Teachers need to set specific and attainable goals for the writing assignment that identify the assignment’s purpose and qualities. The goals define the writing skills required, such as the structural elements of the composition and the types of revisions to be made. With this information, students can gather material for their writing or create a visual that represents their ideas as a basis for their writing assignment.
Students can be taught strategies such as brainstorming to create their writing. Instruction then focuses on techniques to edit and revise text that students can implement with few or no supports. During the writing process, teachers encourage students to set goals for their writing and conduct self-assessment. Students also can develop these basic writing skills while collaborating with other students to produce and revise text.
Teachers can help students use flexibility as a writing skill by teaching them how to use different forms of writing, skills, and knowledge of the subject to accomplish their writing goals.
Teachers involve students in inquiries using strategies that compare data or collect and analyze evidence to help the students develop content for their writing. For example, students can study the qualities of objects and then describe them in their writing. Science and history subjects require students to analyze the material before the student can write an essay.
Another basic writing skill that middle students can develop is the ability to combine two or more simple sentences into a complex sentence. Teachers model and support the combination of sentences with conjunctions such as “because,” “and,” or “but,” adding an adjectival or adverbial clause or using a combination of both techniques. Teachers can focus student attention on practical applications of grammar to build their writing skills.
Teachers can use models based on writing rules or encourage students to use their intuition to teach students to develop the skill to write summaries of text.
Teachers can instruct students in how to use word processing software to help them express basic writing skills. Typing onto a computer screen produces text that is easy to read, move and edit.