It’s Time to Stop Making Writing Instruction So Messy

Brené Brown is well known for a simple yet powerful phrase:  “clear is kind.”  Although she’s mostly referring to arriving at clarity within organizations, this phrase can truly be applied everywhere.  Marriages. Conversations with our children. Coaching.  Teaching.  And in conversations about literacy.  

And nowhere is clarity more needed—and more often missing—than in how we talk about student writing.

There’s already a whole lot of ambiguity in what we mean when we talk about reading.  Some consider it merely decoding a list of words.  Some consider it Oral Reading Fluency, where comprehension is somewhat implied but not captured in any way.  Others consider it a confluence of skills, referring to it as “a multifaceted process involving word recognition, comprehension, fluency, and motivation.” (Reading Rockets)  For more on this topic, check out my previous post.  

Suffice it to say, when we talk about reading, we often aren’t on the same page. If we can’t agree on a clear definition of reading, it’s no surprise our conversations about writing are just as confusing—if not more.  Unfortunately this same lack of clarity issue is equally true, if not more pronounced, when we talk about what writing means.

We’re all over the place when it comes to what we mean–and what we expect–for writing. 

Even a cursory glance at the kinds of questions–and responses– about writing found in Facebook groups demonstrates this. Based on Facebook posts alone, here’s a quick list of some of the different definitions of writing:

• Handwriting
• Transcription, as with dictated sentences
• Completed sentence frames
• Perfectly constructed, complete sentences
• Filled in paragraph templates
• Constructed responses using a formulaic structure (like Think SRSD)
• Responses based on a prompt
• Responses based on kids’ own ideas
• Essays
• Personal stories
• Imagined narratives

Because we’re using different definitions, every conversation about writing instruction turns into an argument.

There’s no clarity.

What we expect to see from our students that constitutes “writing” is different depending on who you ask.  Those that think writing is all about writing perfectly constructed sentences tend to believe that students can’t move onto paragraphs (or more) until this is in place.  Those that believe that handwriting is writing also tend to believe that we must keep students to sentence level until every letter they write is perfectly formed and spaced.  Some believe that these skills can be developed alongside longer, more student-driven pieces.  And of course, there’s a wide range of beliefs within these dichotomies.  These completely different definitions lead to arguing. We disagree about the different criteria for what ‘counts’ as writing. There’s a lack of clarity.

When it comes to student writing, our conversations often become unclear—and unkind—because we jump straight to debating what the final writing product should look like. We argue about sentences vs. paragraphs, handwriting vs. ideas, templates vs. choice. But the real issue isn’t the product at all. It’s the process students need to get there that matters most.

Because here’s the thing:  writing instruction is about far more than products.  

No matter what you call “writing,” there’s a whole lot of process involved.  Products are the result of the process.  The definition of writing from Reading Rockets says it well.  They define writing as “a complex process that requires a wide range of skills — a strong vocabulary; an understanding of genre, text structure, and voice; basic mechanical skills (grammar and punctuation); organizational skills; and higher order thinking.”  Nowhere in this definition is one thing totally isolated.  “Complex process” means that it’s an interweaving of skills.  

Steve Graham, longtime expert on all things teaching writing, has long advocated for teaching students these processes, and creating the conditions necessary to do so.  He emphasizes modeling, shared writing, planning routines, sentence construction practice, and ongoing revision—all the invisible parts that make writing “turn out.”   His research emphasizes that it’s these process-oriented routines, not strict product expectations, that lead to better writing.

It’s exactly what makes writing so hard for kids, and can make it so hard to teach.  But it’s the supporting kids with the processes that leads to better products.

Perhaps process is how we should talk about student writing.  Not product, but how do we help them get there. 

Maybe the conversation needs to shift toward ways we can help students learn to weave together all of the skills necessary to become strong writers.  For example, instead of arguing about handwriting before sentences or sentences before stories, what if we instead asked questions like: 

• How do we help children coordinate transcription, idea generation, and organization at the same time?  
• How can we support transcription fluency while still giving kids opportunities to generate and develop ideas?  
• How do we help writers understand audience and purpose?  
• How can we help kids develop more agency in their writing?  

Because if we want better writing products, we have to stop arguing about the products themselves. Kids don’t improve because we set stricter (often limiting) rules about what writing should look like. They improve because we support them with the processes that make strong writing possible.

Clear is kind. And the clearest, kindest move we can make is to shift the conversation from what kids produce to how we can better support them in becoming writers.

Ready to bring more clarity and consistency to your writing instruction? I’m here for support! Send me a message anytime and we can talk about next steps in bringing more clarity—and more confidence—to writing lessons.

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Who is Coach from the Couch??  I’m Michelle Ruhe, a 25+ year veteran educator, currently a K-5 literacy coach.  I continue to learn alongside teachers in classrooms each and every day, and it’s my mission to support as many teachers as I can.  Because no one can do this work alone. I’m available to you, too, through virtual coaching calls!  

And, be sure to join my Facebook community–a safe, supportive environment  where you can safely ask questions, gain ideas, and share your thoughts among other literacy-loving educators!