Dear Parent or Guardian,

Our class has just finished the second unit in the Being a WriterTM program. In this unit, the students learned the steps in the writing process. They reviewed drafts they had written earlier and selected one piece to publish. They reread their drafts, thought about ways to improve them, and conferred in pairs on ways to make their writing even better. They revised and proofread their drafts and wrote final versions. Then they shared their pieces with the class from the Author’s Chair.

In this unit, the students practiced the social skill of helping one another to improve their writing.

Here are some ways to support your child’s development as a writer:

• Ask your child to read his or her published piece aloud to you. Encourage your child to read the piece in a clear voice.

• Express interest in and appreciation for your child’s writing by telling him or her what you find interesting about the piece. You might talk about a part you especially like and explain why you like it.

• Ask your child to describe how he or she got the idea for the piece and what steps he or she took the piece through from the first draft to final publication.

• With your child, learn more about the writing habits of his or her favorite authors. You might visit author websites or attend book signings at local bookstores or public libraries. Discuss what you both learned about how authors work.

  After you have spent time reading, listening to, and discussing your child’s finished piece, please return it to class with your child, where it will be placed in the classroom library for all the students to read and enjoy.

  I hope you and your child enjoy discussing his or her published piece as well as the writing habits of professional authors.

  Sincerely, 
  Mrs. Cleary