1. Give children opportunities to write on topics of their own choice

• Encourage children to draw on their own experiences
• If children need guidance, provide them with several topics and let them choose one
• Help children learn how to decide if a topic is broad enough to write on

2. Conference with students individually

• Work one-on-one with each student in private
• Highlight students strengths as well as weaknesses
• Keep records of what you worked on with each student

3. Use mini lessons to teach writing topics

• Keep group instruction short10-15 minutes
• Make use of both whole group and small group instruction
• Use lessons to reinforce content as well as to introduce new topics

4. Have children present their writing to the group

• Encourage children to find something good to say about each childs work
• Model appropriate questioning technique
• Have children incorporate the groups suggestions into their writing

5. Set up a publishing center in the classroom

• Designate a permanent place in the classroom
• Provide writing implements, papers, and printing tools
• Store student work in portfolios

6. Make use of computer technology to motivate students to write

• Pick software that helps children organize their thoughts, like Inspiration Education Edition
• Have good word processing software available, like Student Writing Center
• Get software that lets students publish books, make banners, flyers, brochures, and Web pages, like Microsoft Publisher

7. Publish childrens writing in the school

• Encourage children to write articles for the school newspaper
• Frame word portraits to hang in the hall
• Have children write scripts and plays to perform for other classes and families.

8. Find community resources that will publish the childrens writing

• Encourage students to submit articles to the local newspaper
• Make a time capsule of students writing as a community project
• Submit students work to local contests

9.  Help students to professionally publish their work

• Gather and make available a list of publications that accept student work
• Go online with students to help them locate sites that accept student work
• Help children to edit and proofread their works to make them publication ready

10.  Encourage parents to support their childrens efforts in becoming authors

• Encourage parents to set up a writing center at home
• Form parent-teacher study groups to promote childrens writing
• Work with parents to support classroom publishing efforts at home.