1.<\/span>\u00a0 It helps students with reading. Although teaching students information about writing is valuable, decades of research show that grammar instruction and isolated skill drills do little to improve students\u2019 writing<\/a>.<\/p>\n Early in my teaching career, I found that turning pages in writing curriculums and passing out grammar worksheets was easy. But when I examined my students\u2019 independent writing, I didn\u2019t like what I saw. In short, I discovered by experience what the research makes clear<\/a>.<\/p>\n Lost in theory and confused, I began to focus more and more on my students\u2019 independent writing. Although I still taught writing lessons and handed out worksheets, I evaluated my students\u2019 writing progress by examining three types of independent student writing:<\/p>\n 1.<\/span>\u00a0 daily writing across the curriculum Over the years, I developed a repertoire of teaching writing techniques and strategies that focused on my students\u2019 independent writing, many of which I discuss in my free eBook Nine Strategies for Teaching Writing Across the Curriculum<\/a>.<\/p>\n When you routinely examine \u201cwhat\u2019s on the page\u201d in your students\u2019 independent writing, it becomes clear that the skill of writing is only moderately connected to the \u201cinformation\u201d that you have taught your students. Although \u201cwhat\u2019s on the page\u201d does reflect knowledge to some degree, it more strongly reflects skill or lack of skill. Doris Lessing, the 2007 Nobel Prize in Literature winner, put it this way: \u201cYou can only learn to be a better writer by actually writing.\u201d<\/p>\n Here\u2019s how I see it: As a skill, independent writing is composed of five parts: 1) getting ideas, 2) organizing ideas, 3) applying knowledge, 4) making choices and decisions, and 5) analyzing and improving one\u2019s writing. Students become skilled independent writers by writing across the curriculum while supported and guided by a skilled writing teacher who teaches writing across the curriculum<\/a>.<\/p>\n To be clear, Pattern Based Writing: Quick & Easy Essay<\/a><\/span> is an extremely effective foundation and framework for creating writing skill. Teachers stop talking and explaining and get their students writing! In no time at all, students become experts at (1) getting ideas, and (2) organizing ideas. Teachers then build on that skill by having their students write, and (3) apply knowledge, (4) make choices and decisions, and (5) analyze and improve their writing. Teaching writing becomes easy!<\/p>\n In short, if you want to improve your students\u2019 writing, you must stop believing that you are teaching information. You must start to see that you want your students\u2019 independent ON-THE-PAGE writing to improve. Although you must teach your students information about writing, that is not the same thing as teaching writing. Improving your students\u2019 independent writing is teaching writing.<\/p>\n I frequently discuss (1) the research on teaching writing, and (2) systems and routines for teaching writing. But today, I\u2019m going to approach things differently. I\u2019m going to present two analogies:<\/p>\n 1. The Teaching Basketball Analogy Improving student writing is different from teaching most other subjects. As I improved and developed as a writing teacher, I came to see that teaching writing resembled teaching basketball and teaching cursive more than it resembled teaching most of the other subjects I taught.<\/p>\n When you teach students a skill, the progress (good or bad) is so clear that it speaks for itself. Wait! Do you know if your students are making progress in their writing? Do your students know if they are making progress? If you\u2019re not sure, be sure to check out my free Timed Writing System: Apples-to-Apples Comparisons and Evaluation<\/a>. If you use the Timed Writing System<\/a> and Pattern Based Writing: Quick & Easy Essay<\/a><\/span>, your students will soon be telling you, \u201cI finally get it! I can\u2019t even read what I was writing before!\u201d Now, that\u2019s progress!<\/p>\n Most people would agree that basketball coaches are teachers of sorts, but we know that their goal is not just to teach information. They want to improve skill<\/em>. As writing teachers, we can learn something from them. Over the years, I\u2019ve taught two activities that amounted to teaching an active skill, so I will relate how I taught them.<\/p>\n Although I don\u2019t make a point-by-point comparison, these two stories will help teachers think about teaching writing as a skill. Having said that, teachers will need to reflect on these stories and consider how they relate to teaching writing. For concrete strategies on teaching writing across the curriculum, be sure to read my free eBook Nine Strategies for Teaching Writing Across the Curriculum<\/a>.<\/p>\n
\n2.<\/span>\u00a0 It helps students on standardized tests.
\n3.<\/span>\u00a0 It helps students with writing.
\n4.<\/span>\u00a0 And more!<\/p><\/blockquote>\nIndependent Student Writing<\/h3>\n
\n2.<\/span>\u00a0 state and district writing assessments
\n3.<\/span> \u00a0The Timed Writing System: Apples-to-Apples Comparisons and Evaluation<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\nWriting Is a Skill<\/h3>\n
Two Analogies: Teaching Kids Basketball and Cursive<\/h3>\n
\n2. The Cursive Analogy<\/p>\n
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