The JEFF ANDERSON Approach:
Exploring Writing Conventions
Through Craft
Big Ideas
The JEFF ANDERSON approach is…
AUTHENTIC/CONTEXTUALIZED. Learners explore powerful mentor sentences
drawn from a wide range of engaging, language-rich texts.
DEVELOPMENTAL. Learners move from ‘noticing’ à to exploring à to
consolidating language conventions.
CUMULATIVE. ‘Editing sheets’ are constructed and internalized over time with
learners, rather than presented fait accompli. (That is, over time, teachers and
students build and internalize an ever-richer repertoire of knowledge and
strategies.)
Based on Jeff Anderson’s 2007 Everyday Editing: Inviting Students to Develop Skill and Craft in Writer’s Workshop
Working Document (Senecal – shapesofmind.ca) April 2014 Update
Key Concepts: Suggested Developmental Sequence
Understanding…
• The sentence (exploring sentences and fragments)
• Beginning/end-of-sentence punctuation (capital letters; periods, question
marks, exclamation marks…)
• The paragraph (older learners)*
• Additional roles/uses of capitals (names, text titles, titles before names,
dialogue/quotations, acronyms…)
• Within-sentence punctuation: commas (lists, AAAWUBUSs, appositives…)
• Verbs tense markers (-ing, -ed, etc.)
• Apostrophes (including contractions - homophones)
• Dialogue
Perspective: conventions/craft (reciprocal)
Additional WordSmith priorities:
—4-Questions (vocabulary) ‘grammar bath’
— Figures of speech
Ellipsis?
Bullets?
Abbreviations?
Dashes?
Plurals?