Using Prompts for Freewriting
Providing prompts to writers has become a highly controversial topic between experts in the field of writing instruction and practicing teachers in the classroom. Lucy Calkins (1986) advocates for students to write about what they deem important in their own lives and believes that this will direct the writing curriculum in classrooms. Nancy Atwell (1998) includes self-selection of topics and a sense of ownership as important elements of student writing. Donald Graves (1983/2003) warns of the debilitating effect on a student’s ability to choose topics when they are “fed topics, story starters, lead sentences, and even opening paragraphs as a steady diet for three or four years” (p. 21). These are all good arguments for students selecting their own topics and teachers avoiding the use of prompts. However, other views should be considered.
Personally, I struggle with how to advise teachers as to whether or not they should use prompts as part of their writing instruction. In the past, I have stringently abided by the advice of the experts in the field and admonished the use of prompts for teaching writing. But I was always met by the same confused and frustrated expressions of dedicated teachers who assured me their students need some concrete direction to get started writing. I also began questioning my unwavering stance after participating in a writing retreat led by Peggy Tabor Millin (Clarity Works) in which she empowered and inspired my own writing through her unique use of prompts. Listening to teachers’ insistence over the years in conjunction with participating in a powerful writers retreat forced me to reassess the usefulness of providing prompts to writers. My position has shifted and I’ve come to the conclusion that, like most decisions, this is not a black and white/right or wrong issue. So when asked if teachers should use prompts in teaching writing, I can now answer with confidence, “It depends!”
After I share with teachers the arguments for and against using prompts they can decide for themselves what is best for their students. For teachers who feel their students will benefit from prompts, I offer three conditions that should be carefully considered. Each condition relates to the fact that prompts are simply a means to an end; to get students started writing.
First, teachers should use open-ended prompts. These provide the least amount of direction possible while prompting the writer to get started. (Think of it as nudging a horse to get him moving rather than digging in with the spurs.) For example, instead of providing the prompt, “It was a dark and stormy night,” the open-ended prompt might be simply, “storm clouds.” Can you see the difference? In the first example, the writer is already boxed in to writing about what happened when it was a) dark, b) stormy, and c) night. Compare this to the second example and you can see that writing about “storm clouds” can take writers in an infinite number of directions.
The second condition is that writers are not required to write about the prompt or include the prompt in the writing. This may seem unusual when giving a prompt, but remember, the purpose of the open-ended prompt is just to get the writer started. If he already has a topic in mind, then he doesn’t need the prompt! Requiring him to include it is counterproductive and leads to that dependency on prompts that Graves warns against.
Third, there should be no expectations about how the open-ended prompt is used. In a Freewriting exercise, a writer may start by writing the prompt and then go in a completely different direction based on how his thoughts flow. Or the prompt might actually be inserted in the middle or at the end. There is no one correct way to include the prompt. The prompt is still fulfilling its purpose (getting the writer started) without dictating the content or direction of the writing.
So how do teachers find open-ended prompts to use in their classrooms? Peter Elbow suggests using Freewriting itself as a way to find topics of interest. After one or two Freewrites, the writer reviews the text to identify words or passages that are personally interesting or important. He also suggests thinking of a specific person, place, feeling, object, or incident and keeping it in mind as you Freewrite. Doing so will provide direction for future topics.
Teachers are some of the most creative people and can devise their own open-ended prompts. After students become familiar with open-ended prompts, they may even suggest their own for the whole class to use. To get teachers started using open-ended prompts (keeping in mind the conditions described earlier) I have provided two tools for teachers. The first is to download the monthly calendar from the link on the left side of the Free2writenow website labeled, “Open-ended Prompts.” Teachers can use these daily prompts as listed or pick and choose according to what will work best for their students. Copies can be made for students to keep in their writing folder, journal, or notebook.
Providing open-ended prompts for Freewriting gets students started so they can discover for themselves what it is they really want to say through their writing. They can take what they want from their Freewrites and develop it further into a piece that is revised and edited to completion. Prompts and Freewrites are only the beginning!
