Are you looking for a fabulous collection of released writing prompts from state writing assessments? Would 114 PAGES of these released writing prompts be enough? If so, you have landed on the right page! Below you will find the finest collection of released writing prompts available. Nearly all the prompts are appropriate for elementary and middle school students, and there are quite a few designed specifically for high school students.

You may also enjoy reading: “Writing Prompt Structure and Keywords for State Writing Tests” and “Elementary Writing Samples, Middle School Writing Examples, Sample Essays.” If you are looking to improve student writing FAST, be sure to check out the “Pattern Based Writing: Quick and Easy Essay” page.

What types of writing are students asked to write on state writing tests? What types of prompts will you find in the collections below? 

On state writing tests you will find descriptive, expository, persuasive, informative, narrative, imaginative, summarize, and response to literature writing prompts. In the collections of released writing prompts below, you will find examples of all of these different types of writing prompts. (Note: You will not find many examples of “summarize” and “respond to literature” prompts. These types of prompts are built around a reading passage connected to the prompt. As such, I have included a few examples of these types of prompts at the bottom of this page.)

What is The Value and Benefit of Released Writing Prompts?

The value and benefit of these writing prompts can be far-reaching. Spending just a little time dissecting and analyzing these released writing prompts will have a very large payoff. The truth of writing assessments is that many students are off track before they even place their pencil on the paper. Many students completely miss the mark on what they are supposed to write. They write about what they thought they were supposed to write about, or they write about what they wish they had been asked to write about. It is SO FRUSTRATING to see good writers miss the purpose and intent behind a writing prompt and get a poor score.

In other words, these released writing prompts from state writing assessments have more benefit than simply providing interesting topics to write about. (Once again, be sure to read “Writing Prompt Structure and Keywords for State Writing Tests.” As well, check back for upcoming posts dealing with state writing assessments.)

Directions: Open up a second browser and copy and paste the links below into your address bar.

Collection 1: The first collection comes from a very good book called Blowing Away the State Writing Assessment Test. You can find the released writing prompts section of this book on the internet in PDF format (follow the link below.) You can buy the complete book used for $2 + shipping on Amazon. It’s a great deal and you will find at least a few ideas that will help you understand state writing assessments. This collection of writing prompts is 33 PAGES. These prompts are designed for elementary, middle, and high school students.

http://educationnorthwest.org/webfm_send/664   (copy and paste the link into your browser)

Collection 2: If you teach 3rd-5th grade, you are going to love this collection! This collection is from Florida’s fourth grade writing assessment, the FCAT. It’s just four pages, but it contains many, many excellent narrative, expository, and persuasive writing prompts.

http://www.putnamschools.org/departments/title1/FCAT_Sec_Prompts.doc   (This is a Word .doc, so you will be asked to save it. Remember, copy and paste the link into your browser.)

Collection 3: Here is another fabulous collection from the Pennsylvania Department of Education. It’s 47 PAGES and has released writing prompts from the sixth grade, ninth grade, and eleventh grade writing assessments.

http://www.chambersburg.k12.pa.us/curric/K-12%20Curriculum%20CD/Language%20Arts/Resources/Writing.Asses.Rel.Writing.Prompts.pdf   (copy and paste the link into your browser)

Collection 4: Here are released prompts from the California Writing Standards Test for Fourth Grade. It’s 12 pages.

http://k6englishlanguagearts.rusd.k12.ca.us/Documents/Reading-Writing%20Workshop/Grade%204%20Theme%204%20Writing-%20CST%20Prep.pdf   (copy and paste the link into your browser)

Collection 5: Here is a collection from Oregon. It’s 10 pages and includes prompts for elementary, middle, and high school students.

http://www.ode.state.or.us/wma/teachlearn/testing/samples/2009_10/writing_sampleprompts_2009.pdf   (copy and paste the link into your browser)

Collection 6: Here is a collection just for high school students. It’s from the Georgia High School Writing Test and it’s 7 pages.

http://www.doe.k12.ga.us/DMGetDocument.aspx/GHSWT%20Released%20Prompts.pdf?p=6CC6799F8C1371F6778017113C51AA891E0791CED9D2C650F3271928E7627F14&Type=D   (copy and paste the ENTIRE link into your browser)

Summarize and Respond to Literature Prompts

Once again, you will not find many of these types of prompts in any of the collections above. As such, I wanted to give a few examples of what they look like.

Respond to Literature Example Prompts

• Read the story. What message about life is the author trying to communicate to the reader? Be sure to use specific examples from the story to support your answer.

• Based on the story “Down and Out, but Not Done,” how can the reader tell that life during the Great Depression was a struggle? Use specific examples from the passage to support your answer.

• Do you think “Time for Tea and Crumpets” is a good title for this story? Why or why not? Be sure to use details from the story to support your answer.

Write a Summary Example Prompt

Write a summary of the article. Be sure to:

• state the main idea or ideas of the article
• tell the important details that support the main idea
• use your own words when writing your summary .

Important Note: Good writing prompts are not a substitute for effective writing instruction, so here is a plan for writing success. First, download these writing prompts and then immediately check out “Pattern Based Writing: Quick and Easy Essay.” Every day more and more teachers are discovering how much quicker and how much easier teaching writing is once they understand Pattern Based Writing!

There are many interesting models for analyzing students’ different learning styles. Here is a practical model which may change the way you teach writing… today. You will have a checklist of the four learning styles, as well as the four questions which these four different types of learners will be asking.

