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All students can improve their writing. Some students improve quicker than others, however.   Children with certain learning difficulties need  balance between opportunities to write and opportunities  to receive explicit instruction in skills and strategies to become proficient. These students need frequent writing on meaningful tasks that have an audience and a purpose for the writing.  Making the writing “real” is very important.

To motivate students, teachers  can encourage them to create class magazines and blogs which give them a real purpose to revise and edit.  Creating shopping lists, writing thank you notes, and completing applications also help to motivate students to write.  Giving them an authentic audience and purpose for their writing is a key to success in their writing.

The writing process should be taught, practiced, and used.  It should be consistent throughout the school. Students need to write daily with research recommending that students be actively involved in the writing process for at least forty-five minutes daily. Writing needs to occur across the content areas with much collaboration among teachers and students.

The writing process to follow varies a little depending upon where, and by whom, the information is shared, but it remains basically consistent enough as not to confuse those teaching or using it.  Some terms need to be taught like draft/copy and revision/proofreading/editing.

Since 1980, I have used the follow process with success.  Much more detail about the process and how to use it can be found on Facebook at studio wise in madison, ga., posted 9.22.20.

Prewriting, Sloppy Copy, Revision, Proofreading, Final Draft/Copy, Publishing

Don’t forget to check out more information at studio wise madison, ga. on Facebook.

Many students struggle with writing.  Several barriers to good writing exist, and strategies for improving are available. Handwriting, spelling, punctuation, fluency, and sentence formation are some of the barriers.

Handwriting: Consider word processing. Give students short daily practice sessions (10-15 minutes) followed by application.

Spelling: Teach spelling patterns.  Have students memorize high-frequency irregularly spelled words.  Make word lists and word walls so students see words to use in their writing. Allow students to have personalized word lists. Provide spelling dictionaries. Teach strategies for learning new words.

Punctuation: 

Fluency:

Sentence Formation:  Research  shows that traditional grammar instruction has little impact on writing quality. Teach sentence expansion, sentence combining, and types of sentences within paragraph types. These work!

For more info:

Teaching Secondary Students to Write

Writing Next

Lucy Calkins writings

Steve Graham writings

The National Writing Project

greatschools.org

What Works Clearinghouse

How do we monitor struggling writers?  Response to Intervention (RTI) is one process that does just that when done with fidelity.  In a nutshell, the process is below.  Tons of info are available if you have further questions.

Through RTI, students get the support they need when they need it before it’s too late.

RTI: Use a universal screener  2-3 times a year. Collect data over time.  Adjust instruction until success.  Modify and differentiate the instruction (intervention) and then check regularly (process monitoring) to see if the intervention is working.

RTI is what good teachers have always done.

Well, I can get on a soapbox about writing instruction.  Hearing others make excuses about why students can’t write when we haven’t taught them really bothers me.  As I say often, teaching students to write is hard work, but it CAN be done.

Research is available about what works and what doesn’t.  Best practices are available.  A process for teaching writing is available.  There is even a process on monitoring struggling students (RTI) that is available.  We know what to do.  We need to rethink schools, I believe, to envision a world where we are educating all our students where all leave school literate and knowledgeable. We are not there yet.

If you haven’t read the Writing Next research, download it and check it out.  Here, I am listing strategies that work.  The actual document goes in to much more detail. With all the research at our fingertips, there is no reason why we should not be creating classrooms that have our children leaving as successful writers.

1. Actually teach the strategies.

2. Teach summarization.

3. Use collaborative writing.

4. Set specific writing goals.

5. Use some word processing.

6. Teach and use sentence-combining.

7. Use prewriting.

8. Include inquiry activities.

9.  Use process writing approach.

Have students study models of effective writing. Teach and use “writing for content” learning.

Just as there is a writing process, there is also a process for reading.  As there are strategies for preparing to read and reading itself,  there are also ways to extend the reading. Listed below are several extension strategies .

1. Oral discussion

2. Graphic organizers (which can be used in each step of the process): To compare characters, settings,  organizational structures

4. Quick writes

5. Summarize sections.

6. Present a readers’ theatre.

7. Write a poem about what was read.

8. Extensions will vary depending on whether the reading is fiction or non-fiction.

Writing: POW

   P     lan what to say.

   O    rganize what to say.

   W   rite and say more.

Silent and Purposeful Reading Process: MAX

    M   otivation (before): Connections. background knowledge, setting a purpose

    A    cquisition (during): Reading and gathering information

e   X  tension  (after) : See separate post about extending reading.

Reading and writing are tools for learning subject matter and for communicating.  Writing proficiency develops over time and must be nurtured, even for the best writers and readers. Motivation for writers is paramount , especially for struggling  students. To ensure improvement and to develop this motivation, strategies are available.

Whether teaching in a classroom or homeschooling, organizing a positive writing atmosphere is important. Books, books, books and  creative writing materials are just the beginning of this area.  Opportunities for writing and reading must be offered daily.  Time for journals and authentic writing  are integral to every day regardless of where education occurs.  Examples of great writing(exemplars) can be displayed, as well as students’ writing in progress.

Writing should not occur in isolation, however. Writing skills should be practiced in context, not on isolated skills sheets.   During practice , students should have the chance to reflect before, during, and after the writing. Direct instruction is important.

Rubrics that take away some of the subjectivity of scoring writing are important as students strive to improve.  These should not be a secret.  Sharing the end result before beginning gives students direction for their final papers. Breaking writing into chunks also provides opportunity to improve along the way.

Because writing and reading are skills to use to learn subject matter, writing needs to occur across the curriculum in all subjects.  Replacing skills sheets with the chance to write and think will do wonders for  student learning and assessing what students know. Giving students oral and written feedback during the writing process, not just at the end, is when real learning can take place.

Begin now to improve your students’ or your own children’s writing skills.  Whether one is reading words from someone else in a book or writing one’s own words, one is learning what it means to communicate effectively.

Happy writing.

Students and adults can improve writing skills if given the tools to do so.  If writing is a literacy skill for life-long learning, which it is, then we as educators must provide the practice, resources, and encouragement  to ensure students are equipped for life.

The time for completing job applications and resumes will come quickly, so we must start early preparing our children for these.  We all could benefit from better organization in our writing and note taking skills, as well.  Specialized writing skills such as these can be taught.  Assuming there will be transfer of knowledge isn’t wise.

It is important that we explicitly teach foundational writing skills to the point that they become automatic so that when the time comes for specialized writing,  students and adults will find success.  As people must be prepared to meet the many writing demands of the workplace, we must as parents and educators provide learning opportunities and much practice for our students who rely on us.