The Top 9 Components For Effective Writing Instruction

There are a few agreed upon elements of effective writing instruction.  Below, listed in descending order of effectiveness, are the components of effective writing instruction as complied by Intervention Central in How To Teach Student Writing Skills: Elements of Effective Writing Instruction.  

1) Students follow a multi-step writing process. Effectiveness Rating: 0.82 (Graham & Perrin, 2007). Students are trained to use (and can produce evidence of) a multi-step writing process, including the elements of planning, drafting, revision, and editing (e.g., Robinson & Howell, 2008). They make use of this process for all writing assignments.

2) Students work collaboratively on their writing. Effectiveness Rating:0.89 (Graham, McKeown, Kiuhare, & Harris, 2012); 0.75 (Graham & Perrin, 2007). Students work on their writing in pairs or groups at various stages of the writing process: planning (pre-writing), drafting, revising, editing.

3) Students receive timely feedback about the quality of their writing. Effectiveness Rating: 0.80 for adult feedback, 0.37 for student feedback (Graham, McKeown, Kiuhare, & Harris, 2012). Students receive regular performance feedback about the quality of a writing product from adults, peers, or through self-administered ratings (e.g., using rubrics). It should be noted that the impact of timely teacher feedback to young writers is especially large (effect size = 0.80).

4) Students set writing goals. Effectiveness Rating: 0.76 (Graham, McKeown, Kiuhare, & Harris, 2012); 0.70 (Graham & Perrin, 2007). At various points in the writing process (planning, drafting, writing, revising), students are encouraged to formulate specific goals; they later report out (to the teacher or a peer) whether they have actually accomplished those goals. Examples of goal-setting might include locating at least 3 sources for a research paper, adding 5 supporting details during revision of an argumentative essay, writing the first draft of an introductory paragraph during an in-class writing period, etc.

5) Students use word processors to write. Effectiveness Rating:0.47 (Graham, McKeown, Kiuhare, & Harris, 2012); 0.55 (Graham & Perrin, 2007). Students become fluent in keyboarding and have regular access to word-processing devices when writing.

6) Students write about what they have read. Effectiveness Rating: 0.40 (Graham & Herbert, 2010); 0.82 (Graham & Perrin, 2007). Students are explicitly taught how to summarize and/or reflect in writing on texts that they have recently read. Each of the following writing activities has been found to be effective in promoting writing skills -- as well as improving reading comprehension: - paraphrasing the original text as a condensed student summary - analyzing the text, attempting to interpret the text's meaning, or describing the writer's reaction to it - writing notes (e.g., key words or phrases) that capture the essential text information

7) Students engage in pre-writing activities. Effectiveness Rating: 0.54 (Graham, McKeown, Kiuhare, & Harris, 2012); 0.30 (Graham & Perrin, 2007). Before beginning a writing assignment, students take part in structured tasks to plan or visualize the topic to be written about. Activities might include having students draw pictures relevant to the topic; write out a writing plan independently or in pairs or groups; read articles linked to the writing topic and discuss them before developing a writing plan, etc.

 8) Students produce more writing. Effectiveness Rating: 0.30 (Graham, McKeown, Kiuhare, & Harris, 2012). Students have more writing included in their daily instruction (e.g., through daily journaling).

9) Students study writing models. Effectiveness Rating: 0.30 (Graham & Perrin, 2007). Students are given models of the kinds of writing that they will be asked to produce: e.g., argumentative or informational essays. Students closely study the structure of these models and attempt to incorporate the important elements of each model into their own writing.

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For a comprehensive writing program check out 'College and Career Readiness Writing' at PrestwickHouse.com

Read about a 34 year old Harry Potter...If that is your thing.

This story makes me wonder what type of hi-jinx Holden Caufield might have gotten up to if Salinger decided to toss off a short story every once in a while.

Author J.K. Rowling has written a new story based off the "Harry Potter" characters, which takes places following the events in "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows."

The story is told from the perspective of The Daily Prophet gossip columnist Rita Skeeter and centers on Harry, now 34, who attends a Quidditch World Cup tournament with his sons James and Albus and wife Ginny Weasley, who is a reporter. Hermione, an employee at the Ministry of Magic, and Ron, a co-manager at Weasley's Wizards Wheezes, are also featured, along with Neville Longbottom and Luna Lovegood.

Harry is decribed with a "couple of threads of silver" in his hair, while Ron's red mane is "thinning."

Fans who want to read the 1,500-word story must subscribe to Pottermore.com, which has been flooded with users since the annoucement.   Rowling's final book in the Harry Potter series was released in 2007, and the last film opened in theaters in 2011.

If you are using any of the Harry Potter books in the classroom check out PrestwickHouse.com for Lit plans and teaching units.

We get feedback: Reading Informational Texts

I just have to share this recent feedback from a teacher who has been using our Reading Informational Texts

Visitor (10:52:58):  Bingo. Thanks a zillion. Also there is a new reading supplemental book coming out (standards based) this summer for level 9 & 10. When will these be available?

Sue (10:53:54) Are you referring to the Reading Informational Texts? These are in stock and available now

Visitor (10:54:29) No, it was something new.

Sue (10:54:48) Reading Literature?

Visitor (10:55:04) Maybe

Sue (10:55:44) They will be ready later on this summer - we hope late August - still under production!

Visitor (10:57:09) Great. Thanks. Your materials are great. I have used them for years. Last year on our state assessments in Reading, our sophomores scored 100%. Everyone met the standard. Don't think it has ever happened in our district! Thanks for your help.

Sue (10:57:44) WOW!! how exciting! thanks for letting us know! check back with us in August and if they are available, we will be glad to send you samples - thanks!