A teacher simply needs to address each style in their instruction, and then listen for the magic words in their students’ questions. (Often these magic words are only implied; however, they are quite easy to spot.)

This learning style model will surprise you in its simplicity. In fact, it may appear to be that “elusive obvious” which you are shocked you had not discovered before. The next time you teach writing, you will be looking at each and every student and analyzing each and every yawn, comment, question, and challenge. “Ohh… I get you! I can help you! I understand you. Let me talk to YOU.”

David Kolb’s Learning Style Inventory Based on Experiential Learning Theory: The Four Different Learning Modes and How they Create Four Types of Learners

Experiential Learning – The Four Learning Modes (How Students Learn)

These learning modes can be seen as a cycle of learning. Even though it is a cycle, individual students will learn differently at each stage of the cycle. Some students are more effective learners in one stage, while others will learn better in a different stage.

• Learning Mode 1: Concrete Experience – There is an old proverb, “Experience is the best teacher.” In other words, students learn by experiencing things.  (Note: There is also an extension to this proverb which says, “Experience is the best teacher… but the tuition is high.”)

• Learning Mode 2: Reflective Observation – One reviews the experience and reflects on it.

• Learning Mode 3: Abstract Conceptualization – One draws conclusions. Students create and format their personal understanding of what they have learned. They make their new knowledge fit in with their current model of the world.

• Learning Mode 4: Active Experimentation – Test time. Let’s try out the new knowledge in the real world and see if it works. In writing this would mean, “Let’s see how our readers like the new techniques we are applying. Do I like my new writing? Do these strategies and techniques get me a better grade?”

Through various combinations of these four learning modes, four learning styles emerge.

Four Types of Learners

Each of these four learning styles is a combination of TWO of the LEARNING MODES discussed above. This does not mean that students don’t learn through the other modes; it just means that they have strengths in, and/or prefer two of the modes over the other two modes. (I think you will find that all four modes have an important place in effective instruction.)

• Learning Style 1: The Diverger – Asks “why?” Learns through Concrete Experience and Reflective Observation.

• Learning Style 2: The Accommadator – Asks “how?” Learns through Concrete Experience and Active Experimentation.

• Learning Style 3: The Assimilator – Asks “what?” Learns through Abstract Conceptualization and Reflective Observation.

• Learning Style 4: The Converger – Asks “what about…?” Learns through Abstract Conceptualization and Active Experimentation.

The Questions Your Students Want Answered

Here is a simplified and useful version of Kolb’s model based on a few of the “Five W’s and One H.” (Who, what, where, why, when, how?) Basically, when students don’t understand something, they have a question. When it comes to teaching writing, it can be hard to figure out what the question is behind the problem. “What don’t they understand? I have done a great job of teaching this.”

Here is a cheat-sheet that narrows down what your students want to know… and how they learn. It addresses the four learning styles and the main question each style wants answered. These questions are: 1) Why? 2) How? 3) What? 4) What about?

Four Questions for the Four Learning Styles

Why? (Divergers) – These students are not asking, “Why does it work?” They are asking, “Why do I have to do it? What will happen if I don’t do it?” The answer to these questions usually go something like this: “If you apply this strategy, your readers will easily understand what you are saying. If you don’t, your readers will be lost and confused. Having your readers understand what you are saying will get you better grades and people will enjoy reading what you have written. They will think you are a gifted and talented writer. If you don’t apply the strategies and your readers are lost, your grades will suffer and people will wonder what is wrong with you.”

How? (Accommodators) – These students are saying, “Just tell me how to do it. Show me each step and I will follow your directions. I learn by doing. I don’t need any reasons or explanations. Please don’t be vague and talk about the flowery artistic nature of writing. I’m not interested in that. I see the example; what are the steps I need to do in order to achieve that? Once I experience it I will understand it and I will be able to explain it to you based on my experience.”

What? (Assimilators) – These students need to understand “the information.” We can’t just demonstrate (or model) how to write persuasively because these students need to understand it in context. These students may not even attempt to follow the strategy until they understand exactly what they will be attempting to do. Example of what would work with these students: “Okay students, we are not going to be working on narrative writing. In other words, we are not going to be telling a story. Also, we are not going to be working on descriptive writing or informative writing. Our goal is going to be to persuade someone. A synonym for persuade is “to convince.” There are many times when we need to convince another person. Here are just a few…”  Example of what would not work with these students: “We are going to work on persuasive writing using facts, statistics, and reasons to prove our case. Here is a set of evidence for you to use. Now, prove your position. You have been provided a model to follow; study it and follow it.”

What about…? (Convergers) – We think of these students as the mismatchers and contradictors in our classrooms. For every example we show to prove it, they will quickly find a counterexample to disprove it. We think they are just being difficult, but often at the heart of their troublesomeness is a learning style that simply has them wanting to know when it works and when it doesn’t work. Example: You have taught a writing strategy and now students have opened up a book and are reading. If these students don’t see what has been presented, they want to know why not. Showing these students textbook examples of when it works is not enough. In fact, showing them real-world examples of it when it works is not enough. These students need to understand a variety of situations when it does not work. In writing there are many exceptions, and every exception these students see leads them to dismiss what has been taught. The solution in teaching these students writing is to show them how what is being taught is a tool which can be used sometimes, but not at other times. It is their job as the author and artist to be the master of the tool.

