Dear Academic Approach Families & Colleagues:
With school e-learning ending and many long days ahead, we’re focusing this week on summer academic enrichment. Today, we’re focusing on writing.
Research
Teaching writing has not been as well-researched as reading or math. What limited research exists shows varied efficacy of different approaches to teaching and learning writing. Three broad trends emerged in writing instruction: (1) direct instruction on the writing process, (2) approaching writing as a more collaborative process with classmates, (3) integrating reading with writing. Most classrooms included some combination of these approaches, and each approach saw varying levels of success for students.
Ultimately, we do see a few research-supported strategies in writing instruction:
- Students benefit from practicing writing in different genres and learning writing strategies specific to that genre
- Explicit grammar instruction is essential and should be taught in the context of authentic student writing
- Writing in particular benefits from students motivated to write on topics that are interesting or important to them
Additional Resources
- Find great writing prompts on this NYTimes spotlight
- The site 750Words helps writers track how much they are writing
- In this article, the College Board provides some helpful insights for admissions essay writing
Opportunities for Learning with Academic Approach
We’re supporting students with their summer reading & writing as they hone their skills in preparation for fall coursework. Our targeted programming wraps a high-impact skill building supplement around a student’s summer reading to develop reading skills, essay composition strategies, and grammar skills for proofreading. Many summer reading assignments are accompanied by a writing assignment, and ACT and SAT both feature grammar and essay writing sections, so we can leverage summer reading & writing as a learning opportunity both on and beyond the test.
Be well,
Matthew Pietrafetta, Ph.D., Founder & CEO
