Transcript Discovering the Writer’s Voices in You

Discovering the
Writer’s Voices in You
Greater Houston Area Writing Project Summer Institute
Joanie DeForest
July 17, 2003
Demonstration Objectives

Evaluate voice according to topic and audience

Determine how topic and audience affect the
writer’s voice

Identify differences in the writer’s voices
What is Writer’s Voice?
Composite of other voices (Kuhlman & Bradley,
LA 1999).
 Imprint of ourselves on our writing (Graves 94).
 Personality in written form (Steele, Kim’s Korner).
 A big fingerprint on your writing (Eggemeier 29).
 Associated with what you know, think, and feel
(Pinnell & Fountas, Word Matters, 207).

What is Writer’s Voice? (con’t)

Voice in writing has as much to do with an
intimacy between writer and subject (Fletcher 67).

Voice is something a person creates within
(Fleckenstein 86-87).
What determines the writer’s voice?

Donald Murray gives the following list as forces
that create the writer’s voice:
Our family, genetic background
 Our ethnic heritage
 Our childhood neighborhoods
 Our present neighborhoods
 Our roles in life

What shapes the writer’s voice?

Lind Williams states that “you can’t talk about
voice without talking about audience” (NCTE).

Lynda Hamblin states that voice asserts itself
when students are allowed choice of topic
(English Journal, Sept. 2000).
Theory
The writer’s voice falls within Vygotsky’s Zone of
Proximal Development because students begin with what
they know and work outward
(Daniels 155).
 Ralph Fletcher states, “When I talk about voice, I mean
written words that carry with them the sense that
someone has actually written them. The writing has
energy: juice” (What a Writer Needs 68).

Theory
Donald Murray states that “Voice is the music of
your language, the music of your meaning. . . .
Voice is the single most important element in
attracting and holding the reader’s interest.”
 “Voice has rhythm, a pattern of beats and pauses
that support meaning.” (Crafting a Life 39, 41).

How Teachers Can Encourage Voices
in Student Writing
Incorporate more creative writing experiences into
curriculum.
 Rethink research projects to include topics
students care about.
 Connect students to literature through their own
experiences.
(Colleen Ruggieri 49).