Learning Style Scenarios

Let’s explore some scenarios so you will more easily see behind the curtain of your students’ struggles. What is going on in your students’ minds?

It’s not that students just come out and ask “Why? How? What? What about?” It’s more that these are the questions behind their questions (and their struggles). When a student is struggling, a teacher will be able to more easily remediate and strategize, “Let’s see… I can’t re-teach the entire lesson. So… which question is behind their problem?” When you figure it out you will be able to solve the problem on your first try.

Remember: We want to address all these types of learners and address all of these questions when we teach our lesson the first time around. Try and make sure that you include at least a sentence or two that will speak to each learning style. (i.e. Giving more examples is not the only way to better teach a concept. Instead, try addressing one of these other learning modes.)

Scenario 1 – How? (Accommodators): A student acts bored and asks if she can get started on the work. Remember: This is a special kind of learner with a special kind of question. This question represents a “how” question. This student learns by experiencing and experimenting. It seems the teacher has given enough instruction so that the student feels comfortable getting started on the work. The fact is, these students can’t be sure of what they understand until they get involved with the work. At the moment, they don’t need any more theory. (Note: We all know that students often want to get started, and then once they get started they discover that they don’t understand how to do the work. The point about this “how” type of learner is they can’t know that they don’t know until they give it a try. This means they won’t do their best job of extended listening until they have given it a try.)

Scenario 2 – What? (Assimilators): You have done a great job of teaching a personal narrative essay. You followed the textbook and added your own fantastic bits of insight. You have given clear instructions and there is an excellent example on the front board. A student says, “I don’t get it.” You ask what they don’t get. The student replies, “Are you saying that this is just a story about our life?” You reply, “Yes.” The students replies, “I don’t get it… so I can just write about something that happened to me and I have written a personal narrative essay?”

These questions are all “what” questions. These questions show a need to better understand the context of a personal narrative essay. The proper teaching extension would involve explaining a few different types of essays, as well as explaining how a personal narrative essay is different than a fiction story. This would help the student better understand the context of a personal narrative essay. In other words, this student does not need more examples on how to write a personal narrative essay; they need to understand the context of what a personal narrative essay is… and what it isn’t. They need the theory behind essays and stories so that they will understand where the personal narrative essay fits in.

Scenario 3 – Why? (Divergers): You are working on descriptive writing. A student says, “Why do we have to learn this? None of our school work ever involves describing how the spring sun makes us feel. Is there going to be a test on this?” This one is easy. It’s a “why” question… the little rascal. You explain to this student that the assignment will be extra homework if he doesn’t finish it. And yes, there will be a test on the different types of writing before he goes on vacation. Additionally, you tell him that you overheard him describing what happened in his baseball game the other day. You explain how learning how to describe things will make him a more entertaining storyteller and a better communicator. “After all, you won’t want to feel foolish in your interview when you explain how it felt winning the World Series!”

Scenario 4 – What about…? (Convergers): Your students are struggling with run-on sentences and sentence fragments. You instruct them not to start sentences with the words “and, but, because.” The next day a student arrives with numerous examples from newspapers and magazines showing how it is acceptable. You explain that the authors in question did it artistically, rarely, and correctly. You explain that the students in your class have been doing it incorrectly and that it is harming their writing.

This student is not convinced. He doesn’t know what to think. He starts to lose interest in writing because he thinks your rules are inconsistent. This is a “what about…” situation. The solution would be to teach formal writing vs. informal writing. Starting sentences with “and, but, because” is discouraged in formal writing. Additionally, this student needs to understand that language does change over time, and the rules of starting sentences with “and, but, because” have relaxed in recent years. Explain that you are still discouraging the practice and later in the year when they are advanced writers you will address it in depth. In the meantime, have this student continue to collect examples which you will share with the class at a later date.

Whether you teach elementary school or middle school, whether you teach remedial writers or gifted writers… reaching and teaching the four different types of learners will improve your writing instruction.

In Pattern Based Writing: Quick & Easy Essay, all four types of learners (and teachers) are spoken to directly. At every step of the way the program not only teaches what to do… but also addresses all those problem areas surrounding what students might do… or will want to do. All the gaps are closed for all the different learning styles.

I once taught a 5th grade G.A.T.E. class at a very affluent school for the final two months of the school year.  It was my off-track vacation time and their teacher could not finish the year. I had never seen students like these before. These kids openly, in fact brazenly did the math when receiving an assignment. They cared about the writing assignment exactly as much as the math told them to care about it.

These are the two “MATH QUESTIONS” that came out of their mouths NON-STOP:
1. Is this graded?
2. How much of our grade is it?

Depending on the answers to those two questions they would quickly determine how much they were going to invest in the assignment.

They would decide:
• I better get started on it now and I better do a great job. Also, I had better check my work for careless mistakes.
Or
• I can goof off for 7 minutes and then quickly dash off the assignment. I’ll probably get an A, but if I get a B, it’s not that important because this one grade shouldn’t affect my overall grade.
Or
• This isn’t graded? Hey, Joe, what are you doing after school?

If it wasn’t graded… they didn’t care about the assignment. (It is different when a class has experienced multiple teachers but still… I had never done so much grading in my life. I learned a lot from that high-achieving G.A.T.E. class.)

Struggling Students ALSO Do the MATH before they do the WRITING

A lot of inner-city students, remedial students, ESL students, and students with learning disabilities also do the math before they start their writing assignment… and for them, they don’t like how it all adds up.

