Author: Tammy Lane • First Posted: Thursday, February 10, 2011

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Young peers sometimes sit down together to review what they've learned about writing.

Students at Liberty Elementary are fired up about writing – writing journals, writing TV scripts, writing math steps, writing movie reviews. Across the board, these kids and their teachers have embraced strong communication skills as an essential in the 21^st century toolbox.

First-year writing coach DeAnna Branham is the great motivator behind the new mindset. “Our teachers here have become cheerleaders for writing, and that’s what it takes,” she said.

Branham spends part of her day coaching the staff, pulling together resource materials and demonstrating classroom lessons. She also works one-on-one with youngsters, offering praise and a helping hand to those who struggle as well as those who need a nudge to excel even more.

“Maybe that’s their area of strength, and you want to build on that,” explained Branham, who follows the “I do it, we do it, you do it” model.

During a recent walk through the school, children stopped Branham in the hall to share their latest efforts, and colleagues bragged about how she has fostered enthusiasm across the curriculum.

“Writing has become a lot more fun,” said third-grade teacher Candace Thompson. “She’s a wonderful resource to have in the building.”

Branham, who previously taught reading and writing at Julius Marks Elementary, has brought a wealth of ideas to Liberty. Among them:

• On Friday’s morning show, she becomes Detective Branham – searching out clues and evidence of good writing and inviting kids to share their work on the air.
• She leads mini lessons with pairs of students in the Revise/Edit Club; then the older child mentors the younger in a peer conference about what they have learned.
• In a year-long project keyed to the World Equestrian Games, kids have planned, researched, written, edited and published pieces about horses. Along the way, their work is recognized with “win, place or show” honors.

Liberty students also practice their skills through blogs and digital storytelling, and in one special project, second-graders created books for the kindergarteners.

The school teems with examples of this year’s emphasis on writing – from hallway displays and brochure racks to a white board noting the punctuation or grammar tip of the week.

“If you’re not asking the kids to write about what they’re learning every single day, then they’re not learning in-depth,” said Branham, who is earning her Rank 1 in leadership at Eastern Kentucky University.

She is excited to establish a solid foundation and momentum at Liberty, saying, “You have to build a love for writing.”

Third-grader Grace Collins can attest that her strategy is working well.

Grace has not always liked to write, saying she had trouble picking topics that held her interest. But this year with her class’s Man O’ War project, she has found a niche.

“I like horses, so it really pulls me in to focus,” she said. “If you’re familiar with the subject, you can add a lot of cool facts. And when you do research, you like it even more as you learn more about it.”

This 8-year-old also knows how good writing can hold an audience’s attention.

“If I pick up a book and it’s boring and I don’t get it, I just put it down,” Grace said, noting, “If someone’s going to read your piece, you really want to get your point across.”