Why Writing Matters

I'm excited to get into Why Writing Matters.  So many of my graduate courses have focused on reading, language, struggling learners, and coaching teachers.  I have yet to take an in depth class on writing. I hope Why Writing Matters will jump start me to dive into the many professional texts I have collected as part of our professional library. Some of the texts that are nestled beside me as I write this are: Teaching Middle School Writers (Robb), Craft Lessons (Fletcher &Portalupi) Mentor Texts: Teaching Writing Through Children's Literature K-6 (Dorfman & Cappelli), Nonfiction Mentor Texts (Dorfman & Cappelli), Inside Notebooks (Buckner), Talking, Drawing, Writing: Lessons for Our Youngest Writers (Horn & Giacobbe) The Art of Teaching Writing (Calkins), and Launching the Writing Workshop: Grades 3-5 (Calkins). 

I appreciate how Carl Nagin and the folks at the National Writing Project give us some history about writing in their introduction.  I found it interesting that writing has been such a national issue since 1874.  It is good to see that in 136 years the "crisis" is now labeled a "challenge".  Way to go America! :)

The good news is, is that we have recognized writing has been forgotten. Now there are organizations established such as The National Writing Project and NCTE that are supporting research and transferring exemplary writing instruction into many classrooms across the country. 

The questions the book will be addressing will certainly help me as I further my knowledge of writing, writing process, schoolwide writing programs, and professional development for teachers.  The questions I'm excited to think more about and bring back to our teachers are:

• Why does writing matter?
• What does research say about the teaching of writing?
• What are some features of an effective writing classroom?
• How can writing be used to help develop critical thinking?
• How does writing fit into learning across disciplines?
• What does a schoolwide writing program look like?
• What are fair ways to assess writing?

It's more than frightening to know how essential writing is to the developing minds of our children, and yet a recent study quoted in grades one, three, and five only 15% of the school day was spent in any kind of writing activity.  It is not surprising many young adults have trouble with critical literacy skills.  Where are we spending our precious minutes in our day?   I once knew a teacher that spent at least 10 minutes of her literacy block giving directions on how to do a packet of worksheets.  10 minutes a day = 50 minutes a week =  almost 3.5 hours a month = almost 24 hours =  almost 3 school days by the end of the year.  Think about what we could do if we replaced those worksheet instructions with a powerful writing mini-lesson!

I am looking forward to sharing new information from this text with my colleagues as well as my principal.