For them… it adds up to failure… so why get started?

I teach lots of kids in this latter category and I learned early in my teaching career that I have got to get them writing and I have got to get them writing fast. Quite simply, teaching students how to get an assignment, break it down, and then start and finish the assignment changes “the math” for them.

After they are “writing fast” I can layer all kinds of fantastic writing instruction on top of these core writing skills. With these core writing skills firmly in place, students seem to respond about 50% better to all the other writing instruction I layer on top.

With these core skills in place “THE MATH” has changed so students invest more. They are just like the G.AT.E. kids!

THEN ADD LAYERS OF DEPTH

Acting with an Accent… in Writing?

In acting, an actor creates the character and then layers on the accent.  The accent is just like a hat or a costume that the actor will layer on over his character. The character is supposed to be a real person, not an accent. What makes up a person who he is? It is all the things the person says, does, thinks, feels, and believes. In other words, the accent is not the character. The accent is simply a layer put on top of a person.

Poor actors think the accent is the character. With these actors it is very easy to see the accent. In fact, that is often all you can see. This makes it very difficult to see a real person underneath that accent.

Most of the writing tips, writing tricks, and writing tools that are taught in school, really should be layered on top of a solid foundation.

The heart of teaching elementary students (and remedial writers in upper grades) how to be successful writers has to do with four aspects of writing:

1. How to organize and structure writing
2. How good writing is about good communication
3. How to break down an assignment and get started
4. How to get the job done in the time allowed

Once students are comfortable with these skills, layering on more tips and tricks is easy!

Good writers and successful students have mastered how to receive an assignment, break it down, organize their thoughts and then quickly start and finish the assignment. In short, they can write fast!

Be sure to read the next blog post on “Teaching Children to Write FAST Using the Timed Writing System.”

1. Challenge students’ thinking and writing skills
2. Create interest in writing and inspire creativity
3. Get reluctant writers writing
4. Help students develop the habit of writing every day
5. Practice for writing assessments
6. You are giving a classroom assignment that involves writing

Kinds of Writing Prompts for Elementary and Middle School Writing

• Essay writing prompts – Students will explain something from their point of view. It will be explained as they see the world.
• Expository writing prompts – Students will produce writing in an explanatory or informative nature.
• Narrative writing prompts – Students will narrate either a personal story or a fiction story.
• Persuasive writing prompts – Students will take a stand and logically argue a position.
• Creative writing prompts – Students will use their imagination and enter the world of fantasy.
• Journal writing prompts – Students will explore their experiences, feelings, thoughts, and emotions… Students will explore who they are and the life they live.

Writing Prompts across the Curriculum

Often teachers think of writing across the curriculum simply as “giving an assignment.” When they are teaching social studies, they gave a social studies assignment, and now it’s science, so they will give a science assignment…

The truth is “A WRITING TEACHER” teaches writing:
1. So that our students may fall in love with writing.
2. So that WE get to read good writing.
3. So that our students may thank us when they receive their Pulitzer Prize in Literature.
4. So that our students will become effective communicators.
5. So that our students will write well across the curriculum, so that THEY will be HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL students!

Don’t wait for language arts to “teach writing.” Give “writing prompts” across the curriculum.

Tips and Tricks for Using Writing Prompts

1. Have a purpose or objective for giving the writing prompt. Be sure to read “How to Use Writing Prompts in Teaching Writing.”
2. Make the prompt simple, yet complex. This is what is at the heart being both engaging and compelling. Simple enough that they understand it and can write about it confidently, but complex enough that students will engage in new thoughts and new ways of thinking.
3. Vary the type and purpose of your writing prompts. Predictable is the opposite of compelling and engaging.
4. Be prepared. Do not create writing prompts on the spur of the moment.

Letting the Class Create the Writing Prompts: Pros and Cons

Pros:
• Kids will think of things that adults never would! (or at least in a way that adults never would)
• You get to learn more about what your students think about and what interests them.
• It is great fun to have students create the prompts. There is usually an air of excitement in the class and the discussion is almost always lively.
• It inspires students and engages the group. What they think about has value!

Cons:
• Can take on too strong a “voting” or “popularity contest” aspect.
• Not all the students will like the prompt, especially when the prompt is not coming from their inner circle of friends.
• Who exactly is in charge here? Students may start to wonder…
• Students may start to perceive it as busy work. “Boy, the teacher doesn’t have to do anything… and we just write and write and write…”
• The same ideas start to repeat themselves. Sometimes students change just one or two words from the last writing prompt.

My experience is that it is best to set a routine for letting students choose the writing prompts. You want to keep all the pros without any of the cons. (Kids like to know what they can expect.)
• From time-to-time
• Once a week
• Every day

Having Students Individually Choose their Own Topics to Write About: Pros and Cons

Pros:
• Gives student the freedom to develop their own writing voice and their own style of writing.
• Teaches self-reliance. Students must learn that often people are not going to tell them what to do. However, it is still their job to not only produce the work, but to also “wow them.”
• Students will likely choose a subject they are an expert in. This will give them confidence in their writing. They will likely develop certain writing skills quicker since they do not have to learn the information at the same time they are doing the writing.
• Many students enjoy the freedom. For many students, this is the way they will develop a true love for writing.

