Whether you are looking for a complete writing curriculum or a supplement to your existing writing program, Empowering Writers proven, research-based METHODOLOGY can be applied to your narrative, expository and persuasive writing instruction to improve student writing. The methodology uses WHOLE CLASS INSTRUCTION, minimally twice a week for the introduction, modeling, and practice of the explicit skills called for in the genre being taught.
1.) USE LITERATURE OR PUBLISHED EXAMPLES AS A JUMPING OFF POINT FOR INSTRUCTION
Introduce, define the specific skill through use of middle grade literature (the middle grade novel –E.B. White, Avi, Roald Dahl, etc.) for narrative / creative writing, or, in expository / informative or persuasive writing we use published examples, generally from magazines or nonfiction books.
2.) TEACHER MODELING
Modeling involves the teacher, stepping into the role of author, verbalizing the thought and questioning processes of an author. Modeling is the best way to build powerful vocabulary – asking specific productive questions, eliciting verbal and nonverbal responses from students and incorporating these responses into powerful writing. Over time, if we ask enough detail-generating questions, students will internalize the questions and apply them independently to their own writing.
We take general or weak student responses, give them the benefit of the doubt and assign powerful vocabulary to better express their ideas – translating weak responses into powerful responses, giving students credit for their ideas.
We believe that student writers always know more than they can articulate - the depth of their experience and feelings often exceeds their ability to express it – modeling a lesson in this way empowers and affirms students and gives them the tools to express what is inside of them.
3.) GUIDED PRACTICE
We provide students the opportunity to practice whatever skill they’ve observed in published pieces and experienced through modeling – this with plenty of teacher direction, circulating, reiterating detail generating questions, offering feedback and encouragement. We stay focused on the explicit, discrete skill, rather than on an entire piece of writing, which can be overwhelming.
4.) APPLICATION
Eventually students emulate the process and apply what they’ve learned, independently.
Incorporating this methodology to your writing curriculum guarantees a high level of CONSISTENCY and ASSURED EXPERIENCES for all of your students. It addresses the issues teachers have with management, breaks the writing process into manageable pieces for student writers so that they can concentrate on particular skills. In this way, students are not overwhelmed at the prospect of writing.
