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We’ve all been there…

We give students their writer’s notebook - full of empty pages waiting to be filled with beautiful stories and bursting with information about interesting topics.

With the best of intentions, we send our students off to write free of constraints or “rules”.

And some do…

But others stare blankly at their page, twirling their pencil, just waiting for an idea that never seems to appear.

And then the behaviors start. (And then we quickly start to dread when it’s time for Work on Writing).

Before you write off Work on Writing or any other creative writing time, here’s the thing…building writing stamina is essential for students to become capable and confident writers. Without the proper strategies in place, many of our students will struggle to write for extended periods of time, which often results in students becoming distracted or frustrated.

Therefore, being aware of these struggles and starting small, using stamina-building tools, and providing structured support with clear expectations is key when building writing stamina in elementary students.

The Importance of Building Stamina for Work on Writing

As much as we wish it were true, writing stamina isn’t something that is built overnight.

It’s like a muscle - it needs to be built up so that it’s strong enough to work past distractions and the struggles of the dreaded writer’s block.

Teaching writing stamina in the classroom requires thoughtful planning and consistent planning.

In order for students to grow as writers - and flex their writing muscle - they need to be able to sustain focus and engage in the act of writing for extended periods of time. Building writing stamina will help students develop discipline, creativity, and the ability to write with a purpose.

But, the fact of the matter is that this doesn’t just happen.

The challenge lies in the fact that our students - especially younger ones or reluctant writers - need to be explicitly taught how to increase their stamina over time. Just handing them a journal and telling them to “go off and write” often results in frustration and eventually disengagement.

So how do you help students build their writing stamina?

How to Build Stamina for Work on Writing

As teachers, we need to be strategic and systematic when it comes to building writing stamina in our students.

This strategic approach should incorporate gradual increases in writing over time as well as time to learn and practice expectations for the Work on Writing center so that students can grow their writing muscle without the frustration and distraction that come when they are asked to write for too long before they are ready.

Here are some strategies that have been instrumental in ensuring the success of writing during the Daily 5

Use Stamina Building Charts

I cannot stress this enough…

Do not start Work on Writing with the expectation that your students will be able to sustain working (writing) independently for 15 minutes.

The key to the success of this Daily 5 center is to start small, gradually adding more time as students are ready. I usually start the year with this center being somewhere between 5 to 10 minutes. But the key is to stop when you can tell students are “done, celebrate their efforts, and then move on. Ending on a positive note with the intention to continue to practice will ensure that students - and you - enjoy this time and don’t start to dread it (which creates a whole other host of problems!).

It’s difficult to change things that we cannot measure, which is why I’ve found a lot of success in using stamina-building charts. These are a fantastic way to visually track students’ progress and set daily goals (which foster engagement and buy-in).

After each writing session, update the chart with how many minutes they wrote and celebrate when they reach a goal or new milestone!

Set Clear Expectations for Work on Writing Time

This will not come as a surprise to you - dear teacher friend - that setting clear expectations during Work on Writing time is so important when it comes to building your students' writing stamina.

Students really thrive when they have clear expectations, so taking the time at the beginning of the year to not only set but practice the expectations is key to students actually following them.

When I introduce this Daily 5 center, I first like to talk with kids about what this time should look like and sound like. Then, together, we come up with a list of expectations. Here are a few that I always like to make sure are included on our expectations chart:

Write the entire time.
Stay focused on the task or writing topic.
Stay in your writing spot.

BUT, I need to point out that you can just set your expectations and never come back to them. I remind my students DAILY of these expectations, and I’m a bit of a stickler for making sure they are followed.

Remember, setting expectations is an ongoing process. It’s helpful to revisit the rules regularly, especially at the beginning of the school year and after long breaks.

It's Important to take time at the beginning of the year to set and practice expectations..

Use Writing Prompts to Keep Students Engaged

One of the biggest mistakes I made as a teacher was just handing my students a writing journal and telling them to “just write”, believing that since it was “free writing” time, they would be thrilled at the possibility of writing whatever they wanted.

The reality is though, many of my students would stare at a blank page and sometimes would never write a single word.

The frustration of daily writer’s block started to bubble up in students, causing distractions and other disruptions during their writing center.

Yes, this type of writing model has its place, but I’ve found that my students are much more successful when I provide them with some sort of options to write about. This guidance takes away some of the mental load for students so they can focus their energy on building stamina.

On my daily slides I post writing prompts that students may use during their work on writing time. While some students choose not to, most of my students enjoy the structure that a prompt gives them.

Also, to keep students accountable, I do check their writer’s journal once a week. While this is just a quick check, it establishes a purpose for writing and also gives me a window into how they are progressing as a writer.