Cons:
• Some will want to write about the same thing every single time. If you don’t closely monitor their writing… many students will.
• Some students will prefer to write about rather superficial things without exploring any real “deep thoughts.” (Video game #1, video game #2, movie #1, video game #3, movie #2, TV show #1…)
• Students may perceive it as busy work. (Having students read it to at least one other person reduces this.)

When you are having students choose what they want to write about you really need to set up what you expect (and hope) the students will get from this. Students that love to write won’t need an explanation. Those that don’t love to write… yet… do need an explanation… and some inspiration…

You may want to skip right down to the “Possible Benefits”, “Problems”, and “Recommendations” section of this article. The first section provides background on journal writing and experiential education, and you won’t find any tips that you can put into action TODAY. However, if you have a few moments…

Note: Experiential education centers around problem, plan, test and reflect. John Dewey was an active proponent. David A. Kolb is another big name associated with it. Experiential education has introduced a few very familiar educational terms such as “active learning” and “cooperative learning” to the educator’s vocabulary.

I can’t say for sure if journals were popular in education before experiential education, and it would be my guess that they were not. In a highly skilled writing teacher’s hands, journals can be a valuable tool. The flipside is that quite a bit of valuable time has been wasted over the years believing that journal writing by itself teaches writing. The “Recommendations” section below is a great source for helping make sure your time is well spent!

Many teachers today are looking to get amazing results fast. If you are looking to improve student writing fast, for any reason, be sure to check out our Pattern Based Writing: Quick & Easy Essay writing program!

Now let’s find out what some of the most important names in teaching writing research have to say about journal writing!

Journal Writing in Experiential Education: Possibilities, Problems, and Recommendations

Educators who work in the field of experiential education often encourage or require their students to keep journals. Journals are a time-honored venue for facilitating reflection, an important component of experiential education (Bennion & Olsen, 2002; Priest & Gass, 1997). Despite their popularity, however, surprisingly little is published about the theory and practice of journal writing in experiential education.

The purpose of this Digest is to explore the literature related to journal writing from a variety of disciplines, including psychology, language studies, outdoor education, and experiential education. It begins with a discussion of the history of journal writing, and then explores the possibilities and potential problems of the journal writing process. This Digest concludes with several recommendations for educators who use journals in their teaching.

EVOLUTION OF JOURNAL WRITING

The recording of daily events, personal reflections, questions about the environment, and reactions to experiences has been an enduring human practice. Some of the earliest journal writers included the Greeks and Romans, women of 10th-century Japan, and “enlightened” individuals during the Renaissance. Among the greatest historical influences on contemporary journal writing in North America have been the recorded accounts of explorers such as Lewis and Clark and John Wesley Powell.

Writers such as Gilbert White, Henry David Thoreau, John Muir, Anne Frank, Margaret Mead, and Aldo Leopold have also impacted modern journal writing. It was not until the early 1960s that researchers recognized the value of journal writing in educational settings. Since then, the use of journal writing as a learning exercise has flourished (Janesick, 1998; Moutoux, 2002; Raffan & Barrett, 1989).

Instructors from a wide range of disciplines have used journal writing in various contexts. English and literature teachers often ask students to record their thoughts and feelings about stories or to deconstruct what the author is saying (Cole, 1994). Instructors in teacher education programs and psychology require students to write about how they connect course content to practice (Anderson, 1993; Hettich, 1990).

Researchers have examined how journal writing impacted business students’ listening behaviors and related thoughts about how they could improve those skills (Johnson & Barker, 1995). Journal writing has been used with nontraditional students and women who have returned to school in adult degree programs (Walden, 1995). While many instructors ask “individual” students to keep journals, some teachers have found “group” journals to be an effective exercise as well (Kohut, 1998).

Outdoor and experiential educators also have used journal writing in a variety of ways. Natural science and environmental educators use journals to assist students in deepening their observations about their surroundings (Hammond, 2002). Perhaps one of the most popular uses of journals is to reflect on experiences that occur outside the traditional classroom, such as internships, student teaching, field trips, and expeditionary learning activities (Raffan & Barrett, 1989). Instructors also use journal writing to help students reflect on self-discovery, group dynamics, professional development, sense of place, and academic theory, as well as to record such factual information as weather conditions, activities of group members, flora, fauna, times, and locations.

POSSIBLE BENEFITS

It is not surprising that journals are used so often in experiential education, given their generally recognized benefits. One of the most recognized uses is to help facilitate reflection, a critical component of the experiential education cycle. Through journals, students can record a concrete experience, reflect on and record their observations about the experience, integrate the observation into abstract concepts or theories, and use the theories to make decisions or solve problems. Writing helps students to construct their own knowledge by allowing them to express connections between new information and knowledge they already have.

Journal writing also can improve students’ writing, enhance critical thinking skills, encourage observational skills, and develop creative skills. Journal writing helps students develop their writing skills as they are encouraged to “experiment with writing, to experience, perhaps for the first time, writing that may be highly personal, relatively unstructured, speculative, uninhibited, tentative, in process, in flux” (Anderson, 1993, p. 305). As a result of this freedom and success, students often take pride in their journals. From an environmental perspective, journals can help students develop intimate connections with the more-than-human world as they learn to observe and record patterns and processes in the natural world.

