STRATEGIES TO IMPROVE
INSTRUCTIONAL PRACTICES

STRATEGIES FOR SUPPORTING AT-RISK STUDENTS AS WRITERS

• Select meaningful topics. Let students choose their own topics whenever possible.
• Engage students in writing a daily log, expressing their thoughts in complete sentences.
• Clarify the audience and purpose. Make sure students understand these before going further.
• Practice organizational skills in writing by engaging students in writing activities designed to inspire students to want be successful (i.e., writing a letter to a friend, a famous athlete, a pop star, etc.).
• Don't let students begin writing until they have jotted down notes or ideas and have organized them.
• Teach outlining principles so students understand the difference between main ideas and supporting details.
• Show students how to answer "where," "when," "how," and "what kind of" questions to help them practice expanding ideas.
• Give students patterns or models to follow.
• Read to students lots of paragraphs, stories, etc. that have been written by the teacher, peers, or others who demonstrate good content and organizational skills.
• Start with short writing pieces and build to longer stories/essays.
• Require students to read written work aloud to help them clarify their thoughts and identify errors.
• Provide opportunities for peer evaluation of written work.
• Provide evaluative feedback designed to be instructional.
• Concentrate on one weakness at a time. Correcting all errors may discourage future writing attempts.
• Recognize students' writing (i.e., display work, praise and congratulate students' efforts).

"Learning to write well is important for all American students. Even though students have varied backgrounds and experiences, the expectations for high performance in writing applies to all." – North Carolina English Language Arts Standard Course of Study, 1999

Proficiency in writing is one component of the North Carolina Student Accountability Standards. Effective writing [for many minority and at-risk students] takes time, organizational skills, and encouragement.

Many minority and at-risk students need extra time to think, rethink, and revise. To improve their writing, at-risk students need feedback on what they have done well, how to address weaknesses, encouragement, and support.