Brushfork Elementary School and BSC
“Partner”to Develop Fourth Grade
Students' Writing Skills

Students in Ms. Jinny Hill's 4th grade class at Brushfork Elementary School are pictured with Dr. Tamara Meade (back row, left) and Ms. Hill (back row, right) during a recent writing skills workshop.  Dr. Meade visits Ms. Hill's class on a regular basis, helping students develop their creative writing skills.

( BLUEFIELD)—Three years ago, Dr. Tamara Meade accepted an invitation to help cultivate Brushfork Elementary School students' writing skills, the success of the collaboration with Ms. Jenny Hill's fourth grade class has resulted in the extension of their partnership.

Meade, an Associate Professor of English at Bluefield State College, visits Ms. Hill’s class on a regular basis, where students incorporate the principles of writing they’ve learned into essays that are well organized, effectively constructed, and interesting. "These students have embraced the challenge, and they are developing skills that will serve them well for the rest of their lives,” Meade observed. Prior to the Thanksgiving break, students composed essays that detailed three things for which they were thankful, then they shared their narratives with classmates.

Three years ago, Hill contacted Bluefield State College to request help in improving her students' writing skills. "I was very impressed that Ms. Hill would seek help and was equally impressed that she asked Bluefield State College for that help," Meade (who teaches writing composition at BSC) recalled. "Jenny wanted me to show her students how to proceed through the writing process more completely." Although the students at BSC and at Brushfork represented two distinctively different age groups, many principles involved in the writing process remained the same. "Jenny and I have talked about how to modify these principles so that they are tailored to the needs and skills of her students," Meade continued.

"The students have built a foundation for written communication," Hill said. "They have learned how to move from pre-writing through the entire writing process. They will have their work published in a booklet, and they have enjoyed the experience."

"The entire exercise has been energizing," Meade summarized. "These young students have an enthusiasm for learning and they enjoy writing. I believe they look forward to our sessions. I know I do."

December 5, 2005