In order to write an essay that effectively discusses or explains an idea, a student must practice writing essays. Teachers must initially teach the students the three main components of an essay by having them practice writing an introduction, body and concluding paragraph. If essays are assigned as homework, the students will gain the skills needed to write an effective essay on the day of the TAKS writing test.
Teachers can provide the students with a short passage full of errors to be fixed at the start of the day. Before the lessons begin, while the students wait for the teacher to take attendance, students can work on rewriting the passage that is written up on the board. They must fix the errors accordingly and be prepared to discuss their revision. When fixing mistakes becomes a daily habit, the students will be well-prepared to do so on the test.
In this era of technology, many students struggle to write on paper with a pencil. Handwriting can be difficult for students who would rather type on a computer. So, make handwriting fun for students. Allow them to express their ideas on paper and draw a picture, if necessary, to match their stories. When the students are comfortable writing their ideas on paper, it will become second nature to them by the time they take the test.
Some prompts on the writing test are open-ended response prompts, which can cause confusion for even for students who are skilled writers. Practice these types of prompts by asking the students open-ended questions. The questions do not have to be limited to specific stories but could involve asking them about their weekend or their plans for the holidays. When the students can quickly and easily answer questions and elaborate on their responses, they are better prepared to put their ideas on paper and write lengthy, proficient passages.