The following excerpts are reprinted from Writing: Teachers and Children at Work by Donald H. Graves. Copyright ©1983 by Donald H. Graves. Published by Heinemann, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc., Portsmouth, NH. (Pages 54 - 55.)

Why Publish?

"Why publish?" is closely connected with "Why write?" Writing is a public act, meant to be shared with many audiences. When writing was first put to page in alphabetic form, it meant the writer could transcend himself in space and time. It is the poor man's instant replay. With only a writing instrument and material on which to inscribe letters, writers can have an effect on history, on people hundreds or thousands of years hence.

I observe children taking out books in March that they published in October just to reread "those dumb books I used to write," yet affectionately noting their progress as writers from the "olden days."

Publishing contributes strongly to a writer's development. When children first write, they have no past or future, only the present dominated by the enormous effort required to match sound and symbol and carve letters onto the page. During conferences the teacher tries to expand the time frame of operation: "Ah, let's see how things have been coming along. You've been writing about your new puppy, and I see he chews things up. And what was he chewing on? Can you tell me more about that?" In this instance, the teacher works on the past but soon switches to the future... "And what will you be doing next with the piece, or when you are all done?" Publishing serves as a specific anchor for the future during the composing. Even more important, when the child is composing a new piece, publishing is a hardcover record of past accomplishments.

Publishing also contributes to a sense of audience. Kim will soon find that other children put their names on the checkout card in her book and make comments about the contents. In some rooms there are opportunities for children to write short, one-sentence comments reacting to the book. Later, as children get older, they envision the appearance of a piece in print, and the teacher, parents, or friends turning the pages.

Publishing helps at home. The hardcover book is tangible evidence that the child is progressing, is putting information on the line for other audiences. The other audiences can include friends and relatives. Thus, publishing solidifies the reasons for writing in the first place. It is sharing information from one point in time with people in other locations and occasions.

When children publish, teachers can work with more of their skills. Such surface conventions as spelling, punctuation, grammar, and handwriting receive high attention when going to final draft. They receive even greater attention when they will go to broader audiences through publishing. Teachers make careful assessments about what can be taught, still applying the rule that only a few items can be taught, even when publishing. But that amount is still more than for the conventional, unpublished piece.

. . .

Publication is important for all children. It is not the privilege of the classroom elite, the future literary scholars. Rather, it is an important mode of literary enfranchisement for each child in the classroom. And it may be argued that children who have space-time problems, with little audience sense, benefit even more from the publishing step.

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