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Because Writing Matters: Improving Student Writing in Our Schools
Because Writing Matters examines the myths and realities surrounding the teaching of writing in schools. This important book reveals how kids learn to write, what schools need to do to teach writing effectively, and shows that effective writing teachers address more than content and skills. Sponsored by the National Writing Project, a nationally recognized organization for teachers, Because Writing Matters offers step-by-step recommendations for developing effective writing programs in all grades. Each of the book's action steps is prioritized from the easily achieved to the larger and longer term.
208 pages, Hardcover
First published February 3, 2003
12 people are currently reading
148 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
January 17, 2015
Because Writing Matters provides a very brief overview of recent research on writing and the teaching of composition. Because I already read quite a bit about writing and try to follow the research, this book was not very useful for me. I do think, however, that it would be helpful for administrators and other educational leaders who do not specialize in writing but who need to know something of the field.
June 2, 2018
Fantastic book about why writing is crucial to our everyday instruction as English teachers and content teachers. Big takeaways: 1. Writing is personal, by writing we are connecting with ourselves and culture. 2. Effective writing must go beyond recall. It must answer higher level questions such as synthesizing, analyzing, etc. 3. When students write linen answers, their reading comprehension dramatically increases. 4. Writing is thinking on paper. The more we think, the more we know.
May 11, 2010
I've re-visited this book recently--timeless but not a murder mystery!
June 25, 2010
ch. 1:
"Writing has to be learned in school very much the same way that it is practiced out of school. This means that the writer has a reason to write, an intended audience, and control of subject and form. It also means that composing is staged across various phases of rumination, investigation, consultation with others, drafting, feedback, revision, and perfecting."
"...all students can learn to write and that writing is the most visible expression not only of what their students know but also of how well they have learned it."
"Many state writing assessments run the risk of undercutting good writing by scoring only for focus, organization, style and mechanics without once asking judges to consider whether the writing is powerful, memorable, provacative, or moving (all impact-related criteria, and all at the heart of why people read what others write."
"A key element in such systemic change is finding a core group of teachers who write and are enthusiastic about teaching it."
ch. 2:
"...'the most significant measure of accomplished prose' was rooted in a nineteenth-century model of language development and a pedagogy of memorization and skill drills. It also assumed that reading should be taught before writing and that instruction in the latter should focus on extrinisic (linguistic and stylistic) conventions of writing and eradication of errors."
"Researchers have long questioned the assumption that instruction in grammar, usage, and punctuation by itself will yield better writing."
"The cycles and recycles through subprocesses that can be described this way:
1. Planning (generating ideas, setting goals, and organizing)"
2. Translating (turning plans into written language)
3. Reviewing (evaluating and revising)"
"The Reading-Writing Connection:
1. Readers and writers use the same intellectual strategies.
2. The reading and writing processes are similar.
3. Children use many of the same skills in both reading and writing."
"The strategies that are part of learning to write, such as peer editing and author's chair, also help kids with reading...When I do a peer editing, I'm asking questions like, ;OK, what was it you really wanted to say?' and 'How well did you say it?' and 'How could I help you say it better?' And these are exactly the kind of questions we are trying to promote in critical reading: getting to the author, trying to understand the author's intentions and motives. Why in heaven's name would someone say this? And why would they say it in the way they did?"
ch. 3:
"While there were no relationships with student scores at grade 4, students at grades 8 and 12 who reported being asked to write more than one draft...had higher average scores than their peers who were not asked to do so."
"Students who reported engaging in frequent writing of long answers weekly or monthly had higher average scores than students who reported doing so only once or twice a year or less."
"An effective assignment does more than ask students to write about what they have read or experienced. It engages students in a series of cognitive processes, such as reflection, analysis, and synthesis, so that they are required to transform the information from the reading material or other sources in order to complete the writing assignment."
"A typical 8th grade assignment asks students to write to the teacher explaining how to open a shcool locker. But the student knows that the teacher already knows how to do it. A more effective approach might ask students to identify an area of expertise (tying a fishing fly or collecting baseball cards) not shared by the reader and then explain something to that audience on the basis of the writer's unique experience, knowledge and perspective."
ch. 4:
7 principles for systemic change:
1. It's about instruction....and only about instruction.
2. Instructional change is a long, multi-stage process.
3. Shared expertise is the driver of instructional change.
4. Focus on system-wide improvement.
5. Good ideas come from talented people working together.
6. Set clear expectations, then decentralize.
7. Collegiality, caring and respect."
"...teacher qualifications account for 40 percent of the difference in overall student performance and that teacher quality is more powerful than a student's socioeconomic background in student learning."