PROBLEMS

Despite the numerous benefits associated with journal writing, several problems should be mentioned. Major concerns identified in the literature include (1) the overuse of journals, which results in students feeling “journaled to death” (Anderson, 1993, p. 306) and that journals are “a pointless ritual wrapped in meaningless words” (Shor, 1992, p. 83); (2) students writing “whatever pleases the instructor” (Anderson, 1993, p. 305) in order to get a good grade; (3) students writing purely descriptive entries, with limited reflection (Kerka, 1996); (4) misuse of journals, in which students attack other students or make inappropriate comments about other students (Anderson, 1993); (5) limited training opportunities for students to learn more about journal writing (Dyment & O’Connell, in press-b); (6) the overreliance on journals as a reflective tool; as well as (7) the challenges associated with evaluating journals (Chandler, 1997; Moutoux, 2002).

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR EDUCATORS WHO WANT TO USE JOURNALS

The literature about journal writing offers several recommendations.

1. “Offer thorough and detailed feedback.” Educators who want to capitalize on the potential of journal writing must be willing to spend the time and effort to offer students feedback on the substance of their journal entries (Anderson, 1993). Feedback will also help students identify their own areas of strengths and weaknesses in journal writing (e.g., writing technique, making connections to theory).

2. “Improve students’ journal writing skills by offering workshops.” Educators who include journals in the curriculum would be wise to offer students formal and informal training in journal writing (Dyment & O’Connell, 2003). Educators may also consider giving students loose guidelines to help focus their writing. For example, students may be asked to write a poem or draw a concept map that explains their understanding of the subject of study, or write from the perspective of another person or object involved in an experience.

3. “Recognize that students will have varying interests in journal writing.” While many students will be generally supportive of journal writing, it is important to remember that some students may dislike journal writing (Shor, 1992). Educators should consider offering alternative means of facilitating reflection (e.g., video journals, focus group debriefing sessions, Web pages).

4. “Recognize the different ways that males and females perceive journal writing.” It appears that males and females have different perceptions of journal writing. Females often are more open and receptive to the journal writing process (Burt, 1994; Dyment & O’Connell, in press-a). Some males may need additional training to feel comfortable with journal writing as a reflective technique. Positive, constructive feedback from educators may influence how males perceive their journals and may lead to a more powerful reflective experience (Dyment & O’Connell, in press-a).

5. “Set aside semi-structured time for journal writing.” If educators truly value journals, they must remember to provide adequate time for reflection and writing (Dyment & O’Connell, in press-b).

6. “Model good journal writing behavior.” In addition to providing time for journal writing, educators should model good journal writing behaviors. If an educator is supportive of the journal writing process, keeps a daily journal, and helps to facilitate reflective activities, then students may have more positive experiences with journal writing (Dyment & O’Connell, in press-b).

7. “Consider alternative models for evaluating journals.” Educators should explore multiple ways of evaluating journal writing, including self-evaluation, peer evaluation, and coevaluation (i.e., student and teacher) as alternative methods (Chandler, 1997; Moutoux, 2002). Educators also might consider allowing students to choose the percentage of the final grade that their journal is worth.

8. “Establish a trusting relationship between the journal writer and the journal reader.” It appears that trust is a critical factor that influences student perceptions and behaviors of journal writing. Educators must work hard to develop trusting relationships with their students to maximize the potential of journal writing (Dyment & O’Connell, in press-b).

9. “Avoid journal writing students to death.” Educators must coordinate journal writing assignments with other instructors who ask students to write journals to ensure they are not overused. Instructors within the same department or institution may consider allowing students to keep a single journal for a number of classes, or ask students to reflect in other ways (Anderson, 1993).

While journal writing holds great potential for enhancing learning in experiential education, for this potential to be fully realized, educators must recognize potential pitfalls and develop effective strategies for avoiding them.

REFERENCES

Anderson, J. (1993). Journal writing: The promise and the reality. Journal of Reading, 36(4), 304-309.

Bennion, J., & Olsen, B. (2002). Wilderness writing: Using personal narrative to enhance outdoor experience. Journal of Experiential Education, 25(1), 239-246.

Burt, C. D. B. (1994). An analysis of self-initiated coping behavior: Diary-keeping. Child Study Journal, 24(3), 171-189.

Chandler, A. (1997). Is this for a grade? A personal look at journals. English Journal, 86(1), 45-49.

Cole, P. (1994). A cognitive model of journal writing. In M. R. Simonson et al. (Eds.), Proceedings of Selected Research and Development Presentations at the 1994 National Convention of the Association for Educational Communications and Technology (16th, Nashville, TN, February 16-20). (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 373 709)

Dyment, J. E., & O’Connell, T. S. (2003). Getting the most out of journaling: Strategies for outdoor educators. Pathways: The Ontario Journal of Outdoor Education, 15(2), 31-34.

Dyment, J. E., & O’Connell, T. S. (in press-a). Student perceptions of journaling as a reflective tool in experience-based learning. The Journal for the Art of Teaching.

Dyment, J. E., & O’Connell, T. S. (in press-b). Journal writing is something we have to learn on our own: The results of a focus group discussion with recreation students. Schole: A Journal of Leisure Studies and Recreation Education.

Hammond, W. F. (2002). The creative journal: A power tool for learning. Green Teacher, 69, 34-38.

Hettich, P. (1990). Journal writing: Old fare or nouvelle cuisine? Teaching of Psychology, 17(1), 36-39.

