LearningTip #41: For Children, By Children:
Learning to Write by Writing

By Judy Cozzens, M.A. in Education
Director of the Westridge Young Writers Workshop
Jefferson County, Colorado

"I'm proud to be me,
'Cause that's who I am.
Be proud to be you,
'Cause that's who you are.
The differences between us
Help us all to grow.
They strengthen our hearts,
So our pride can show."

These words were written by students participating in the Westridge Young Writers Workshop (at Westridge Elementary School in Littleton, Colorado).  In addition to writing poetry, these fourth through seventh grade students have published seven books in the Kids Explore series.  These students research and write about different cultures and their contributions to American life.  These books reflect the dramatic change taking place in America.  The faces of students in our classrooms are changing.  Today, you see an ethnic kaleidoscope of ever-changing hues and patterns.  We cannot ignore that there are cultural differences and these inhibit students' learning unless they are acknowledged and respected.  We know that if we fail to teach children to respect people who are different from themselves, our country will have many problems.  We need to teach that race hatred is wrong.  People are all people and we are more alike than we are different.  Education must help each student learn to work with others while developing a respect for their own identity.  Researching and writing about cultures helps students learn about their own ethnic group and the ethnic groups of others.   Publishing these books helps other children benefit from all that they have learned!

The Kids Explore Series

The Westridge Young Writers Workshop

Motivating Children to Write:  A Strategy for Home or School

About the Author

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The Kids Explore Series

The Kids Explore series is meant to be informative and to encourage a sense of pride in America's diverse heritages.  As groups in our country promote racism, we have decided to fight back.   The results are incredible!   These books (which are linked below to Amazon.com) were written and published by the fourth through seventh grade students in the Westridge Young Writers Workshop:

Kids Explore America's Hispanic Heritage

Kids Explore America's African-American Heritage

Kids Explore America's Japanese American Heritage

Kids Explore America's Jewish Heritage

Kids Explore the Heritage of Western Native Americans

Kids Explore the Gifts of Children with Special Needs

Kids Explore Kids Who Make a Difference

All the texts include vivid photos and unique illustrations done by the young authors.  The books explore lessons in history, food, festivals, art, stories, language, and famous people.  Readers also share through personal stories and experiences of "real people" who are part of each ethnic community in America today.  Whether reading "Our Families' Stories," a section on "Famous Firsts and Heroes," participating in the "Hands-On Fun" activities, or exploring the students' vision for a better tomorrow, readers will find a sense of joy in the words of the writers.  Nearly 200,000 copies of these books have been sold.

This series has won many awards and received excellent reviews by organizations such as Teaching Tolerance, Booklist, and the School Library Journal.  After evaluating the importance and the depth of the information shared in the series, the U.S. West grants department purchased 20,000 books to distribute to colleges to be used with teachers-in-training.  Although kids wrote the series, it provides an easy read that shares the beauty and heart of cultures to help teachers and students share different cultures in a new way.

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The Westridge Young Writers Workshop

The Westridge Young Writers Workshop produces books in two different ways.  One model uses a summer workshop with approximately 90 students and 30 teachers.  Teachers learn firsthand about the process of publishing a book with kids and earn graduate credit through a university for a three-week course on integrating ethnic studies into a school curriculum.  Teachers work five days on preparing and learning about the program and then work with students who attend a 10-day writing workshop.  During the workshop, a normal day includes a presentation about the heritage, doing an art project, cooking and eating ethnic food, and having two or three writing times where they do research and prepare materials for the new book using the writing process.

The second way uses a classroom model during the regular school year to produce a book.  Each classroom that participated wrote one chapter in the text.  For example, in the book, Kids Explore the Gifts of Children with Special Needs, each classroom hosted a student with special needs and worked on the chapter about that student.  The students and their featured student became good friends through the three-week writing block.  Young writers worked about 50% of the their school day using the writing process to complete their chapter.

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Motivating Children to Write:  A Strategy for Home or School

A reluctant writer needs a good reason to write.  An authentic task gives that.  For example, have the child write a guide to their city.  This can be done at home or at school---individually or whole class.  At home, if you have relatives coming to town, your child might want to plan an outing for his/her younger cousins.  This is a good reason to write a little guidebook for the cousins to choose what they would like to do.  The book can be sent to them before they come so they can think about what they want to see.  A class can do one about their city or state.  For example, the Explore Colorado Kid Style guidebook was written by 71 elementary students and describes over 150 things to do on the Colorado Front Range.  These can be sold to individuals, companies, civic organizations, and the Chamber of Commerce.  (In fact, as few copies of this guidebook are still available.  Click here for information.)  Needless to say, there are many skills to develop in reading, map reading, and math; this activity could become a whole unit for a homeschooler or a class. 