"Effective Prof. Development:
-a professional development lab,-instructional consulting services, -intervisitation and peer networks, -institute opportunities"
ch. 5:
"State curriculum documents and assessments are carrying a new message: writing should no longer be 'the silent R' of learning, or the poor cousin of reading. The standards movement has helped to focus attention on writing in all disciplines and to push for consistency within standards, assessment and rubrics."
"To know how well students are doing, teachers and administrators should use or consider-extended writing samples, -writing in mulitiple genres, -valid rubrics, -writing over time, across genres and content areas, and -student participation in developing assessment."
"Self-assessment of strengths and weaknesses, strategies used to improve writing, and their progress and goals for writing can be used to demonstrate their learning...they should be asked periodically to reflect on their writing strategies as well as their goals and progress."
"Provide Vision and Leadership:
1. Devise long-term plans for improving wirting and communicating them to the entire school community.
2. Craft policy statements addressed to staff and parents that articulate a rationale for why writing matters and whyimproving it should be a focus of the entire school community.
3. Assess the status of writing and of teaching it in the individual school.
4. Enlist teacher leaders as advocates for improving the teaching of writing in all classrooms.
5. Commit time and provide the necessary resources, such as professional development, research materials, and workshops for teachers to develop as writers and learn about research-proven classroom strategies.
6. Build creative administrative structures that support change and have broad support and buy-in from the school community.
7. Find practical solutions to such problems as scheduling and funding."
"Conduct a Districtwide or Schoolwide Writing Survey:
Collecting Samples of student writing and teachers' assignments within and across grade levels generates indispensable data for assessing the state of writing in a given district or school and for focusing attention on specific curricular needs. Samples of distinct genres and types of writing (narrative, persuasive, analytical, personal, and so on) from diverse subject areas should be discussed and evaluated by faculty to help identify standards and common expectations. The survey should address such questions as:
-who is actually teaching writing?
-how many faculty and staff members enjoy writing and spend time doing it?
-how much and what kind of writing is done in the classroom? outside the classroom?
-do teachers and staff have consistent expectations for good writing?
-do teachers share a common understanding of how students develop as writers and how wrtiing can be a tool for learning in all disciplines?
-do students have the opportunity to choose what they write about?
-how many hrs. per wk. are devoted to teaching writing in each subject area?
-do teachers discuss writing as process with students?
-are studetns asked to do extended writing assignments, or are they simply filling in the blanks?
-do they have opportunities to revise?
-are students exposed to distinct genres and types of writing tasks?
-how and when do teachers respond to student writing (grades. comments, conferences and so forth)?
-do teachers model wrtiing or write with students?
-are students encouraged to take risks in their writing?
-what inquiry strategies are being taught, and how are they embedded in writing assignments?
-do students have opportunities to reflect on their progress and goals as writers?
-how are students evaluated in writing, and how well do they perform?"
When Writing is Assigned vs. Taught
WRITING TAUGHT:
1. Tchr encourages students to draw on prior knowledge and interests in their writing as a way to engage their thinking in authentic learning tasks.
2. Audience and purpose for papers are specifically identified in assignments.
3. Students know they are writing for authentic communicative purposes.
4. Students have opportunities to generate and develop topics that matter to them.
5. Students are asked to assess the scope or the purpose in terms of time available and word limits appropriate for writing task.
6. Students are encouraged to review and revise the first draft.
7. Teacher comments stress the positive and are constructive about the negative aspects.
8. Suggestions for improvement in style, format, and organization of thought are made.
9. Some errors are corrected for a specific assignment. Others are dealt with in conferences, minilessons, or peer-editing sessions.
10. Most of a teacher's time is spent in class teaching writing skills and inquiry strategies.
11. Teachers encourage self-evaluation and group evaluation of the papers.
12. Students know why they earn a grade.
13. Students are taught how to handle distinct rhetorical elements appropriate to diverse writing genres whose length mayvary according to the purpose of the assignment.
14. Students are taught strategies to assess the veracity of claims, the relevance of evidence, and the plausibility of inferences, and to apply these strategies to what they read and write.
15. Assignments are designed with explicit steps to help students focus purpose, organize thoguhts, and develop ideas with specific inquiry strategies.
16. Students reflect on significant growth, or lack of it, in specific writing skills.
17. Students are given writing models and assignments that guide them in how to develop their thinking and harness their imagination.
