Writing Partnerships

Students benefit from opportunities to share and discuss their writing with their peers. This offers them a built-in system for pre-writing discussions, drafting and revision. Partners are encouraged to provide constructive feedback, encouragement and support. It reduces the onus on teachers and students alike by providing a consistent, constant springboard for their ideas and questions.

Writers learn that they have jobs to do in their partnerships throughout all parts of the writing process. Students learn roles and how to be a respectful and helpful partner both when listening and sharing their work. Partners lift the level of conversation by being an active listener, providing authentic feedback and participating in respectful dialogue.

Partnerships are often long term and carefully chosen. . This allows students to prepare for active engagement by sitting with their partner for mini-lessons and during writing workshop. "With a bit of extra instruction and time, partners can learn to act as confidantes, sounding boards, and cheerleaders for each other, spurring each other on to do their best work. " - Lucy Calkins.

Teachers should consider a number of aspects when assigning partners, such as: skill levels, personalities, and social dynamics. Effective writing partners may be those students who have a similar skill level, although some teachers may choose to vary levels depending on student needs and interests, or may wish to allow friends to work together. It is beneficial to invest time at the beginning of the school year to develop these partnerships through modeling and direct instruction, so that students learn to listen to each other and engage in accountable talk.

Assigning partners early in the year will be helpful if we should move once more into an eLearning, or hybrid, situation.