Basic Structure of Writing Instruction
The structure that we have found works very well in helping students with disabilities begin writing and over time learn to write better involves four components and takes about 30 minutes per day. The four components we try to work into each day's writing experiences are:
1) Focused mini-lessons on various aspects of the writing process.
2) Student drafting (writing) and sharing.
3) Writing conferences with the teacher.
4) Author's chair or peer groups.
A fifth activity is frequent but but not daily, and that is regular publication of student writing.
The intent of this instructional design is to increase student experience in writing, while focusing instruction on just one aspect of writing at a time that students need to learn. Conferences enable us to assess student growth and needs, and author's chair, peer groups, and publication increase student motivation and understanding of the purposes for writing.
1) Focused mini-lessons on various aspects of the writing process.
2) Student drafting (writing) and sharing.
3) Writing conferences with the teacher.
4) Author's chair or peer groups.
A fifth activity is frequent but but not daily, and that is regular publication of student writing.
The intent of this instructional design is to increase student experience in writing, while focusing instruction on just one aspect of writing at a time that students need to learn. Conferences enable us to assess student growth and needs, and author's chair, peer groups, and publication increase student motivation and understanding of the purposes for writing.
Why We Teach the Way We Do
Historically, schools have gotten students writing by assigning topics (e.g., write a letter to Santa, what do you want to be when you grow up, etc.) while focusing on writing skills thought to underlie success in writing: grammar, spelling, and handwriting. We take a different approach, instead trying to engage students in learning the cognitive processes required for writing:
• planning (i.e., coming up with ideas and thinking about how to organize them for different purposes and audience);
• translating (i.e., converting ideas and experiences into words and doing so with increasing use of conventions so that others can read what we write); and
• reviewing (i.e., evaluating the quality and clarity of writing drafts and revising in order to improve a piece of writing).
• planning (i.e., coming up with ideas and thinking about how to organize them for different purposes and audience);
• translating (i.e., converting ideas and experiences into words and doing so with increasing use of conventions so that others can read what we write); and
• reviewing (i.e., evaluating the quality and clarity of writing drafts and revising in order to improve a piece of writing).