18. Students are encouraged to revise, edit, and improve-and to correct drafts and then resubmit.
19. Students are motivated to think aobut what they write through brainstorming, freewriting, role playing, discussion, or other prewriting activiites.
20. Students are encouraged to analyze and develop their own style and voice.
21. Students and teachers are excited about what students write and make efforts to display and publish it.
"Writing has to be learned in school very much the same way that it is practiced out of school. This means that the writer has a reason to write, an intended audience, and control of subject and form. It also means that composing is staged across various phases of rumination, investigation, consultation with others, drafting, feedback, revision, and perfecting."
"...all students can learn to write and that writing is the most visible expression not only of what their students know but also of how well they have learned it."
"Many state writing assessments run the risk of undercutting good writing by scoring only for focus, organization, style and mechanics without once asking judges to consider whether the writing is powerful, memorable, provacative, or moving (all impact-related criteria, and all at the heart of why people read what others write."
"A key element in such systemic change is finding a core group of teachers who write and are enthusiastic about teaching it."
ch. 2:
"...'the most significant measure of accomplished prose' was rooted in a nineteenth-century model of language development and a pedagogy of memorization and skill drills. It also assumed that reading should be taught before writing and that instruction in the latter should focus on extrinisic (linguistic and stylistic) conventions of writing and eradication of errors."
"Researchers have long questioned the assumption that instruction in grammar, usage, and punctuation by itself will yield better writing."
"The cycles and recycles through subprocesses that can be described this way:
1. Planning (generating ideas, setting goals, and organizing)"
2. Translating (turning plans into written language)
3. Reviewing (evaluating and revising)"
"The Reading-Writing Connection:
1. Readers and writers use the same intellectual strategies.
2. The reading and writing processes are similar.
3. Children use many of the same skills in both reading and writing."
"The strategies that are part of learning to write, such as peer editing and author's chair, also help kids with reading...When I do a peer editing, I'm asking questions like, ;OK, what was it you really wanted to say?' and 'How well did you say it?' and 'How could I help you say it better?' And these are exactly the kind of questions we are trying to promote in critical reading: getting to the author, trying to understand the author's intentions and motives. Why in heaven's name would someone say this? And why would they say it in the way they did?"
ch. 3:
"While there were no relationships with student scores at grade 4, students at grades 8 and 12 who reported being asked to write more than one draft...had higher average scores than their peers who were not asked to do so."
"Students who reported engaging in frequent writing of long answers weekly or monthly had higher average scores than students who reported doing so only once or twice a year or less."
"An effective assignment does more than ask students to write about what they have read or experienced. It engages students in a series of cognitive processes, such as reflection, analysis, and synthesis, so that they are required to transform the information from the reading material or other sources in order to complete the writing assignment."
"A typical 8th grade assignment asks students to write to the teacher explaining how to open a shcool locker. But the student knows that the teacher already knows how to do it. A more effective approach might ask students to identify an area of expertise (tying a fishing fly or collecting baseball cards) not shared by the reader and then explain something to that audience on the basis of the writer's unique experience, knowledge and perspective."
ch. 4:
7 principles for systemic change:
1. It's about instruction....and only about instruction.
2. Instructional change is a long, multi-stage process.
3. Shared expertise is the driver of instructional change.
4. Focus on system-wide improvement.
5. Good ideas come from talented people working together.
6. Set clear expectations, then decentralize.
7. Collegiality, caring and respect."
"...teacher qualifications account for 40 percent of the difference in overall student performance and that teacher quality is more powerful than a student's socioeconomic background in student learning."
"Effective Prof. Development:
-a professional development lab,-instructional consulting services, -intervisitation and peer networks, -institute opportunities"
ch. 5:
"State curriculum documents and assessments are carrying a new message: writing should no longer be 'the silent R' of learning, or the poor cousin of reading. The standards movement has helped to focus attention on writing in all disciplines and to push for consistency within standards, assessment and rubrics."
"To know how well students are doing, teachers and administrators should use or consider-extended writing samples, -writing in mulitiple genres, -valid rubrics, -writing over time, across genres and content areas, and -student participation in developing assessment."
"Self-assessment of strengths and weaknesses, strategies used to improve writing, and their progress and goals for writing can be used to demonstrate their learning...they should be asked periodically to reflect on their writing strategies as well as their goals and progress."
"Provide Vision and Leadership:
1. Devise long-term plans for improving wirting and communicating them to the entire school community.
2. Craft policy statements addressed to staff and parents that articulate a rationale for why writing matters and whyimproving it should be a focus of the entire school community.
