Writing Instruction

Share / assign

Why it works

Research on effective writing instruction points to explicit teaching of the writing process, sentence- and paragraph-level construction, strategies for planning and revising, and frequent writing with feedback. Building writing from the sentence up, and modeling and scaffolding the process, outperforms assigning prompts without instruction. Writing also deepens learning across subjects.

The research: Research on writing instruction (Graham); the sentence-level emphasis of The Writing Revolution.

The run-of-show

Choose your slot. The agenda, timings, and length update to match.

The core activity: plan explicit writing instruction

Teachers leave with one writing task where the craft is taught explicitly, not just assigned.

Pick a writing task.
Identify what to teach explicitly for it: a sentence structure, a planning strategy, an aspect of the genre.
Plan to model the process and scaffold it, not just assign the prompt.
Plan the practice and feedback students will get.

Teach the craft, don't just assign the promptA prompt is not instruction. Teach sentences, structure, and process explicitly, model them, and give feedback, then writing improves.

Facilitator notes

Teach explicitly, often from the sentence level.
Model the process and scaffold planning and revision.
Build in feedback, and use writing across subjects.

A prompt is not teachingAssigning writing and grading it is not teaching writing. Explicitly teach the sentence, structure, and process first.

Adapt it

Elementary: sentences, shared writing, and strong modeling.
Secondary: sentence- and paragraph-level work, genre, content-area writing.
All settings: explicit, modeled, and feedback-rich.

Participant handout

One page for every teacher. Print it, or save it as a PDF.

K12 Academics · Professional Learning

Writing Instruction: teach the craft

Explicit, modeled, practiced: sentences, structure, process, and feedback, not just a prompt.

The writing task:
What to teach explicitly for it:
How I model and scaffold the process:
The practice and feedback:
Where writing to learn fits in my content:

Make it stick

Teach it, build from the sentence:

Teach writing explicitly.
Build from the sentence up.
Bring a writing lesson that lifted quality to the next PLC.

Common questions

Isn't writing something students just get better at by doing?

Practice matters, but without explicit teaching of sentences, structure, and process, many students plateau. Teach the craft, then practice it.

Where should I start with weak writers?

Often at the sentence level. Students who cannot write strong sentences cannot write strong paragraphs. Build up from there.

Does writing belong only in English class?

No. Writing to learn, explaining, arguing, summarizing, deepens understanding in every subject, and content-area writing is some of the most powerful.