Have you looked over the Common Core State Standards to see how they will affect the way you teach writing?   

In a nutshell, the focus, in all grade levels, is shifting toward expository and persuasive writing.  Informational writing, opinion pieces, response to texts – all part of  an effort to better prepare students for the kinds of “real-world” writing that will be applicable in their academic and professional lives.

Without a doubt, to be successful in college and in the world of work, students must be able to express themselves effectively with a clear sense of purpose, organization, appropriate tone, style, and voice.  And, in the academic and corporate worlds it is expository and persuasive writing that will be needed most.   

However (and this is a BIG however) it will be extremely foolish to overlook or diminish the value of narrative, imaginative, and creative writing, because somehow it is not as “practical.”    

Narrative writing – the stuff of story, fantasy, dreams, make-believe, what-if, and why-not - this is where we find our collective humanity.  It is where we can express the inexpressible.  This kind of writing is the literary equivalent of fine art, music, theatre.  Narrative writing is the vehicle for tapping into the unconscious in powerful ways.  Authors of narrative pieces – fiction of all kinds, from picture books to adult novels – these writers create life-long passionate readers, inspiring imagination, empathy, compassion, and understanding.  To relegate the instruction of narrative writing to the back burner is the equivalent of thwarting the next generation of authors who will empower our next generation of readers!     

So, yes – let’s teach powerful exposition, research skills, the art of persuasion.  Let’s give students the tools they need to incorporate information in effective ways to support and express their opinions.  Let’s empower them to be critical consumers of the information they glean from the media.  Empowering Writers offers all of the resources to do this. And we are firmly committed to empowering teachers and students in this way.  It is important if we are, as a nation, to continue to lead the world in the marketplace and the boardroom.   

But, let’s not teach exposition and persuasion at the expense of the art of the narrative.  The next generation of empowered readers and writers need both.