3. Assess the status of writing and of teaching it in the individual school.
4. Enlist teacher leaders as advocates for improving the teaching of writing in all classrooms.
5. Commit time and provide the necessary resources, such as professional development, research materials, and workshops for teachers to develop as writers and learn about research-proven classroom strategies.
6. Build creative administrative structures that support change and have broad support and buy-in from the school community.
7. Find practical solutions to such problems as scheduling and funding."
"Conduct a Districtwide or Schoolwide Writing Survey:
Collecting Samples of student writing and teachers' assignments within and across grade levels generates indispensable data for assessing the state of writing in a given district or school and for focusing attention on specific curricular needs. Samples of distinct genres and types of writing (narrative, persuasive, analytical, personal, and so on) from diverse subject areas should be discussed and evaluated by faculty to help identify standards and common expectations. The survey should address such questions as:
-who is actually teaching writing?
-how many faculty and staff members enjoy writing and spend time doing it?
-how much and what kind of writing is done in the classroom? outside the classroom?
-do teachers and staff have consistent expectations for good writing?
-do teachers share a common understanding of how students develop as writers and how wrtiing can be a tool for learning in all disciplines?
-do students have the opportunity to choose what they write about?
-how many hrs. per wk. are devoted to teaching writing in each subject area?
-do teachers discuss writing as process with students?
-are studetns asked to do extended writing assignments, or are they simply filling in the blanks?
-do they have opportunities to revise?
-are students exposed to distinct genres and types of writing tasks?
-how and when do teachers respond to student writing (grades. comments, conferences and so forth)?
-do teachers model wrtiing or write with students?
-are students encouraged to take risks in their writing?
-what inquiry strategies are being taught, and how are they embedded in writing assignments?
-do students have opportunities to reflect on their progress and goals as writers?
-how are students evaluated in writing, and how well do they perform?"
When Writing is Assigned vs. Taught
WRITING TAUGHT:
1. Tchr encourages students to draw on prior knowledge and interests in their writing as a way to engage their thinking in authentic learning tasks.
2. Audience and purpose for papers are specifically identified in assignments.
3. Students know they are writing for authentic communicative purposes.
4. Students have opportunities to generate and develop topics that matter to them.
5. Students are asked to assess the scope or the purpose in terms of time available and word limits appropriate for writing task.
6. Students are encouraged to review and revise the first draft.
7. Teacher comments stress the positive and are constructive about the negative aspects.
8. Suggestions for improvement in style, format, and organization of thought are made.
9. Some errors are corrected for a specific assignment. Others are dealt with in conferences, minilessons, or peer-editing sessions.
10. Most of a teacher's time is spent in class teaching writing skills and inquiry strategies.
11. Teachers encourage self-evaluation and group evaluation of the papers.
12. Students know why they earn a grade.
13. Students are taught how to handle distinct rhetorical elements appropriate to diverse writing genres whose length mayvary according to the purpose of the assignment.
14. Students are taught strategies to assess the veracity of claims, the relevance of evidence, and the plausibility of inferences, and to apply these strategies to what they read and write.
15. Assignments are designed with explicit steps to help students focus purpose, organize thoguhts, and develop ideas with specific inquiry strategies.
16. Students reflect on significant growth, or lack of it, in specific writing skills.
17. Students are given writing models and assignments that guide them in how to develop their thinking and harness their imagination.
18. Students are encouraged to revise, edit, and improve-and to correct drafts and then resubmit.
19. Students are motivated to think aobut what they write through brainstorming, freewriting, role playing, discussion, or other prewriting activiites.
20. Students are encouraged to analyze and develop their own style and voice.
21. Students and teachers are excited about what students write and make efforts to display and publish it.
Read
July 28, 2021This is a highly readable book made so by its brevity as much as as the compelling and breezy style with which Carl Nagin composed it. In an ideal world, frankly, such a book would not need to exist; essentially, this book makes the argument that students should--indeed must--write across the curriculum if we expect them to understand the material to which teachers introduce them. And that doesn't mention the importance in this information age of learning to write cogent sentences, and to organize them into rich, meaningful paragraphs. It strikes me as odd indeed that this is a case that needs arguing, so obvious are its premises and consequences. If you're looking for ideas for units and lessons, you will find that here, but not in abundance. If you're looking for evidence to support your argument for writing in your pedagogy, that you'll find here--and used wisely, you will make your point.
