Writing is a crucial skill to develop in our young learners. Regardless of the discipline they’ll eventually grow into, writing will inevitably be involved.
Nowadays, even writing proper emails is considered an important skill to learn. Therefore, helping young writers develop a strong foundation that will support a continual growth of their writing skills throughout their educational career is more important now than ever. The problem is, many students are averse to writing. Some struggle to come up with ideas to write about, whereas others just outright dislike it.
Steve Graham, ILA member and the Warner Professor in the Division of Leadership and Innovation in the Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College at Arizona State University, delivered the Research Address at ILA’s 2019 Conference in New Orleans titled, “The Dos and Don’ts of Writing Instruction.” Graham’s address covered the importance of encouraging students to write for multiple purposes, teaching them the necessary writing and process skills, and providing a stimulating writing space for free expression. A summary of Graham’s Research Address will be available in ILA’s November/December issue of Literacy Today.
Below are effective resources for achieving Graham’s “Dos” of writing instruction and encouraging students to love writing in your classroom:
Writing and reading skills have been scientifically proven to go hand in hand; therefore, developing skilled writers also creates strong readers. With these skills, young learners will be able to tackle any writing and reading assignments that come their way as they advance as students.