as". She gives example
> sentences too: "Olivia's hands were as sticky as glue."
> I like how she describes craft as "under the umbrella" and
> then gives me more specific ways to teach kids craft. For
> example: Instead of saying to a child, "write using the
> sense of sound" or "write using your five senses", the
> more specific craft teaching would be:
> a) Writing "I could hear" instead of "I heard"
> b) Using an ing very bo describe the sound
> c)Writing a sound without the words "I heard"
> d) Describing a sound using a simile
>
> I'm wondering if, as I teach each of these specific craft
> lessons, would I chart them so that kids could refer to
> them later and we could use them in conferences? She
> recommends (later in the book, I think) having kids log
> the specific craft, as well as Try-its, in a back portion
> of a writing notebook. I think I might chart them for
> them to copy in their Try-it Section and then they will
> have a resource in their notebooks as well as on the
> walls/charts.
>
> What did you notice/think about as you read this chapter?

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