Gooder writers needed

A new national survey by Vanderbilt University of high school writing instruction finds it lacking, with 50 percent of teachers reporting they are not prepared to teach students how to write well and rarely assign complex writing tasks.

The study was co-authored by Steve Graham, professor and Currey Ingram Chair of Special Education, and was published in the Journal of Educational Psychology.

“The lack of writing and writing instruction was more pronounced in social studies and science, but even language arts teachers provided little writing instruction for their students,” Graham said according to a statement from Vanderbilt. “Another disturbing finding was the sizable number of teachers who made few or no adaptations in their teaching efforts to assist weaker writers.”

Key points of the report include:
• Teachers rarely ask high school students to complete assignments that involve writing more than a single paragraph, and most common writing assignments involve little to no analysis or interpretation.

• “Writing is an important tool for educational, occupational and social success,” Graham said. “Writing instruction needs to be reformed to improve high school student work as well as strengthening the ability for success in college and beyond.”

• Students need to be engaged in writing longer compositions that involve analysis and interpretation.

• Teachers should apply evidence-based writing practices and adaptations for struggling writers, and teacher education programs and school districts need to better prepare teachers for writing instruction at the high school level.

Link here to watch a video of Graham discussing the importance of writing.