Helping Young Writers Grow Their Dispositions

Friday marked the final day of our summer Studio sessions, and I am still basking in the glow of two great weeks with incredible kids, teachers, administrators, and parents! Ironically, it’s when I have little time for blogging that I seem to have the most to share, and while I haven’t been able to capture many of our experiences here over the last few weeks, I plan to do so in the weeks ahead. Deciding where to begin has been a bit of a challenge, but I think this is as good a place as any: at the beginning.

This year, we’ve welcomed younger writers into our community for the very first time. I was pleasantly surprised by how quickly our elementary program filled and a bit daunted by the idea of helping kids at this age begin to explore the dispositions, process, and craft of writing. Fortunately, I have a community of my own to turn to for support and added expertise, and the interns and teachers who accompanied me on this new adventure made the entire experience worthwhile for everyone–including me!

One of the ways in which we’ve grown as a community this year has been in our realization that writing is about more than words. We’ve been exploring this since we first came together, and it’s been through my fellowship with Communities for Learning that I’ve been able to help Studio writers define how in more specific terms. We’ve been studying writer’s practice through the lens of these Dispositions, reflecting on the ways in which we might leverage them to improve the process and the craft of writing.

They are a bit of a mouthful for little ones though, aren’t they?

I thought so, and because of this, I created several engaging opportunities that allowed everyone to begin acquainting themselves with each and eventually, reflecting on their own connections to them as writers. You can read more about what we’ve been up to here. We have many opportunities ahead to continue this work, and I’m eager to watch everyone grow. If the last two weeks were any indication of what that might look like, we are all about to begin a year of exciting transformation!