Mixed race teen girl and Asian teen girl working on writing in computer lab

Writing

Writing is an often overlooked component of literacy, but the ability to write clearly and communicate effectively is critical to students’ classroom and workplace success. Thoughtful writing assignments can provide a means to enhance students’ vocabulary, comprehension, and spelling skills.

Teacher offers writing instruction to group of high school students

Featured Article

Teach the Elements of Writing

It’s a misconception that writing teachers simply tell students to write and wait to see what happens. Teachers should provide instruction in and exposure to various elements of writing to help students understand what good writing is.

Videos

Different styles of writing
Writing expert Doug Hesse says that eachers should encourage students to think of writing as a response to a unique situation and audience, and as an act of inquiry — what do I need to know in order to write about a topic?

Getting writing into your classroom
Literacy expert Nancy Frey says that writing should be going on all the time in every classroom. The goal in her own classrooms is to hit 500 words a day every day, every class period.

Writing an argument
Watch these 11th grade students learn how to hone their skills in writing an argument by working to refute or defend a complex prompt provided by their teacher.

Classroom Strategies

Articles

High school student struggling with reading

About Teaching Reading

When Older Students Can’t Read

When a student’s reading comprehension is more impaired than their listening comprehension, inaccurate and slow word recognition is the most likely cause. 

Writing

Extended Writing-to-Learn Strategies

Writing enables students to process, organize, formulate, and extend their thinking about what they have been learning. In addition, teachers can also assign writing to help students evaluate what they know and understand about a topic.

Writing

Analytical Writing in the Content Areas

Because writing is thinking, the organization of students’ writing reflects both the structure of their thinking and the depth of their understanding. Students should be writing in all their classes, explaining what they know and how they know it.

Blog Posts

Expert Q&A

Typing Skills for Students Who Struggle with Writing
Speech-to-Text Software
Dysgraphia and Writing

Research, Reports & Guides

What Is Disciplinary Literacy and Why Does It Matter?
Teaching Disciplinary Literacy to Adolescents: Rethinking Content-Area Literacy
Disciplinary Literacy Strategies in Content Area Classes

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