Conferencing

Conferences are a very important part of the writing process, as they give feedback to the writer and focus on strengths and needs.

Conferences can take different forms. The following are suggestions for conferences that need to take place within the programme:

PARTNER CONFERENCES

Give each student a partner to read their writing to. The format for this could be as follows:

• Listen to your partner read their writing. Tell your partner what you think the writing is about.
• Ask your partner questions about anything you don't understand. You can use the words how, why, when, where, who and what.
• Talk about something in the writing that you liked. (Give your partner a reason.)

GROUP CONFERENCES

This type of conferencing works best with students once they have reached the beginning of the Fluency stage. When the students have finished a first draft of their writing, they put their names on a chart or whiteboard. Once there are three or four names on the board, the teacher can call a group conference.

The format for the group conference could be as follows:

• The teacher prepares a conference sheet, which includes columns headed Strengths and Needs.
• The writer reads their writing to the other students in the group.
• The students take turns around the group giving feedback to the writer about particular strengths of the writing.
• The teacher selects appropriate comments and writes them on the prepared sheet in the column headed Strengths.
• The students now give comments to the writer about any way they think the writing could be improved.
• The teacher selects appropriate comments and writes them on the prepared sheet in the column headed Needs.
• The next writer reads their writing and the format is repeated.
• The writers continue to work on their writing.

Teacher/Student Conferences

Depending on the stage of writing development, teacher/student conferences can be appropriate.