Interactive Writing
A collaborative writing approach where teacher and students work together to compose text, sharing the pen to develop writing skills and conventions.
Activity Overview
Interactive Writing is a powerful instructional strategy where teachers and students collaborate to compose text together. The teacher guides the process while students contribute ideas, take turns writing letters and words, and learn about writing conventions in a supportive, shared context. This "sharing the pen" approach makes the writing process visible and accessible, allowing students to participate at their developmental level while observing more advanced writing strategies.
Learning Outcomes
- Develop understanding of the writing process through collaborative composition
- Practice letter formation, spacing, and directionality in meaningful contexts
- Learn spelling patterns and high-frequency words through guided practice
- Understand punctuation and capitalization conventions
- Build confidence in contributing to written text
- Develop phonemic awareness through sound-to-letter connections
- Experience writing for authentic purposes and audiences
Curriculum Connections
ELO 5: Learners will generate, gather, and organize thoughts to explore, clarify and reflect on thoughts, feelings, and experiences as they create a written or representative draft.
- SCO 5.1-5.7: Generate and gather thoughts and ideas
- SCO 5.14-5.18: Create written drafts
ELO 7: Learners will use their knowledge of spoken language, written language and writing conventions to refine the precision and enhance the meaning and clarity of their written work.
- SCO 7.1-7.5: Develop spelling conventions
- SCO 7.6-7.7: Develop punctuation conventions
- SCO 7.8-7.10: Develop presentation formats
Implementation Steps
1Planning and Purpose Setting (5-10 minutes)
- Establish a clear purpose for writing (thank you note, story retelling, class news)
- Discuss the intended audience and appropriate format
- Brainstorm ideas and organize thoughts before writing
- Set up chart paper, markers, and pointer in visible location
- Review any relevant word wall words or spelling patterns
2Collaborative Composition (20-25 minutes)
- Begin composing together, negotiating each word and sentence
- Think aloud about writing decisions: "What should we write first?"
- Invite students to contribute letters, words, or punctuation
- Use "share the pen" - students take turns writing parts
- Model problem-solving strategies for spelling and conventions
- Reread frequently to maintain meaning and flow
3Teaching Points Integration (Throughout)
- Letter Formation: Guide proper letter formation as students write
- Spacing: Use finger spaces or spacers between words
- Spelling: Stretch words to hear sounds, use known patterns
- Punctuation: Discuss when and why to use periods, question marks
- Capitalization: Identify when capital letters are needed
4Reading and Revising (5-10 minutes)
- Read the completed text together, using pointer to track print
- Check for meaning: "Does this make sense?"
- Look for opportunities to add details or improve word choice
- Make revisions together, explaining the reasoning
- Celebrate the collaborative accomplishment
5Extension and Application (5 minutes)
- Display the completed text in a prominent location
- Use the text for future reading practice and reference
- Connect to independent writing: "Try this in your own writing"
- Create individual copies for students to illustrate or take home
- Plan follow-up activities using the shared text
Interactive Writing Types
Morning Messages
Daily collaborative messages about weather, schedule, or special events. Perfect for routine practice of conventions.
Story Retellings
Retell familiar stories together, focusing on sequence and story structure while practicing writing skills.
Thank You Notes
Write letters to guest speakers, helpers, or other classes. Authentic purpose motivates careful attention to conventions.
Class Books
Create collaborative books about field trips, science observations, or shared experiences for the classroom library.
Differentiation Strategies
For Students Who Excel
- Invite them to contribute more complex vocabulary and sentence structures
- Ask them to explain spelling patterns and rules to classmates
- Challenge them to suggest revisions for clarity and interest
- Have them lead portions of the writing process
For Students Who Need Support
- Invite participation at their level (contributing a letter or known word)
- Provide hand-over-hand support for letter formation
- Use their ideas and language in the composition
- Celebrate all contributions, no matter how small
- Provide individual whiteboards for practice before writing on chart
Language Considerations
- Value and incorporate students' home language expressions
- Discuss how ideas might be expressed differently in various languages
- Allow students to contribute ideas in their strongest language first
- Use the shared writing to build academic English vocabulary
Weekly Focus Areas
Monday: Letter Formation Focus
Emphasize proper letter formation and directionality during shared writing.
Tuesday: Spacing and Layout
Focus on finger spaces, line breaks, and overall text organization.
Wednesday: Spelling Patterns
Highlight word families, sight words, and phonetic spelling strategies.
Thursday: Punctuation Practice
Emphasize periods, question marks, and exclamation points in context.
Friday: Revision and Celebration
Review the week's writing, make improvements, and celebrate progress.
Teaching Tips for Success
During the Process
- Keep the pace engaging but allow thinking time
- Accept approximations and celebrate attempts
- Make your thinking visible through think-alouds
- Reread frequently to maintain meaning
- Use correction tape for mistakes rather than starting over
Management Strategies
- Establish clear expectations for participation
- Use a system for taking turns (name sticks, rotation)
- Keep sessions to 20-30 minutes maximum
- Have backup plans for reluctant participants
- Create a comfortable, risk-free environment