Teaching Writing Craft- Being Explicit

Teaching the craft of writing requires teachers to be explicit in their work with students. This explicitness occurs when we provide a progressive, sequential program of instruction, when we are clear about what it is we want children to learn, and when we provide a meaningful, focused instruction. Instruction informed by formative assessment of student writing. 

When consideration is given to focused learning, student writers need to be provided with opportunities to make sense of the learning. This is achieved by creating purposeful connections between lesson purposes, lesson tasks, texts, and lesson reviews or conclusions. If these aspects of lessons align, the chances of success increase noticeably.

When introducing a new craft strategy:

• Explain to students the purpose of the instruction and why you have chosen to involve them in such instruction;
• Explain the strategy explicitly, specifically saying what it is, and how and when it should be used;
• Model the strategy in authentic writing situations, saying when it is most useful or even when it is not applicable;
• Think aloud about strategy use as you use it;
• Consider using the strategy collaboratively with your students before they attempt it independently
• Encourage your students to explain to each other how they are processing this new information about writing;
• Emphasize that choosing an appropriate strategy is important and that different strategies may be applied in different situations;
• Guide students’ practice of the strategy in small groups and individually, gradually releasing responsibility to them;
• Make sure that your students are involved in a lot of rich dialogue about what they are writing and what they are doing to help improve their writing;
• Relate the use of the strategy to their own independent writing;
• Provide opportunities for students to use the strategy independently.

Strategy instruction may be undertaken with the whole class, in small groups, or with individuals. It is important however that as your students practice the strategies, there is a clear expectation that they transfer them to their own independent writing and that you, the teacher,  will be looking for evidence of their use moving forward. It is also important to celebrate occasions when you encounter specific craft strategies emerging within the writing community when conferring with writers. We must reinforce what we wish to see in evidence. 

Asking questions such as the following will remind your students about this transfer.

'How could you use this strategy in your own writing?'

'How could this to help you with your future writing?'