• Research:  Name what the child has done as a writer and remind them to do it often in future writing.
• Compliment:  Try to use words like, "I would like to compliment you for . . That's what writers do."
• Teach:  Decide what you want to teach and how you want to teach it.  Help the child get started doing what you hope he/she will do. 
• Link:  At the end of the conference, name what the child has done.  Repeat the teaching point saying this is what you have seen the child doing.  Encourage the child to continue to do this often and in many writing pieces in the future.

• I began the conference with observation and open ended questions.
• I complimented the writer on something specific (on the edge of his/her ability).
• I decided what to teach the student based on my research: either building on his/her strengths or working on a deficit.
• I taught the student one thing by either demonstrating or coaching.
• I actively involved the student in trying out what I taught him/her, while still sitting with the student.
• I reiterated my earlier compliment.
• I made sure the student knew what he/she was to do during independent work.

"How is it going as a writer?"

"What are you working on as a writer?"

"You are looking at ways to make your story better.  That's what writers do."

"You know what I noticed that you were doing and what I would like to compliment you . . . "

"Last week we were working on . . . and I see you are doing that."

"I would like to teach you something."

"Are you ready to do that?"

"Did you notice how the author wrote . . .?"

"What if you did something like that?"

"I want to teach you that writers do like this author and they sometimes . . ."

"You could do this today and any day . . . "

"You can make it so easy for the reader to see what is going on . . . "