WEBVTT

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Welcome to the overview on Providing Daily
Time for Writing.

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One of the most important skills taught in
elementary school is writing for different

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purposes and different audiences.

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However, it requires a significant investment
of time and effort to help students become

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proficient writers.

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Just as teachers expect students to read every
day, they should think of their students as

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writers who compose daily and give them the
time to do so.

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Research suggests that more time for writing
is essential.

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Experts recommend that schools allocate a
minimum amount of daily time for writing in

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the classroom.

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For students in kindergarten, at least 30
minutes each day should be devoted to writing.

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Starting in first grade, experts recommend
a minimum of one hour a day for writing instruction.

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Daily writing time should include at least
30 minutes for teaching and modeling writing

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strategies, techniques, and skills.

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The remaining 30 minutes would then be spent
on writing practice, where students try using

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those strategies and skills or processes—first
with guided practice and then as independent

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writers.

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Educators face limited time and a number of
conflicting priorities in each school day;

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however, it is important for teachers to provide
as much time as possible for writing instruction

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and in-class composing.

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One strategy that experts recommend is integrating
writing instruction and practice into other

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subject areas.

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Students can benefit from using writing across
different subject areas.

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When students write about what they are learning,
they can become more engaged and gain a deeper

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understanding of new information and concepts.

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Writing can also help students make connections
and think critically.

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Students can also write before, during, and/or
after reading to articulate what they already

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know, what they want to know, and/or what
they have learned about what they’ve read.

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They may use writing to explain, describe,
predict, and reflect upon events.

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Teachers can respond constructively to students’
writing to support both their content learning

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and their development as writers.

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Integrating writing instruction and practice
across the curriculum also supports the development

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of various genres of writing.

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When students write in different contexts
they can practice writing for different purposes

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such as communicating, informing, persuading,
learning, reflecting, and responding.

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As writing activities become more complex
from one grade to the next, providing writing

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time across the curriculum provides students
more opportunities to practice advanced techniques

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such as writing detailed descriptions, providing
explanations, and refuting counterarguments.

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There is no single approach for organizing
time for writing.

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Student writers enter the classroom with diverse
needs and abilities, including multiple languages,

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cultures, and experiences with different types
of writing.

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Teachers will need to align their instructional
strategies and the time dedicated to writing

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instruction with students’ needs and academic
goals.

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As challenging as this may be at first, when
teachers dedicate time to writing instruction

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and align their instructional strategies with
students’ academic needs and goals, students

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become stronger thinkers and better writers.

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To learn more about Providing Daily Time for
Writing, please explore the additional resources

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on the Doing What Works website.