Food For Thought--Research On Teaching Of Writing

Research Basis for Best Teaching Practices Around Writing

1. All children can and should write;
2. Teachers must help students find real purposes to write;
3. Students need to take ownership and responsibility;
4. Effective writing programs involve the complete writing process;
5. Teachers can help students get started;
6. Teachers help students draft and revise;
7. Grammar and mechanics are best learned in the context of actual writing;
8. Students need real audiences and a classroom context of shared learning;
9. Writing should extend throughout the curriculum;
10. Effective teachers use evaluation constructively and efficiently.

This list and the ideas behind them form the basis for an informed discussion about the teaching of writing. I hope you’ll take a ten minutes right now to think about them.