Janesick, V. J. (1998, April). Journal writing as a qualitative research technique: History, issues, and reflections. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, San Diego, CA. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 420 702)

Johnson, I. W., & Barker, R. T. (1995). Using journals to improve listening behavior: An exploratory study. Journal of Business and Technical Communication, 9(4), 475-483.

Kerka, S. (1996). Journal writing and adult learning. ERIC Digest. Columbus, OH: ERIC Clearinghouse on Adult, Career, and Vocational Education. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 339 413)

Kohut, A. (1998). Group journal, a high ropes course element. Zip Lines: The Voice for Adventure Education, 36, 59-60.

Moutoux, M. (2002). Evaluating nature journals. Green Teacher, 69, 39-40.

Priest, S., & Gass, M. A. (1997). Effective leadership in adventure programming. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.

Raffan, J., & Barrett, M. J. (1989). Sharing the path: Reflections on journals from an expedition. Journal of Experiential Education, 12(2), 29-36.

Shor, I. (1992). Empowering education: Critical teaching for social change. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.

Walden, P. (1995). Journal writing: A tool for women developing as knowers. New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education, 65, 13-20.

Author: Dyment, Janet E.; O’Connell, Timothy S.

Source: ERIC Clearinghouse

What are today’s best practices in teaching writing? Decades of research have shown that isolated skill drills do little to improve student writing. All of the research indicates that students must spend more time writing in order to become effective writers. Students should be spending at least 45-90 minutes writing every single day.

More and more teachers are discovering that when students can organize and compose a complete essay in less than 30 minutes, teaching writing becomes easy! Even if your students are in elementary school or are struggling middle school writers, Pattern Based Writing: Quick & Easy Essay will make these writing dreams come true!

Read on to find out what some of the most important names in teaching writing research have to say about the best practices in teaching writing! After that, be sure to check out the Pattern Based Writing: Quick & Easy Essay writing program!

Writing Instruction: Current Practices in the Classroom

Over the past forty years, the emphasis in writing instruction has shifted from product to process. A companion ERIC Digest entitled “Writing Instruction: Changing Views over the Years” gives an overview of this development during the period from 1960 to 1999. The present digest focuses on the experiences of individual teachers as they searched for ways to put the principles of process writing into practice in the classroom.

WRITER’S WORKSHOPS

Teachers have found that writer’s workshops are effective in helping students master the principles of process writing in particular. “The term ‘writer’s workshop’ refers to an environment conceived to encourage written expression.” Because writing is difficult and risky, “children need to know that their environment is a predictable, safe place for them to take risks” (Bunce-Crim, 1991; cited in Bayer, 1999, p. 8).

Even first-graders can benefit from writer’s workshops. Fisher (1995) says that “writing workshop is an essential part of the curriculum in my first grade classroom, and almost every morning the children are involved in self-selected writing endeavors.” This lets students know that writing is important and that they can count on “daily opportunities to pursue their own topics, work by themselves or with friends, and begin a new piece every day or work on a story or book over time” (p. 1).

With young children, a systematic organization of materials is essential. Furthermore, a predictable routine helps children get organized first thing in the morning. Fisher also reads aloud to the class during the day so that children can hear different models of written language. Also, frequent mini-lessons are used to focus on specific areas of writing such as procedures (using a folder), strategies (such as using books to inspire topics), qualities of good writing, and skills (p. 2).

Bayer (1999) evaluated a first-grade class to find out whether or not students actually became more confident, proficient writers after participating in a writer’s workshop. Children actively participated in the workshop two or three times a week, and each session began with a mini-lesson that focused on a specific topic such as sentence structure, correct capitalization, punctuation, and grammar. After the mini-lesson the actual writing began, with the teacher modeling her own writing along with the children. The teacher worked with individuals as needed, helping each child focus on the appropriate step in the writing process.

Before beginning writer’s workshop, students were asked how they felt when the teacher said it was “writing time,” whether or not they liked to write, whether they preferred to pick their own topics, and how they described themselves as writers. The same questions were asked during the final weeks of the workshop. The results showed that to a great extent “writing workshops improve the feelings and attitudes that first graders have about writing, as well as how they feel about themselves” (Bayer, 1999, p. 6). For example, the percentage of children who looked forward to writing time almost doubled, and the number of those who said they liked to write jumped from 25 percent to 71 percent.

QUESTIONS ABOUT WRITER’S WORKSHOPS

Although the preceding comments suggest that children can benefit greatly from writer’s workshops, there are questions and potential problems that need to be considered. Sudol and Sudol (1991) discuss some of the questions that arose during the adoption of the process approach and during a writer’s workshop in a fifth-grade classroom taught by Peg Sudol.

In the first place, there is the question of time. Although some recommend as much as an hour of writing each day, it is difficult to devote this much time when other subjects must be taught as well. Also, curriculum requirements may make it difficult for students to choose their own topics because teachers are required to teach specific kinds of writing (Sudol & Sudol, 1991, p. 294).

Another problem relates to pacing and deadlines. It is true that all students should not be expected to work at the same pace, but a few students may have difficulty ever completing any project. In addition, students are often put off by workshops devoted to assigned writing types.

In general, the experience of Peg Sudol was positive in spite of the problems encountered early on. “In the main, her children enjoyed the writing. (Now they moaned and groaned whenever the workshop was canceled.) They wrote more than any of her previous students, and the quality of their writing was better” (1991, p. 299). Among the most productive parts of the writer’s workshop were the mini-lessons, in which students could address problems such as run-on sentences within the context of their own writing, not in abstract textbook lessons.