Guided
Practice
Second-grade
Personal Essay
My Dad
I was at the hospital when my
dad was dying. My mom and my
sister were there, too. Mom was
lighting candles in my dad’s
room. My dad was going to have
an operation. He said, “I’m going
to be in a better place.” He said
he loved me. My dad died after
the operation. I don’t know why
my dad died. I was only five years
old, but I still remember. I hope
when your dad dies, you will
always remember him, too. I miss
my dad. His dogs miss him. My
family misses him.
Guided
Practice
Second-grade Report
Ladybugs
Ladybugs are insects. Insects are bugs
that have six legs. Ladybugs have all
kinds of designs on their wings. They
have dots, stripes, and other designs. In
England ladybugs are called ladybirds.
Ladybugs are harmless, but if you pick
one up it will tickle you! Ladybugs are
very helpful to farmers because they eat
aphids. Aphids are tiny bugs that eat
plants. Ladybugs’ enemies are spiders
and praying mantises.
If you find a ladybug, don’t smash it.
Put it in some flowers nearby. If you like
ladybugs as much as I do, then you
should read The Grumpy Ladybug by
Eric Carle. I love ladybugs!
Guided
Practice
Fourth-grade
Personal Essay
Rules
One day, on the way home from school, my mom
told me she was going to make up some new rules for me
and my brothers and sisters. Before this, we knew she
wanted us to be good, but we really didn’t have any rules.
Well, Mom took care of that. On Sunday, she started giving
us the “house rules.”
Clean your rooms every other day. Be ready for
dinner at 7:00 p.m. (that means sitting at the table, with
clean hands). If Mom is having a meeting in the house, be
very quiet (that means turn down the music and the TV).
Be ready for bed at 9:30 p.m. (that means lying in bed,
with clean faces). Get up at 7:30 a.m. to get ready for
school (that means your feet are on the floor, not just
hanging off the bed). Take the garbage cans to the curb on
Monday morning before school. Clean the bathroom on
Thursday.
Following these rules isn’t too hard, and sometimes
it’s even fun. Other times, it can be tough. For instance, if
your room is really dirty, and you can’t finish cleaning it on
that day, you have to finish it on the next day, along with
anything else you have to do. That can be hard.
Mom made these rules because she loves us a lot.
She wants us to learn how to be on time, be clean and
neat, and be polite. Every day, we try to follow her rules.
Guided
Practice
Seventh-grade
Journal Entry
A Lesson to Learn
My little brother is so irritating. All day long he says,
"Eddie, I wonder why people can talk but animals can't."
Or, "I wonder why the ocean looks blue." Of course, I don't
know the answers, but I don't let him know that. I just
make up reasonable explanations, and he accepts them
as if I'm the smartest person in the world. Before I answer
one of his questions, I usually tell him that he's pretty
stupid and asks too many questions.
Well, yesterday we both got our report cards. I got
B's and C's, and he got straight A's. Under the
"Comments" section on my report card, it said, "Eddie
would be getting better grades if he asked more
questions." Of course, on my brother's report card, it said
just the opposite.
To make things worse, my brother squawked all day
about how I was so stupid for not asking questions! I just
sighed and told him he was right—I wouldn't make fun of
him anymore for asking so many questions.
Yes, I learned a lesson from my little brother: Never
be afraid to ask questions, and NEVER be afraid to
wonder why.
Guided
Practice
Eighth-grade
Personal
Narrative
"The Roller Coaster"
Screams and shouts could be heard in the distance
as the line droned on in the summer heat. We clambered
into the seat and sat down. The restraining bar locked over
my shoulders as I buckled my seatbelt. The cars rolled
down toward the incline, leading to the first large drop.
When I heard the clickety-clack of the rivets as we
made our ascent, a feeling of nervousness and extreme
excitement swept over me. Thousands of thoughts raced
through my mind. What will the ride be like? Will I like it?
I had no more time to think as we slowly rose over
the massive peak. While we crept along, I could see the
steep plunge downward. Then, all of a sudden, we sped
down the slope with our hair pulled back by the wind. As
we slid down, I felt weightless, but when we reached the
bottom, it felt as if I weighed tons. We raced from one drop
to another, turning and lurching, screaming all the way.
Then, as if it all had been a dream, the cars jolted to
a stop. Forced to get out, I found myself slumped in the
seat. As I walked away, shaken and relieved, I exclaimed,
"Let's go again!"
Guided
Practice
Twelfth-grade
Poetry
Mama’s Stitches
Mama’s stitches color me like dark
crayons striking paper; my
beautiful Mama’s stitches find me on
the rainy days I try to hide.
Broken vase upon cold tile; sorry
Mama, Mama—I’ll be better
than the little girl I was last week;
you said I needed fixing.
Stitches, stitches, you say will hold me
together; if not now, then forever.
I’ll understand one day, how papas lie
and kiss their bottles instead of mamas.
Oh, Mama, Mama, black and blue
the kids at school ask why I have
these stitches and I smile and say they’re
glue. I’ll stay together better than
the best of you. Mama used to sing for me
but Papa taught her to learn me right
and someday I won’t make the same
mistakes. Mama’s stitches stay with me
even when they’ve disappeared.
Guided
Practice
High School
Memo
Date: October 2, 2000
To: Mr. Marcus
From: Danielle W.
Subject: Mid-project report on history paper
Here’s an update on my history paper about China. At first I
had trouble finding information on my topic, but I’ve made this
progress.
1.I went to the library, and Ms. Pate showed me how to use
the computer for my search.
2.After I showed you my project proposal, I took your advice to
look at either Chinese dating practices or wedding traditions,
but not both.
3.After researching both topics, I found several sources on
Chinese wedding traditions, but only a few on dating
practices. So I will write about present-day Chinese wedding
customs.
4.I found a Web site with information about Chinese wedding
traditions at <www.travelchinaguide.com>.
5.For my primary research, I interviewed Donna Sung, our
foreign exchange student from Shanghai, about her
experiences of weddings in China.
I will finish my first draft by next Wednesday and will be on
schedule for the deadlines I gave you in my project proposal.
Discovering Your Writing Voices
through Topic
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List 5 things that you care about and that
really matter to you.

