The Author’s Chair: Everything You Need to Know
Students need good writing skills. These basic skills remain with them throughout their lives and are used daily. Of course, putting pen to paper is one part of the process; you need to craft sentences, ensure they’re grammatically correct, and interest the reader. Grammar and narrative writing are crucial skills students must learn; then, they must master presentation.
Typically, the Authors Chair is used for students to pitch their work in front of others, such as classmates and professors. So, what do you need to know about the Authors Chair?
What is the Author’s Chair?
The Author’s Chair is an important part of the writing process. It happens once a writer has finished their work after the rewrites, revisions, and edits have taken place. This is the opportunity for the writer to present their work to an audience. It is constructive for older and younger students to use the Author’s Chair.
Why Are Children Encouraged to use the Author’s Chair?
With the Author’s Chair strategy, students can show their writing pieces, and build presentation skills. The Author’s Chair focuses on the complete package, rather than just the writing skills; it’s important to ensure a student has the necessary tools to succeed. This is, however, the perfect opportunity for the audience and writer to learn.
Writers can learn how to deliver a knockout presentation, as well as receive feedback. Audience members are given a valuable lesson on how to retain focus and concentration. After all, everyone needs to be able to give and receive constructive feedback. Thinking skills can be utilized by the audience and writer; it’s a time to share ideas and possibly find raw talent.
Putting the Theory to the Test
An English writing class would be the perfect setting to use the Author’s Chair. So, a teacher selects the position of the chair and who will read what they’ve written. The audience faces the chair and listens during the presentation of the piece, whether it’s a story or essay. Feedback can be given once the performance is over, and it’s the perfect opportunity to ask questions too.
The Q&A session will help to keep ideas flowing and fresh. Teachers can participate and encourage free-flowing questions and answers. It could encourage critical thinking and give their feedback too. It’s a great way to build confidence and encourage others to participate.
Can it Work with Third Grade Students?
The Author’s Chair can work with third graders too. Of course, their developmental levels can be slightly different from older students, so you need to use the sessions accordingly. For example, limit the sessions to 15 minutes. It gives the students sufficient time to read their work and maintains the focus of the audience too.
Summary
Being able to construct paragraphs and write grammatically correct is only one part of the writing process. You also need to develop your foundation skills of being able to present the piece to an audience. Teachers use the Author’s Chair to build confidence. It can be a valuable tool for any student, especially those with talent that needs nurturing.