WEBVTT 00:00:02.490 --> 00:00:07.630 Welcome to the overview on Enabling Students to Use Writing Effectively for Learning and 00:00:07.630 --> 00:00:09.660 Communicating. 00:00:09.660 --> 00:00:16.660 Well-developed writing skills are fundamental to successful professional, social, community, 00:00:16.860 --> 00:00:21.970 and civic activities. Effective writing is critical to be able to communicate with a 00:00:21.970 --> 00:00:27.949 variety of audiences and is a key part of success in the workplace. 00:00:27.949 --> 00:00:33.140 Students need to develop an early and strong foundation in writing to communicate efficiently 00:00:33.140 --> 00:00:38.970 and effectively. When students develop strong writing skills in early grades, they acquire 00:00:38.970 --> 00:00:44.690 a valuable tool for learning, communicating, and expressing their thoughts. Yet studies 00:00:44.690 --> 00:00:49.500 show that many American students are not skillful writers. 00:00:49.500 --> 00:00:54.260 The Institute of Education Sciences Practice Guide Teaching Elementary School Students 00:00:54.260 --> 00:00:59.620 to Be Effective Writers offers four recommended research-based practices that educators can 00:00:59.620 --> 00:01:05.830 use to increase writing achievement and to help students succeed in school and society. 00:01:05.830 --> 00:01:08.109 The four recommended practices are: 00:01:08.109 --> 00:01:13.509 1. Provide daily time for students to write, 2. Teach the writing process for a variety 00:01:13.509 --> 00:01:16.939 of purposes, 3. Teach foundational writing skills such 00:01:16.939 --> 00:01:20.850 as spelling, sentence construction, and typing, and 00:01:20.850 --> 00:01:24.060 4. Create an engaged community of writers. 00:01:24.060 --> 00:01:28.909 The Practice Guide’s recommendations are intended for teachers, literacy coaches, and 00:01:28.909 --> 00:01:34.479 other educators. The recommendations focus on activities and strategies teachers can 00:01:34.479 --> 00:01:40.119 implement with typically developing students in kindergarten through sixth-grade classrooms. 00:01:40.119 --> 00:01:44.499 The recommendations can also be used for working with students with special needs, although 00:01:44.499 --> 00:01:49.909 teachers may need to make modifications as appropriate. The guide may also be useful 00:01:49.909 --> 00:01:54.939 for principals, districts, and curriculum developers. 00:01:54.939 --> 00:01:58.840 Recommendation 1 states the importance of providing daily time for students to practice 00:01:58.840 --> 00:02:04.249 writing. Students learn by doing, thus it is essential that students practice writing 00:02:04.249 --> 00:02:10.610 skills, strategies, and techniques. Writing practice can be integrated into all content 00:02:10.610 --> 00:02:13.170 areas. 00:02:13.170 --> 00:02:17.330 Recommendation 2 stresses the need for students to think carefully about the purpose for writing 00:02:17.330 --> 00:02:22.940 as well as planning what to say and how to say it. This recommendation includes teaching 00:02:22.940 --> 00:02:27.580 the steps of the writing process and teaching students how to use the writing process for 00:02:27.580 --> 00:02:32.860 a variety of purposes. Teachers need to help students learn how to carry out the writing 00:02:32.860 --> 00:02:38.860 process effectively and flexibly. They also need to help students develop an understanding 00:02:38.860 --> 00:02:45.170 that writing is a form of communication that can be used for varied purposes and audiences. 00:02:45.170 --> 00:02:50.870 The writing process is the means through which writers compose. The components are: 00:02:50.870 --> 00:02:53.210 Planning, Drafting, 00:02:53.210 --> 00:02:55.560 Sharing, Evaluating, 00:02:55.560 --> 00:02:57.950 Revising, Editing, and 00:02:57.950 --> 00:03:00.070 Publishing. 00:03:00.070 --> 00:03:04.490 Writing is not a linear activity, and writers need to learn how to be flexible in their 00:03:04.490 --> 00:03:11.270 use of the writing process, moving easily back and forth between the components. 00:03:11.270 --> 00:03:16.050 Recommendation 3 addresses the foundational writing skills that students must master, 00:03:16.050 --> 00:03:23.050 such skills as handwriting, spelling, sentence construction, typing, and using a word processor. 00:03:23.700 --> 00:03:30.060 When students master these foundational skills, they are able to focus their efforts on composing. 00:03:30.060 --> 00:03:34.290 As students move through elementary school, they should become increasingly proficient 00:03:34.290 --> 00:03:40.200 in these foundational skills. Mastering these skills allows students to focus more on the 00:03:40.200 --> 00:03:45.240 writing process and on developing greater fluency in writing for a variety of purposes 00:03:45.240 --> 00:03:47.490 and audiences. 00:03:47.490 --> 00:03:53.950 The fourth recommendation emphasizes the importance of developing an engaged community of writers. 00:03:53.950 --> 00:03:58.680 Students should collaborate with peers, share their writing, and have opportunities to receive 00:03:58.680 --> 00:04:04.680 and share constructive feedback. Teachers can create and participate in a supportive, 00:04:04.680 --> 00:04:09.510 engaging community where students feel safe reading, writing, and responding to the writing 00:04:09.510 --> 00:04:11.180 of others. 00:04:11.180 --> 00:04:15.930 The ultimate goal of evidence-based writing instruction is to enable students to use writing 00:04:15.930 --> 00:04:22.479 flexibly and effectively to learn and to communicate. Educators can implement these four practices 00:04:22.479 --> 00:04:28.539 to help students become effective writers and be successful in their school and community. 00:04:28.539 --> 00:04:32.560 You will find materials on this site to provide information about the teaching of the writing 00:04:32.560 --> 00:04:38.689 process. Each recommended practice includes background information, expert explanations 00:04:38.689 --> 00:04:45.139 of content and pedagogy, and examples of how teachers have implemented the practices. Begin 00:04:45.139 --> 00:04:49.930 with the multimedia overviews and expert interviews for each practice in the Learn What Works 00:04:49.930 --> 00:04:55.560 section. Watch teachers using the recommended teaching practices in the See How It Works 00:04:55.560 --> 00:05:01.759 section, and download sample materials. Use the tools in the Do What Works section to 00:05:01.759 --> 00:05:07.439 conduct your own professional development, develop lessons, and review existing practices.