List 5 things that you deem necessary for a happy life.

List 5 things that really matter to you and that you feel are
not fair. Perhaps, they even make you angry.
Discovering Your Writing Voices
through Audience

From your list, choose a topic that you feel strongly
about, and write a letter to one person in the left column
and one person in the right column about the same topic.
Your best friend
A judge (or other
authority figure)
Your parent or
parental figure
A spiritual advisor
(priest, pastor,
shaman, etc.)
Modifications for ESL, GT, and
Learning Challenged Writers
Writer’s voice is unique to the individual, so it applies to
all students at all levels.
 GT and college-level students write more complex and
sophisticated pieces.
 ESL students can write in their native language and then
translate into English with the help of a buddy.
 Learning challenged students write at a level that is
appropriate to their development.

Writing Assessment

Assess according to TAKS Rubric for Writing – Voice
Are personal connections evident?
 Does the piece display sensory language?
 Does the writer bring the piece to life through imagistic
language?

References
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Daniels, Harvey. Literature Circles: Voice and Choice in Book Clubs and Reading Groups.
Portland: Stenhouse, 2002.
Eggemeier, Judith K. “Developing the Craft of Writing in the Sixth-Grade Classroom.” Primary
Voices K-6. Vol. 7. No. 4. April 1999. 23-32.
Fletcher, Ralph. What a Writer Needs. Portsmouth: Heinemann, 1993.
Hamblin, Lynda. “Voices in the Junior high School Classroom: Lost and Found.” English Journal.
NCTE. Sept. 2000. 80-87.
Kuhlman, Wilma D., and Linda Bradley. “Influences of Shared Poetry Texts: The Chorus in Voice.”
Language Arts. Vol. 76. No. 4. March, 1999.
Language and Image in the Reading-Writing Classroom. Eds. Fleckenstein, Kristie S., et al.
Mahwah: Lawrence Erlbaum, 2002.
Murray, Donald. M. Crafting a Life in Essay, Story, Poem. Boynton: Portsmouth, 1996.
Ruggieri, Colleen A. “The Value of Voice: Promoting Peace Through Teaching and Writing.”
English Journal. May 2000. 47-54.
Steele, Kimberly. Kim’s Korner for Teacher Talk. July 7, 2003. July 9, 2002.
<http://www.kimskorner4teachertalk.com>
Williams, Lind. “Classroom Notes Plus.” National Council of Teachers of English. Nov. 2002.
http://www.ncte.org/notesplus/teacher_talk/style.shtml
Hokey-Pokey Poem
The Washington Post Style Invitational contest asked readers to submit
"instructions" for something (anything), written in the style of a famous
person. The winning entry was "The Hokey Pokey" in the spirit of
William Shakespeare:
O proud left foot, that ventures quick within
Then soon upon a backward journey lithe.
Anon, once more the gesture, then begin:
Command sinistral pedestal to writhe.
Commence thou then the fervid Hokey-Poke,
A mad gyration, hips in wanton swirl.
To spin! A wilde release from Heavens yoke.
Blessed dervish! Surely canst go, girl.
The Hoke, the poke -- banish now thy doubt
Verily, I say, 'tis what it's all about.
Independent Practice
List five things
that matter to you
List 5 things
are necessary to you
for a happy life
List 5 things that you feel
strongly are not fair.
Perhaps, they
even make you angry
Independent Practice (con’t)