Does your child dread picking up their pencil and writing a paper for school? The real problem is not your child's "lack of interest" in writing, but rather that "American schools haven't been teaching students how to write. Teachers may have assigned writing, but they haven't explicitly taught it in a careful sequence of logical steps beginning at the sentence level." In The Writing Revolution by Judith C. Hochman and Natalie Wexler, there are 6 principles that outline how great writing can be achieved.
1. Students should receive explicit and direction instruction in writing.
We expect our students to learn math skills with step-by-step instructions, so why should writing be any different? Studies show that teaching writing explicitly helps boost reading comprehension, enhance speaking abilities, and improve organizational/study skills.
2. Start instruction at the sentence level.
Sentences are the building blocks of all writing. Starting out simple and progressing to more complex writing is most effective. In writing, start at the sentence level, progress to a single paragraph, then to multi-paragraph essays. It is important to frequently revisit writing at the sentence level.
3. Writing practice is best when it is embedded in the content of the curriculum.
"When students write about the content they're studying, they learn to synthesize information and produce their own interpretations. That process helps them absorb and retain the substance of what they're writing about and the vocabulary that goes with it." Daily practice of 5-15 minutes is recommended.
4. The content of the curriculum drives the rigor of the writing activities.
The versatile thing about writing is that the same activities can be used for any grade level in any content area. Adjust the content used in the activities to fit your child's level.
5. Grammar is best taught in the content of student writing.
A useful skill for your child to know is sentence combining. With this skill, they will familiarize themselves with parts of speech including conjunctions, pronouns, appositives, and subordinate clauses.
6. Planning and Revising are the most important steps in the writing process.
Planning should include identifying the main idea, theme, details, and order. Using an outline template to organize information can be a great visual tool for students. During this stage, the student can figure out which information needs further details which can help strengthen comprehension.
Revision is when students should use their sentence-level skills to vary sentence structure and add transitional words to create a flow in their writing.
Written by Madison Dwyer