Guidebook entries are very structured---therefore, easy to write.  Let the child choose what s/he is interested in.  Maybe you could do one write-up together and then have fun watching the results.   Research---exploring a nearby sightseeing place is fun.  The establishment can always find someone to answer questions, especially if you call ahead for a good time to come when they aren't too busy.  The illustrating can also bring new dimensions to the project.  With cheap photocopies today, this little gift would be a hit with the neighborhood or church friends.  

Some children don't even want to put pen to paper.  I can relate.  If I feel that I can't do something, I don't like to do it.  I understand this, now let's tackle it.  I would still use the authentic task, the guidebook described previously, as my beginning point.  The child who wants to know when their efforts will used already knows what the result will be.  A little recorder like detectives use is always fun, but any recorder will do.  I have the student tape his/her notes and research.  I have the student tell his/her story into the recorder.  Then I have the student listen to his/her story and write it down.  The write-up may be simple but it is still his or hers---so I leave it alone.  Editing is good but it has to be handled with care so the young writer sees his or her product intact.  Remember to explain that every writer has someone to clean up spelling and grammar.  I don't drill each point.  That takes the fun out of the project.  An editor does not lecture the writer, they just clean it up.  Putting it on the word processor also helps it look great.  We use large print so the child feels s/he has written enough.  NOW share, share, share.  Pride comes in this way.

I remember a young man in one of my guidebook projects that didn't write.  I used this method with him.  His mother was a little unhappy with me because I didn't add to his text to make it as long as the rest.  But, Aaron wasn't unhappy.  He sat there looking at the book for the first time and practiced reading what he had written; he had not read much previously.  After a few minutes he got up and started showing everyone what he had written.  His words "I wrote this, I wrote this, I WROTE this," got stronger and stronger.  Aaron eventually read the whole guidebook and sold nearly 150 copies to his friends and neighbors.  Aaron became a writer through our project and his reading and other skills also improved immensely.  I believe many children can have the door opened through achievement of a task. 

I have assisted a number of classes in the publication of guidebooks.  The first edition of "As Kids See Denver," a guidebook of 100 things to do in metropolitan Denver, sold 3,500 copies.  It was written by a fourth grade class.  Students used phone books to locate points of interest.  They reviewed their phone manners, then called to obtain hours of operation.  They practiced and conducted introductions.  They wrote reports, thank-you letters, and letters of inquiry.  Students saw the importance of good grammar, proper punctuation, and accurate spelling.  The children learned about every part of a book from the title page, through the table of contents, introduction, and dedication, to the index.  Students drew illustrations and became skillful at proofreading.  Pupils developed an appreciation for books and a desire to read.   This project brought language skills to life and allowed the participants to develop basic skills for their everyday use. 

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Conclusion

The students who participate in the Westridge Young Writers Workshop write.  They do what writers do.   Whether they were writing a guidebook or a Kids Explore book, the students were writing for real purposes and audiences.  When children view research and writing as meaningful, they benefit a great deal.  And so do those who read and enjoy their wonderful writing!

Special note:   The next LearningTips article will also be written by Judy Cozzens.  It, too, will feature one of her wonderful writing strategies for use at home or school!

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About the Author

Judy Cozzens, the founder and director of the Westridge Young Writers Workshop, has helped children publish over a dozen books.  She has been recognized for her outstanding teaching with many awards such as the Colorado Award for Excellence in Education, Phi Delta Kappa Research Award, and the Anti-Defamation League Teacher Who Makes a Difference Award.  Judy's work with her young writers has been featured on CBS Sunday Morning, on the national news, and in many publications such as Teaching Tolerance and Instructor Magazine.  In Judy's twenty-five year teaching career, she has taught students in every grade except second.  She has been a guest professor for several universities and presented at national conventions.   Judy has degrees from the University of Great Falls in Montana and from the University of Colorado in Boulder.

Explore Colorado Kid Style includes information on amusement parks, museums, and many other attractions from Vail to Denver to Colorado Springs.  It's full of ideas to keep you, your family and friends entertained for years.  This also provides an excellent model of children writing for publication.  The cost is $7.98 per book and may be obtained by sending e-mail to Judy Cozzens at jcozzens@jeffco.k12.co.us.

©KidBibs International
http://www.kidbibs.com/

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