Blog #7 Descriptive Writing

Throughout my undergraduate and graduate courses, I have learned about multiple genres that are important to teach to students in a classroom. While researching for my upcoming genre presentation, I gained insight in knowing more about descriptive writing. In the article Improving Student's Achievement text through think, pair and share, this author explained that descriptive writing vividly paints a picture in a student's mind. It portrays a person, place or thing in such a way that the reader can visualize the topic and enter into the writer's experiences. In addition, interacting with others about their visualizations and personal experiences allows students to discover and share what is meaningful to them in the text. Through writing, the article explained that students were able to express their own feelings, and thoughts during a pair share activity.  However, a descriptive text is a piece of writing that is intended to convey meaning to the reader. It stimulates the five senses and provides an image for the readers. Giving students to visualize as they read gives them confidence; it helps them learn to think as they write.

In the article, Descriptive Writing from Tompkins (2012) edition, he states that the five techniques that students should keep in mind while writing a descriptive piece includes "adding specific information (identfiying examples), choosing words carefully (enriched vocabulary, using abstract nouns, and vivid verbs), creating sensory images (sight, taste, hear, touch, and smell), using figurative language (smilies, metaphors, imagery) as well as to writing dialogue (correct punctuation, writers SHOW, not tell)" (Tompkins, p. 146).

Furthermore, "students were asked to gather descriptive words or phrases during pre-writing and use them as a resource while writing their rough drafts"(Tompkins, p.145). This would allow classmates and teachers to give feedback on their writing. Also, teachers may teach mini-lessons about the different writing techniques used for descriptive writing that would support students understanding of what the descriptive genre consists of. For example, the teacher would choose appropriate mentor texts for students and then explain why she decided to use this book to help their learning. Furthermore, in the article, it states that this activity the teacher introduced can be applied in partners, small group or as a whole class.

Also, I learned from reading this article were some instructional procedures that the teacher attempted to assist students with improving their writing. For instance, "the teachers distributed objects to students and in a sentence the students would identify what the object is and explain it to a partner" (Tompkins, p. 144). If the descriptions the teacher taught were not meaningful or useful for the students, then she would be flexible in her instruction and add more sensory words, craft images as well as to teach more vocabulary to help them gain more knowledge of what they were learning.

In the article, the teacher demonstrated two activities that she would teach and model in front of her class. One activity that the teachers completed with their students was "making clusters and building sentences while using the five senses" (Tompkins, p. 145). The teacher would choose a big topic to discuss and the students would describe the object in short phrases to understand the topic they are learning. I would incorporate making clusters in my future classroom during writing instruction because it supports students to understand what an object consists of. I believe that my students would be engaged and excited to try this activity. The students would have the opportunity to use the five senses and be creative in their work. Meanwhile, this allows the students to take ownership and responsibility of their own learning.

In elementary school, I have always been asked to create either a visual map or graphic organizer in order to describe an object or character from a text during writing instruction. I remember when I read a text, "Owl Moon" I had the opportunity to choose a character or object to speak about and describe it while using the five senses. I enjoyed this activity that my teachers introduced me to because I was able to become creative in my own work and think of great descriptive words to use. This mentor text was great because the author included most of the senses in the book that I could use in my web.

Lastly, the article spoke about how a teacher can assess a student's writing. "It states that teachers can observe and conference with students to make sure they are on the right track with their writing" (Tompkins, p. 152-53). In addition, teachers can look at students use of information, including sensory images, figurative language, as well as the dialogue.

Therefore, I am excited to teach this descriptive writing genre in my future classroom while using the strategies that I learned in the articles I read. I hope to gain more insight with using the descriptive writing in my graduate classes this semester as well.

Tompkins, G. E.  (2019).  Teaching writing:  Balancing process and product (7^th ed.).  Upper Saddle River, NJ:  Merrill.

Tompkins, G. E.  (2012).  Teaching writing:  Balancing process and product (6^th ed.).  Upper Saddle River, NJ:  Merrill.

Siburian, T. A. (2013). Improving student's achievement on writing descriptive text through think pair share. 3(30), 43rd ser., 30-43. Retrieved June/July, 2013.