The Hardest Part of Teaching

The hard part of teaching is coming to grips with this:

There is never enough.

There is never enough time.

There are never enough resources.

There is never enough you.

As a teacher, you can see what a perfect job in your classroom would look like. You know all the assignments you should be giving. You know all the feedback you should be providing your students. You know all the individual crafting that should provide for each individual's instruction. You know all the material you should be covering. You know all the ways in which, when the teachable moment emerges (unannounced as always), you can greet it with a smile and drop everything to make it grow and blossom.

You know all this, but you can also do the math. 110 papers about the view of death in American Romantic writing times 15 minutes to respond with thoughtful written comments equals -- wait! what?! That CAN'T be right! Plus quizzes to assess where we are in the grammar unit in order to design a new remedial unit before we craft the final test on that unit (five minutes each to grade). And that was before Chris made that comment about Poe that offered us a perfect chance to talk about the gothic influences, and then Alex and Pat started a great discussion of gothic influences today. And I know that if my students are really going to get good at writing, they should be composing something at least once a week.

Peter Greene writes for Huffington Post. He has taught English in a small town high school for thirty-five years.

At Prestwick House we are working hard to give English/LA teachers a very precious commodity...time.

Coming Soon to a Classroom Near You!

Here is the rough-cut of a trailer for Prestwick House's Touchstone version of Beowulf 


 

Life, Literature, and the Pursuit of Happiness!

Happy Independence Day Everyone!

I hope you're all enjoying summer and have great weekend plans. We'll be out of the office tomorrow, but in honor of the holiday, we're offering special discounts on the most popular American literature titles.

Check out our Life, Literature, and the Pursuit of Happiness discounts valid all month long.

While you're at it, don't miss the latest news article at www.prestwickhouse.com on the Top 10 Most Popular Works of American Literature in Schools.

Enjoy the weekend!

Walter Dean Myers, Notable Young Adult Author, Dead at 76

It's a sad day in the world of literature as another great author has passed away.

Walter Dean Myers was a voice for the unspoken majority of teenagers and children, earning their attention and respect through the pages of his books. An article in today's New York Times reports on his many contributions to the writing world.

A onetime troublemaker who dropped out of high school, Mr. Myers spent much of his adult life writing realistic and accessible stories about crime, war and life in the streets. He wrote more than 100 books, including “Monster” and “Lockdown,” and was the rare author to have a wide following among middle-school boys.

Myers wrote on a wide variety of topics and events, reaching audiences worldwide. He will be missed.

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If you're interested in reading some of the best novels by Walter Dean Myers, visit us at PrestwickHouse.com.

Reading your way through the World Cup - USA

While the men of the USMNT played valiantly, they eventually lost to Belgium 2-1 in extra time. Not exactly known for being a soccer nation, the United States succeeded in proving their talent and drive as they fought their way out of the Group of Death. They lost their chance to advance to the quarterfinals, but Tim Howard managed to set a World Cup record by making sixteen saves. We may be disappointed here at Prestwick House, but we know that our men did their best on the field and will be even better in World Cup 2018 in Russia.

It may be over for the United States, but there are several amazing countries that remain and many more books to read. Today we’ll include Danny Scott’s pick for the USA, Friday Night Lights. While we may not be famous for soccer, Friday Night Lights reveals the very core of southern American football, focusing on a small town in Texas with huge amounts of potential. Pick this up if you want to take your mind off soccer for a little bit — football season is only 64 days away!

Check out the rest of Danny Scott’s list for more amazing reads from the participating countries in the World Cup!

Friday Night Lights by H. G. Bissinger, Yellow Jersey If you think soccer fans are fanatical, spend 1988 with the Permian Panthers as this high school American football team carry the hopes, dreams and expectations of 20,000 Texans every Friday night. Written as narrative non-fiction, Bissinger's book, which he moved his family to the town to research, is held by some as the greatest sports book ever written and has since been adapted as a film and TV series. 

Writing and Running

Writing requires the mental endurance of a long-distance runner. The thought of writing an entire novel with the quality to get published can seem far beyond daunting; it can feel simply impossible. However, in a recent article for The Chronicle of Higher Education, Rachel Toor, a professor at Eastern Washington University and a long-distance runner, has found that the key to sticking with such a huge project is breaking it up into small, manageable steps toward completion, even if that means thinking one sentence at a time.

Don’t take my word for it; listen to Ernest Hemingway:

Hemingway wrote in A Moveable Feast: "I would stand and look out over the roofs of Paris and think, ‘Do not worry. You have always written before and you will write now. All you have to do is write one true sentence. Write the truest sentence that you know.’ So finally I would write one true sentence, and then go on from there.”

 

Here at Prestwick House, we know that good writing and discipline take practice. That’s why we offer numerous resources to help anyone master the art form.

Reading your way through the World Cup - Belgium

Here at Prestwick House, we are excited as another USA World Cup game is upon us. Today, the USMNT will be facing Belgium in what is sure to be a battle to advance to the quarterfinals. Although the men showed promise during their games against Ghana and Portugal, they slowed their defenses against Germany. Here's to hoping they enjoy soccer more than waffles!

You can continue reading while enjoying the game by checking out Danny Scott’s “A Booklover’s Guide to World Cup 2014” and possibly picking up the great selection from Belgium!

Marcel by Erwin Mortier, Pushkin Press It was uncertain, until recently, whether multi-lingual Belgium was going to continue as one country. Considered by many to be the dark horses of this year's World Cup, Belgians might soon find themselves firmly on the map. Once there they may start shouting more about their literature and, handily, Erwin Mortier's novels have recently been translated by Pushkin Press. Seek out Marcel to journey into the mind of the eponymous main character unravelling his family's complicated past in their Flemish village.