The Writing Coach Checklist

Introduction

• Tell me about your writing. Where you are in the process and which trait(s) you would like to talk about.
• Where did you get the ideas for your paper?
• How would you describe your paper (e.g., story, expository essay, persuasive argument, description)?
• What are you planning to work on next?
• What would you like me to listen for as you share your writing?
  
  
  Ideas & Development
  
  
• What do you see as your main idea?
• What do you want your reader to learn or think about?
• Which part of you paper comes closest to saying what you think is really important?
• Is there one detail you are really proud of including because other people might not have thought of it?
• Do you feel you have plenty of information to keep writing on this topic? If not, do you know how/where to get the information you need?
• This is the main thing I learned form your paper. (Explain)
  
  Organization
  
  
• How did you think to begin where you did?
• Did you write more than one lead, or were you happy with the first one?
• For expository/persuasive writing: what is the most important point you make in this paper? Is it close to the beginning, middle or end? Why?
• For narrative writing: does you story have a turning point or most important moment? Does it come close to the beginning, middle or end? Why?
• Read just your conclusion out loud to me and talk to me about it. Tell me why you ended the paper the way you did.
• I did/did not have any trouble following your paper. (Explain)
  
  Voice
  
  
• How would you describe your voice in this piece?
• Who do you see as your main audience?
• What would you like a reader or listener to feel?
• Here is how I feel when I listen to your paper. (Explain)
  
  Word Choice
  
  
• Do you have favorite words or expressions in this piece? Show me.
• Are there any words you used for the first time? Which ones?
• Are there any words you were not sure of? Which? Shall we look them up?
• Did you use a thesaurus or dictionary? Tell me about that.
• Are there any words or phrases you are not happy with?
• Shall we brainstorm some other way to say it?
• The word or expression which caught my attention was: (Explain)
  
  Sentence Fluency
  
  
• You seemed to have an (easy/not so easy) time reading your paper aloud. Am I right about that? Why do you think that might be?
• My impression was that your sentences (did/did not) tend to begin the same way. Do you agree?
• Would you like me to read all or a piece of your work so you could be the listener? (If yes, then tell me what you hear as I read.)
  
  Conventions/Editing
  
  
• Have you edited your paper yet? Show me how much of the paper you are editing (e.g., first line, first paragraph, two paragraphs).
• Do you have any editing questions you would like to ask me?
• Is there a handbook you feel comfortable using? Show me.
• Which copy editors symbols do you feel comfortable using (Refer to chart)?
• Do you feel comfortable using a dictionary (spell checker)? Do we need to talk about that?
• Tell me about this mark of punctuation (choose one from the student's paper to indicate). Why did you use that just here? What does it tell your reader?
• Talk to me about your editing procedures. What do you do? (Read over, read aloud, talk to a friend, use a dictionary, refer to editing practice sheets, etc.)
  
  Closure
  
  
• Are there any questions you would like to ask me about your writing?
• Do you know where to get the help or information you need?
• What will you do next with your writing?
  
  Vicki Spandel and Richard Stiggins. 1997. MMSD Instructional Technologies, 98/99 Creating Writers. Revised edition. White Plains, N.Y: Longman.