Over the last year, we've learned the secret to effective writing instruction: Teach writing as if it were math. Since we began teaching many years ago, we've always felt a certain degree of envy towards math teachers. They have it easy: Sure, students may have trouble grasping the quadratic equation--but at least there is an equation to grasp. A formula. An algorithm. With math, inputs subjected to processes reliably lead to outputs. Even if it's "Garbage In, Garbage Out," it's nicely predictable.
No such luck with writing, though. We tell students what we want them to accomplish. We show them models. We threaten or bribe or cajole. Still, the results are depressingly unpredictable. Garbage in, garbage out? Maybe. Not necessarily, though. Sometimes we'd get garbage. Sometimes we'd get licorice. Who could tell?
Finally, it has dawned on us that writing can be taught like math--demystified and broken down into a series of discrete steps. If you want students to produce a five-paragraph essay, figure out what you want the finished product to look like, break it into parts, then explain to students how to "create" each part.
Non-creative? Sure. The problem with too much writing instruction, though--particularly at a basic level--is that it aspires to free up a student's creative spirit without first providing a manageable framework through which to develop that creativity. Once students understand a basic series of steps, they can then explore ways to be creative within those steps. If students are provided with a clear goal (output) and provided with at least one very clear specific path to reach that goal, they will find the whole process manageable and ultimately more rewarding--and this is true whether they are in a math or writing class. Once the rules become automatic, the creativity can flow.
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