September 1, 2008
Both encouraging and discouraging at the same time. I personally got a lot of ideas and new approaches from this book, but I know that I alone cannot do much in my school. The book constantly talks about school-wide initiatives and people truly buying-in to the ideas. And that teachers all want to be good teachers at their core. Let me tell you, I know a number who lost that will a very, very long time ago. I'm not sure it's capable of being revived. I will try on my end to improve things... but I'm very wary of anything that involves the entire school. Even in my very short experience, I know it doesn't happen.
June 12, 2011
I'm more into literature and reading rather than composition, and so I found that I simply wasn't familiar with the research and best practices in teaching writing. I had heard bits here and there in college, but I didn't have a solid foundation. I picked up this book so that I could learn those things, and that's exactly what this book gave me, in a very readable way. It may be a refresher or regurgitation of what many already know, but I recommend it for teachers who may know more about best practices in reading rather than writing.
May 21, 2012
So far Chapters 1-3 for a college assignment. What have I most gleaned from this part of this book?
Writing needs to be taught across all areas, not only in writing class, but also in math class (exit slips, what have
I learned, what do I want to know? KWL stuff), writing reading responses, writing Science journal entries.
One word, short answer, and multiple choice questions aren't as much of a learning vehicle as written constructed responses.
Writing needs to be taught across all areas, not only in writing class, but also in math class (exit slips, what have
I learned, what do I want to know? KWL stuff), writing reading responses, writing Science journal entries.
One word, short answer, and multiple choice questions aren't as much of a learning vehicle as written constructed responses.
July 7, 2017
NCTE provided this text to explain the importance of writing as a process and not a product. It gives a large number of research and case studies that show the importance of writing as a process and the critical importance of writing long in all content areas. It helps the reader understand the importance of standards-based rubrics with appropriate defining categories and helps the reader to guide students to become better writers.
June 24, 2009
I valued the information of this book, and it has a great message. I think it would be fantastic for superintendents and non-English/LA teachers because it has a great focus on getting kids writing in all subject areas. There were some great statistics in it that I shared with my students to help them understand why writing truly does matter.
June 28, 2011
A very practical guide for teachers shifting into the digital modalities for student writing. Easy to read and assimilate in practice. This article describes the focus and energies of the book: http://www.edweek.org/tsb/articles/20..., Writing Re-Launched: Teaching with Digital Tools, Education Week
July 19, 2009
Some chapters were stronger than others. I was hoping for more concrete strategies and detailed case-studies of successful writing-driven classrooms. Most of the ideas expressed here were recently drilled into my head during grad school, so perhaps that is why I am not completely dazzled.
October 27, 2009
The book is short and a quick read. Most of the information would be review for teachers fresh out of college, but a good refresher of the most important aspects of writing and why writing needs to be included across the curriculum.
July 26, 2010
First book I read for the Great Valley Writing Project Summer Institute of 2009. Helped me to appreciate all that has happened in the history of the National Writing Project, its goals, its methods, its successes.
June 21, 2008
This is a broad treatise on teaching writing (more policy-oriented than hands-on), but very thought provoking.
July 5, 2008
A very inspring text to many teachers.
July 23, 2009
Preaching to the choir, but a good sermon.
March 9, 2010
You can take what you need and find useful then toss the rest. I had to jump around because it was dry in some spots but there is some helpful information too.
July 29, 2009
Seemed more like NWP propoganda than a book about writing. If you want to know what you already know about writing and how great NWP is, read this book.
July 28, 2010
Excellent book on the importance of writing. 7 pages in Bibliography referencing seminal sources. Chapter 5 discusses importance of writing across all curriculums.
December 21, 2010
A great reminder of why writing matters. :-)
July 6, 2011
All teachers should read this book! And parents...and administrators...and well...everyone!
August 17, 2012
Essential to read in my opinion for teachers to get a background on digital and writing instruction in general.
November 18, 2012
Very helpful for anyone involved with writing centers or administration.
March 5, 2013
A must read for all teachers, not just writing teachers.
May 28, 2013
This is good for teachers, educators, particularly schools relaed. Though this book is written based on the research and work experience various suggestions are helpful.
August 21, 2013
32. Because Writing Matters, by Nagin. 102 pages. This is an ed research book I read for some committee work. Excellent text, but only if you teach writing. *** Three stars.
October 15, 2015
I have had to read a lot of books on writing and writing pedagogy this semester and they all start sounding the same. This book has good facts on the new research, but really nothing else.
October 19, 2022
I read this as a way to make changes in my teaching practices. Lots of good suggestions.
Read
April 3, 2010Basically this book validated everything I've been learning about writing in the last 15 years.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews