Writing is an essential skill that every student needs to develop. As teachers, we play a critical role in helping our students improve their writing skills. One of the most effective approaches to improving student writing is to use modeling to demonstrate the writing process for young writers.
Teacher modeled writing demonstrations, or modeling, gives students a framework for their own writing and shows students that all of us, from teachers to students, move through the same steps when creating narrative, opinion, and informational writing. Modeling writing for your students normalizes the struggle of writing and helps to ease anxiety when writing gets tough.
What is “modeled writing”?
Modeled writing, modeling, or teacher demonstrations (“demos”) are a process in which the teacher demonstrates, in real time, the writing process for students. The teacher uses their own writing to provide an example of what “good writing” looks like and to establish clear writing expectations for students to be successful.
Modeling also allows the students to observe the writing process ‘in action’ since the teacher is essentially creating their own version of the writing task in front of the students. Students can either be quiet observers or active contributors to the writing being created by their teacher. This process helps budding young writers to understand the steps involved in producing quality written work.
By modeling good writing, teachers provide our students with:
a clear understanding of what is expected of them;
an understanding how to structure their writing;
the knowledge of how to use language effectively; and
the ability to convey their ideas in a clear and concise manner.
Modeling also enables us, as teachers, to identify and address common mistakes made by our students so that we can correct them in an authentic, “in-the-moment” way.
What does “modeled writing” look like in action?
Regardless of the age of the student, modeled writing is an important component in any writing lesson plan. After introducing the writing task, or prompt, the teacher moves through the creation of the specific writing piece just as the students would.
At the heart of modeled writing, or teacher writing demonstrations, there are five proven techniques that you can add to your lessons immediately that are sure to improve your students' writing.
1. Show the Writing Process
One of the most effective ways to teach writing is to show students the writing process. This includes unpacking the writing task, researching, brainstorming, outlining, drafting, revising, and editing. Modeling the writing process can help students see how to develop and organize their ideas and create a coherent, well-written piece.
2. Provide Examples
Providing examples, or exemplars, of good writing can help students understand what good writing looks like and give them a model to emulate. You can provide examples of different writing genres, such as narrative, persuasive, or informative, and show how they differ in structure and style. Exemplars are also a great tool to use when co-creating writing rubrics with students.
3. Use Sentence Starters
Sentence starters, or stems, can help students develop their writing skills by giving them a starting point for their writing. You can provide sentence stems for different writing tasks, such as introductions, transitions, or conclusions, and encourage students to use them as a way to get started on their writing.
4. Collaborate on Writing
Collaborative writing can be an effective way to model the writing process and provide students with feedback on their writing. You can have students work in pairs or small groups to write and revise their work, and then share their writing with the class.
5. Provide Feedback
Providing feedback on students' writing is crucial for helping them improve their skills. You can use modeling to show students how to provide constructive feedback, such as identifying areas for improvement and suggesting ways to make their writing clearer and more concise.
Modeling is a powerful tool for improving students' writing skills. By demonstrating the writing process, providing examples, using sentence stems, collaborating on writing, and providing feedback, you can help your students become better writers. With consistent practice and support, your students can develop the skills they need to write effectively and communicate their ideas clearly, making writing their favorite part of the school day.
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Happy Writing,
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