WRITING FINDINGS, STRATEGIES, RESOURCES

Why is teaching writing important

o evidence to suggest that many adults in America are not flexible, fluent, confident
writers
o nearly 40 percent of community college registrants have skills below the college
level and are referred to developmental instruction in writing
o writing demands of most jobs (even entry level) are increasing and businesses are
stressed to provide the remedial writing instruction that workers need
NCTE Beliefs
o National Council of Teachers of English
o In order to provide quality opportunities for student writing, teachers must
minimally understand:
How to interpret curriculum documents, including things that can be
taught while students are actually writing, rather than one thing at a time
to all students at once.
The elements of writing lives as people construct them in the world
outside of school.
Social structures that support independent work.
How to confer with individual writers.
How to assess while students are writing.
How to plan what students need to know in response to ongoing research.
How to create a sense of personal safety in the classroom, so that students
are willing to write freely and at length.
How to create community while students are writing in the same room
together.
Strategies
o Establish a positive atmosphere for writing, reading, learning
Inviting classroom
Colorful, music, artwork
Respect among peers
Listen; everyone has voice; collaboration
teacher as writer
Share drafts
Routines and expectations
Order; writing workshop
o Organize for Writing
Writers Workshop
Directions from the teacher on the days work or a brief review
A block of time designated for planning, drafting, revising, editing,
and sharing writing
Time for reading and response to reading

Mini-lessons, based on established curriculum, assessment, and,

especially, students needs as writers
Time for students to receive responses to their writing
conferences with the teacher, classmates, and others
Guidance in using appropriate resources for writing and learning
Time for inquiry, as appropriate for the students tasks
Reflection and assessment
o Writers Notebook
Three ring binder
Works in progress, quick-write exercises, polished pieces
Planning forms
Revision and editing checklists
o Meaningful Approach to Writing
Examples
Inquiry based
Writing relevant to project
Student choice of topic
Publishing
Displayed
newspaper
o Cross Curriculum
Write in each class
Prompts
Essays
reports
Respond to writing
Constructive responses
Revise and revise and revise
Meet with students at many steps along the way
o Mini lessons
Refer to curriculum/assessments
Strategies and stylistic techniques
Usage and mechanics
Resources
o NCTE Beliefs about the Teaching of Writing. (n.d.). Retrieved April 27, 2015,
from http://www.ncte.org/positions/statements/writingbeliefs
o Whitaker, C. (n.d.). Best Practices in Teaching Writing. Retrieved April 27, 2015,
from
http://www.learner.org/workshops/middlewriting/images/pdf/HomeBestPrac.pdf