References
Atwell, N. (1998). In the middle: New understandings about writing, reading, and learning (2nd ed.). Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Calkins, L.M. (1986). The art of teaching writing. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Graves, D.H. (1983/2003). Writing: Teachers and children at work. Portsmouth, NJ: Heinemann.
Personally, I struggle with how to advise teachers as to whether or not they should use prompts as part of their writing instruction. In the past, I have stringently abided by the advice of the experts in the field and admonished the use of prompts for teaching writing. But I was always met by the same confused and frustrated expressions of dedicated teachers who assured me their students need some concrete direction to get started writing. I also began questioning my unwavering stance after participating in a writing retreat led by Peggy Tabor Millin (Clarity Works) in which she empowered and inspired my own writing through her unique use of prompts. Listening to teachers’ insistence over the years in conjunction with participating in a powerful writers retreat forced me to reassess the usefulness of providing prompts to writers. My position has shifted and I’ve come to the conclusion that, like most decisions, this is not a black and white/right or wrong issue. So when asked if teachers should use prompts in teaching writing, I can now answer with confidence, “It depends!”
After I share with teachers the arguments for and against using prompts they can decide for themselves what is best for their students. For teachers who feel their students will benefit from prompts, I offer three conditions that should be carefully considered. Each condition relates to the fact that prompts are simply a means to an end; to get students started writing.
First, teachers should use open-ended prompts. These provide the least amount of direction possible while prompting the writer to get started. (Think of it as nudging a horse to get him moving rather than digging in with the spurs.) For example, instead of providing the prompt, “It was a dark and stormy night,” the open-ended prompt might be simply, “storm clouds.” Can you see the difference? In the first example, the writer is already boxed in to writing about what happened when it was a) dark, b) stormy, and c) night. Compare this to the second example and you can see that writing about “storm clouds” can take writers in an infinite number of directions.
The second condition is that writers are not required to write about the prompt or include the prompt in the writing. This may seem unusual when giving a prompt, but remember, the purpose of the open-ended prompt is just to get the writer started. If he already has a topic in mind, then he doesn’t need the prompt! Requiring him to include it is counterproductive and leads to that dependency on prompts that Graves warns against.
Third, there should be no expectations about how the open-ended prompt is used. In a Freewriting exercise, a writer may start by writing the prompt and then go in a completely different direction based on how his thoughts flow. Or the prompt might actually be inserted in the middle or at the end. There is no one correct way to include the prompt. The prompt is still fulfilling its purpose (getting the writer started) without dictating the content or direction of the writing.
So how do teachers find open-ended prompts to use in their classrooms? Peter Elbow suggests using Freewriting itself as a way to find topics of interest. After one or two Freewrites, the writer reviews the text to identify words or passages that are personally interesting or important. He also suggests thinking of a specific person, place, feeling, object, or incident and keeping it in mind as you Freewrite. Doing so will provide direction for future topics.
Teachers are some of the most creative people and can devise their own open-ended prompts. After students become familiar with open-ended prompts, they may even suggest their own for the whole class to use. To get teachers started using open-ended prompts (keeping in mind the conditions described earlier) I have provided two tools for teachers. The first is to download the monthly calendar from the link on the left side of the Free2writenow website labeled, “Open-ended Prompts.” Teachers can use these daily prompts as listed or pick and choose according to what will work best for their students. Copies can be made for students to keep in their writing folder, journal, or notebook.
Providing open-ended prompts for Freewriting gets students started so they can discover for themselves what it is they really want to say through their writing. They can take what they want from their Freewrites and develop it further into a piece that is revised and edited to completion. Prompts and Freewrites are only the beginning!
References
Atwell, N. (1998). In the middle: New understandings about writing, reading, and learning (2nd ed.). Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Calkins, L.M. (1986). The art of teaching writing. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Graves, D.H. (1983/2003). Writing: Teachers and children at work. Portsmouth, NJ: Heinemann.