Why I Teach the Writing Process

I have had many different types of homeschool students over the years. Some students come to me with little to no outside classroom experience and others learned about writing via programs like IEW. I've taught students from public and private school who claimed they never wrote a complete paper in English class while other students shared that they did write but the work was never evaluated or returned graded.

Writing isn't an easy skill to teach, as many of you know. Even as a writing teacher, I struggle at times with the detail and thought required to teach students how to write. My students vary in ability, desire and support. I often teach students whose parents confess to me that they don't write well. Now with math, there's a solution to each problem and a path to take to get to that solution. With writing, there's an expression for every possible idea, but the numerous paths to those expressions means there's a lot of room for errors!

I taught writing for the first time, in public school, at the age of 22. I was responsible for teaching 125 4^th and 5^th grade students, five classes each day of about 25 students, how to write well. Most of these students hadn't written much more than a paragraph at that point and they possessed limited grammar and spelling skills. At that time, whole language had exploded in Florida classrooms, with all of the teachers trying it. Honestly, it made me uncomfortable because it seemed like an easy out for teachers while children wallowed in confusion. So, with the support of a wonderful administrator, I sought a different path. I decided to teach writing the way that I wrote…as a process.

The Writing Process certainly isn't my creation. Researchers actually suggested it in the 1970s. I utilized when I was in high school, although I don't remember it ever being called a process. Basically, the writing process organizes writing into a series of steps each depending on the previous to result in a well-executed paper.  I label the steps a bit differently than the original researchers (I am a bit more pragmatic, I think): choose a topic, take notes (research, if needed), create a thesis statement and outline, write a draft based on your outline, edit your draft, write another draft, etc.  Students who follow this process tend to be required to write fewer drafts. Students who skip steps or don't utilize the material created in the previous steps often find themselves struggling to clearly articulate their ideas. I have been teaching for over twenty years (oh…that was hard to say) and I haven't taught a student yet who couldn't successfully follow the writing process.

Sometimes, particularly in education, we look for the new and different route, something that will spark brilliance in our children. At other times, we're just looking for a course that works for our families with the least amount of stress. But from my experience, using the writing process, going old school, builds a foundation for students that they can rely on for a lifetime of writing. There aren't any catchy terms (an adjective is still just an adjective) or secret tricks. It's just what makes sense.

One of my sweet elementary students came to class very frustrated because she and mom had struggled with writing two assigned paragraphs. I asked the student to take out her notes and her web outline.  She pulled out her notes and then stared at me with a blank expression. When I found the outline in her notebook, she smiled and said "Ohhh…that's what that is." After reviewing the outline, we realized that she needed a bit more material from her notes to make it all work. So, she went to work. Once she finished her outline, I reminded her of its purpose and for the first time, I think she really connected the outline to the writing itself. Students often see an outline as just another assignment rather than a tool. After the light bulb went on (love that look on their faces when it happens!), she cheerfully wrote an outstanding five sentence paragraph. It was impressive. 

This student happens to be among my very youngest and yet, with a little direction, she could see the logic in using the notes to create the outline and using the outline to create the paragraphs. Some of my high school students could learn a thing or two from her!  The outline empowered her to write her paragraphs, giving her confidence. She also had the real life experience of trying to write without the outline and the frustration of not understanding why it wasn't all working for her.

The Writing Process may seem outdated and almost basic to you. Maybe you don't like the idea of having to follow steps to get a written assignment from your child. "Just write what you think" is nearly impossible for many children. They move into panic mode very quickly. The step by step process allows them to grow in confidence and experience so that by the time they're writing paragraphs, they have great command of the subject matter. So, even if you're a bit uncomfortable with the process of writing, sharing it with your children open new doors for them to express themselves in an organized manner.

Please leave a comment on this blog if you read the post. It's nice to know when someone else has a thought about your writing…even if it's not in agreement.

Next week, watch for why I don't allow "rough" drafts in my classes.

Have a blessed weekend!