JOURNAL WRITING

Routman (2000) points out that journal writing is a good way to begin implementing a writing workshop because journals can “promote fluency in reading and writing, encourage risk taking, provide opportunities for reflection, and promote the development of written language conventions” (p. 233). However, the advantages of journal writing can be lost if teachers fail to monitor students’ work and to let them know what is expected.

All too often, children’s journals are flawed by sloppy, careless writing and frequent misspellings of easy words. Furthermore, they seldom show clear improvement over time because journal writing is too often used as a time filler, not as something the children feel is really worthwhile. In many cases, teachers do not provide any guidance for journal writing. They also tend to assign topics rather than letting students choose their own. Unfortunately, students come to accept sloppy writing and bad spelling as the norm for journals since they don’t seem to matter. Finally, teachers too often assign journal writing as an activity separate from writing workshop, which makes it appear that journal writing is not as important as “real writing.”

Routman suggests that journal writing can become more worthwhile if teachers encourage students to write for several days on a topic they care very much about and if they teach students how to write with detail and voice. Furthermore, students should realize that journal writing is only one type of writing they are expected to do, and they should maintain high standards for legibility and neatness (adapted from Routman, 2000, p. 235).

WRITING INSTRUCTION IN THE UPPER GRADES

Wartchow and Gustavson (1999) analyzed writing instruction in the upper grades by interviewing some high-school students from a large urban school and others from a private suburban school. They were immediately “struck by the modernist picture that the students painted of their schools” (p. 3). The modernist view is based on the belief that “there is a ‘natural order’ or ‘best way’ on which all methodology is based. Once discovered, this best way should be, indeed must be, followed” (Doll, 1993, p. 45; cited in Wartchow & Gustavson, 1999, p. 3).

In both schools, analytical writing was stressed above all else, with emphasis on the customary pattern: introductory paragraph, three body paragraphs, and conclusion. “Once the students write their five paragraph essays, often choosing theses created by the teacher, the teacher can easily grade them because there is an identifiable structure” (Wartchow & Gustavson, 1999, p. 5). This forces students to accept the format and procedure prescribed by the teacher. Furthermore, students come to rely on the teacher for topics and motivation; they are not shown how to develop and explore ideas on their own. They are also put off by the “simplicity and pettiness of their writing assignments” and the knowledge that teachers “only expect a sentence or two” when students respond to various readings (p. 7).

As for personal or creative writing, many students question its worth because it is given no value in school. They also believe that creative writing must necessarily lack coherence because it does not follow the five-paragraph pattern. Finally, some students realize that teachers view creative writing as chaotic and therefore worthless because it does not fit into a “required body of quantifiable, systematically constructed knowledge” (Wartchow & Gustavson, 1999, p. 11). When asked what kinds of creative assignments they would prefer, students provided some valuable insights. One told of rewriting the end of a Shakespeare play and then performing it for the class. Another was challenged by exploring what might happen if “Wuthering Heights” were set in the present day. Students also suggested that assigned topics could be turned into thesis statements, encouraging students to argue their points and take a more active approach to writing.

Students also find it difficult to reconcile the conflict between what they are required to write in school and what they want to write for themselves. Time constraints often cause students to “go through the motions” to complete a school project according to a prescribed procedure. Also, students realize that they can be intellectually lazy as they churn out school writing according to the required format; on their own, their writing leads them to probe below the surface and try to think things through.

As a result of the findings summarized above, the authors have been led “to argue for an aesthetic, post-modern orientation in the teaching of writing. Within the students’ frustrations and desires lies the question: Why do many English teachers not engage their students in a discourse on the aesthetics of writing?” (p. 20). A modernist writing curriculum fails to encourage proficient writers because it does not allow students the chance to experiment with various approaches beyond the five-sentence paragraph structure. In addition to advocating a clearer connection between the process and the product, the authors “also strongly believe that the power for understanding writing lies in the actual doing of the art, not in the exclusive observation of it” (Wartchow & Gustavson, 1999, p. 20).

“Too often in English classrooms, teachers expect students to critique the writing they read with little or no understanding of the craft, the historical context, or the personal nature of that writing. Essentially, students must write about an art of which they have no experience” (p. 20). By encouraging students to move beyond convenient structures and to enter into the intricate process of creating what goes into those structures, teachers can help them discover that what they have to say is important and that there are many ways to organize their thoughts to form convincing, coherent arguments.

REFERENCES

Bayer, R. A. (1999). The effects of a first grader’s participation in a writer’s workshop on their ability to become more confident and more descriptive writers. Kean University: Master’s Research Project. 41 pages.

Bunce-Crim, M. (1991). What is a writing classroom? “Instructor”, 17(1), 36-38.

Doll, W. (1993). “A post-modern perspective on curriculum”. New York: Teacher’s College Press.

Fisher, B. (1995). Writing workshop in a first grade classroom. “Teaching PreK-8″, 26, 66-68.

Routman, R. (2000). “Conversations: Strategies for teaching, learning, and evaluating”. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Sudol, D., & Sudol, P. (1991). Another story: Putting Graves, Calkins, and Atwell into practice and perspective.

Wartchow, K., & Gustavson, L. (1999). “The art of the writer: An aesthetic look at the teaching of writing”. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Montreal, Canada.

Source: ERIC Clearinghouse

Author: Smith, Carl B.