Our Writing Program

Recipient of the S. C. Exemplary Writing Program Award    

    At Gloverville Elementary we put the needs of children first, and we know that possessing the ability to write effectively is an essential skill in our world.  The writing program at Gloverville Elementary helps empower our students to become more useful citizens of our community by giving them the vital skill of receiving and transferring information and knowledge through the wonderful tool of writing.  Writing is no longer just individual teacher assignments, but has evolved into a team program based on current trends and philosophies.

    The members of our school work together as a community of writers to provide a comfortable environment where children feel free to express themselves in written form.  This type of environment allows our students to take risks with their writing just like real authors.  Children cannot express themselves honestly if they are overly concerned and feel stressful about making some mistakes.  We encourage our children to write with a relaxed attitude, to focus on quickly getting their ideas on the paper, and that as we go through the steps of the writing process there will be time set aside to polish their work.  Students are given confidence to write.  They come in saying, "I can't", and leave saying, "I can!"

    We believe that students learn best through modeling.  To accomplish this, teachers are provided opportunities to be equipped for our writing program through staff development, conferences, visiting exemplary writing program schools, and availability of publishing materials and teacher resources.  We bring writing to life in our classrooms by reading aloud frequently, studying different authors' writing styles, and writing on a daily basis using different genres.  We strongly believe that in order for students to become better writers and to fully understand the effectiveness of the writing process, it is essential that they see an adult going through the same process.  Our teachers are an active part of daily writing in the classroom and frequently verbalize the thinking process they went through with their writing.  Through modeling this process, we are striving for students to gain a better understanding that writing is simply talking on paper and that they should paint a picture with words for their audience.

    At Gloverville our writing program has done much more than just create better writers.  Writing is also a self-esteem builder for our children.  It is a time when all children, regardless of ability level, are guaranteed success.  Our students know that their hard work will be commended and celebrated through our school!  Not only are we bubbling over with pride, but also we have noticed other changes within our school.  We are now looking at the world from a writer's perspective.  We know that stories and poems are all around us everyday in everything we do.  Our school is looking at the world through different eyes--those of proud writers.

Writing Throughout Our School