Conferring With Young Writers

By Ralph Fletcher, 2025 Conference Presenter

Many teachers are intimidated by the idea of conferring with students on their writing. It feels like a BIG challenge. It’s true that whole books (Carl Anderson, Patrick Allen, and others) have been written on this subject. But it doesn’t have to be a big deal. Here are a few tips for conferring with young writers.  

*Start by listening. Attention is the most precious commodity for any child. Strive to be present for your student. Your body language should tell the student that you’re there for them. Your body language should tell the rest of the class: I’m talking with this student. Don’t distract or interrupt me. 

*Be a reader before you’re a teacher. If you want to affect a young writer, let them see that their writing impacts you. That means reacting in a human way. Laugh if the piece is funny. If it’s sad, let the student know you feel their sadness. 

*Build on praise. You can build strong writers if you do nothing more than listen to their writing and highlight something positive. Even if the overall piece isn’t strong, you can always find a line—even a word—that you can celebrate. 

*Keep writing conferences short. 3-5 minutes. A long leisurely conference is a luxury you can’t afford when you’re trying to respond to a classroom of kids. 

*Invite students to self-evaluate. “How do you think this piece is coming along?” Or: “Is there any part you’re having trouble with?” 

In doing this, you’re teaching students to skillfully reread what they have written. If you anticipate that your students will find this kind of self-evaluation challenging, introduce this idea during a whole class mini-lesson. You can model this process with a piece of your own writing. I often tell students: “I can be a problem-solver in your writing, but it would be helpful if you’re a problem-finder. Read it over and ask yourself: Where does it work well? Where does it need work?”

*Don’t force students to revise. Writing workshop embraces student choice of topic. In a similar way, students should be empowered to decide whether or not they want to revise. Students only have a certain amount of “juice” for any one piece of writing. If a student seems done, don’t belabor it. Let them move on to another piece of writing. 

*Refer to familiar texts. Once student know a particular book, you can refer to that book in a writing conference: “Remember when we read Owl Moon? Remember how the author described the forest at night? I wonder if you could do this in your piece…describing your grandfather’s workshop.” 

*Help students think globally. Writing teachers should always be trying to add to their students’ toolbox. The conference is our opportunity to show students that a particular strategy is not simply good for this piece of writing; it’s something they might use in all their writing. 

*Tell the story of your reading. Sometimes when I’m conferring with a young writer I find myself at a loss for words. I don’t know what to say. When that happens I find it helpful to tell the student the story of my reading. It’s important for students to know what impact their writing has on another reader. Telling the story of my reading might sound something like this:

“I was intrigued by your topic—I used to do a lot of fishing when I was younger. The first few paragraphs grabbed me—all the gear you loaded onto the boat. I could feel a sense of anticipation and excitement. In the middle there was a part where I got lost. All these people came onto the boat. You give us a long list of names. Some of them were your relatives, but I didn’t understand who these others were…” 

When you tell the story of your reading, you’re not telling the student what to do. You are, however, giving them important information about what they might do next with their writing. 

Writing conferences may seem intimidating, but they don’t have to be. A writing conference is a chance for precious one-to-one dialogue with a student. You want to connect with students so they look forward to future conferences. 

Remember that writers break easily. I try to remember something I learned from a gifted teacher: “Be gentle. Tenderness is more important than technique.” 

Ralph Fletcher has published fifty books for writing teachers and young readers. His professional books include Joy Write, What a Writer Needs, Writing Workshop: The Essential Guide, and Focus Lessons: How Photography Enhances the Teaching of Writing. He’s currently working on a book about how kids come to see themselves as writers. Ralph visits schools and speaks at educational conferences around the world, helping teachers find wiser ways of teaching writing. www.ralphfletcherbooks.com