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TEACHING WRITING
RESEARCH FINDING:
The most effective way to teach writing is to teach it as a
process of brainstorming, composing, revising, and editing.
COMMENT:
Students learn to write well through frequent practice. A well-
structured assignment has a meaningful topic, a clear sense of
purpose, and a real audience. Good writing assignments are often
an extension of class reading, discussion, and activities; not
isolated exercises.
An effective writing lesson contains these elements:
. Brainstorming: Students think and talk about their top-
ics. They collect information and ideas, frequently much more
than they will finally use. They sort through their ideas to
organize and clarify what they want to say.
. Composing: Students compose a first draft. This part is
typically time-consuming and hard, even for very good writers.
. Revising: Students re-read what they have written, some-
times collecting responses from teachers, classmates, parents,
and others. The most useful teacher response to an early draft
focuses on what students are trying to say, not the mechanics of
writing. Teachers can help most by asking for clarification,
commenting on vivid expressions or fresh ideas, and suggesting
ways to support the main thrust of the writing. Students can
then consider the feedback and decide how to use it to improve
the next draft.
. Editing: Students then need to check their final version
for spelling, grammar, punctuation, other writing mechanics, and
legibility.
Prompt feedback from teachers on written assignments is impor-
tant. Students are most likely to write competently when schools
routinely require writing in all subject areas, not just in
English class.
Elbow, P. (l98l). Writing With Power: Techniques for Mastering
the Writing Process. New York: Oxford University Press.
Emig, J. (l97l). The Composing Processes of Twelfth Graders.
Urbana, IL: National Council of Teachers of English. NCTE Re-
search Rep. No. l3. ERIC Document No. ED 058205.
Graves, D. H. (l978). Balance the Basics: Let Them Write. New
York: The Ford Foundation. ERIC Document No. ED l92364.
Graves, D. H. (l983). Writing: Teachers and Children at Work.
Exeter, NH: Heinemann.
Hillcocks, G., Jr. (November l984). "What Works in Teaching
Composition: A Meta-Analysis of Experimental Treatment Studies."
American Journal of Education, Vol. 93, No. 1, pp. l33-l70.
Humes, A. (l98l). The Composing Process: A Summary of the
Research. Austin, TX: Southwest Regional Laboratory. ERIC Document No. ED 222925.