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.