writing strategies in ela

Classroom Q&A

With larry ferlazzo.

In this EdWeek blog, an experiment in knowledge-gathering, Ferlazzo will address readers’ questions on classroom management, ELL instruction, lesson planning, and other issues facing teachers. Send your questions to [email protected]. Read more from this blog.

Four Strategies for Effective Writing Instruction

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(This is the first post in a two-part series.)

The new question-of-the-week is:

What is the single most effective instructional strategy you have used to teach writing?

Teaching and learning good writing can be a challenge to educators and students alike.

The topic is no stranger to this column—you can see many previous related posts at Writing Instruction .

But I don’t think any of us can get too much good instructional advice in this area.

Today, Jenny Vo, Michele Morgan, and Joy Hamm share wisdom gained from their teaching experience.

Before I turn over the column to them, though, I’d like to share my favorite tool(s).

Graphic organizers, including writing frames (which are basically more expansive sentence starters) and writing structures (which function more as guides and less as “fill-in-the-blanks”) are critical elements of my writing instruction.

You can see an example of how I incorporate them in my seven-week story-writing unit and in the adaptations I made in it for concurrent teaching.

You might also be interested in The Best Scaffolded Writing Frames For Students .

Now, to today’s guests:

‘Shared Writing’

Jenny Vo earned her B.A. in English from Rice University and her M.Ed. in educational leadership from Lamar University. She has worked with English-learners during all of her 24 years in education and is currently an ESL ISST in Katy ISD in Katy, Texas. Jenny is the president-elect of TexTESOL IV and works to advocate for all ELs:

The single most effective instructional strategy that I have used to teach writing is shared writing. Shared writing is when the teacher and students write collaboratively. In shared writing, the teacher is the primary holder of the pen, even though the process is a collaborative one. The teacher serves as the scribe, while also questioning and prompting the students.

The students engage in discussions with the teacher and their peers on what should be included in the text. Shared writing can be done with the whole class or as a small-group activity.

There are two reasons why I love using shared writing. One, it is a great opportunity for the teacher to model the structures and functions of different types of writing while also weaving in lessons on spelling, punctuation, and grammar.

It is a perfect activity to do at the beginning of the unit for a new genre. Use shared writing to introduce the students to the purpose of the genre. Model the writing process from beginning to end, taking the students from idea generation to planning to drafting to revising to publishing. As you are writing, make sure you refrain from making errors, as you want your finished product to serve as a high-quality model for the students to refer back to as they write independently.

Another reason why I love using shared writing is that it connects the writing process with oral language. As the students co-construct the writing piece with the teacher, they are orally expressing their ideas and listening to the ideas of their classmates. It gives them the opportunity to practice rehearsing what they are going to say before it is written down on paper. Shared writing gives the teacher many opportunities to encourage their quieter or more reluctant students to engage in the discussion with the types of questions the teacher asks.

Writing well is a skill that is developed over time with much practice. Shared writing allows students to engage in the writing process while observing the construction of a high-quality sample. It is a very effective instructional strategy used to teach writing.

‘Four Square’

Michele Morgan has been writing IEPs and behavior plans to help students be more successful for 17 years. She is a national-board-certified teacher, Utah Teacher Fellow with Hope Street Group, and a special education elementary new-teacher specialist with the Granite school district. Follow her @MicheleTMorgan1:

For many students, writing is the most dreaded part of the school day. Writing involves many complex processes that students have to engage in before they produce a product—they must determine what they will write about, they must organize their thoughts into a logical sequence, and they must do the actual writing, whether on a computer or by hand. Still they are not done—they must edit their writing and revise mistakes. With all of that, it’s no wonder that students struggle with writing assignments.

In my years working with elementary special education students, I have found that writing is the most difficult subject to teach. Not only do my students struggle with the writing process, but they often have the added difficulties of not knowing how to spell words and not understanding how to use punctuation correctly. That is why the single most effective strategy I use when teaching writing is the Four Square graphic organizer.

The Four Square instructional strategy was developed in 1999 by Judith S. Gould and Evan Jay Gould. When I first started teaching, a colleague allowed me to borrow the Goulds’ book about using the Four Square method, and I have used it ever since. The Four Square is a graphic organizer that students can make themselves when given a blank sheet of paper. They fold it into four squares and draw a box in the middle of the page. The genius of this instructional strategy is that it can be used by any student, in any grade level, for any writing assignment. These are some of the ways I have used this strategy successfully with my students:

* Writing sentences: Students can write the topic for the sentence in the middle box, and in each square, they can draw pictures of details they want to add to their writing.

* Writing paragraphs: Students write the topic sentence in the middle box. They write a sentence containing a supporting detail in three of the squares and they write a concluding sentence in the last square.

* Writing short essays: Students write what information goes in the topic paragraph in the middle box, then list details to include in supporting paragraphs in the squares.

When I gave students writing assignments, the first thing I had them do was create a Four Square. We did this so often that it became automatic. After filling in the Four Square, they wrote rough drafts by copying their work off of the graphic organizer and into the correct format, either on lined paper or in a Word document. This worked for all of my special education students!

I was able to modify tasks using the Four Square so that all of my students could participate, regardless of their disabilities. Even if they did not know what to write about, they knew how to start the assignment (which is often the hardest part of getting it done!) and they grew to be more confident in their writing abilities.

In addition, when it was time to take the high-stakes state writing tests at the end of the year, this was a strategy my students could use to help them do well on the tests. I was able to give them a sheet of blank paper, and they knew what to do with it. I have used many different curriculum materials and programs to teach writing in the last 16 years, but the Four Square is the one strategy that I have used with every writing assignment, no matter the grade level, because it is so effective.

‘Swift Structures’

Joy Hamm has taught 11 years in a variety of English-language settings, ranging from kindergarten to adult learners. The last few years working with middle and high school Newcomers and completing her M.Ed in TESOL have fostered stronger advocacy in her district and beyond:

A majority of secondary content assessments include open-ended essay questions. Many students falter (not just ELs) because they are unaware of how to quickly organize their thoughts into a cohesive argument. In fact, the WIDA CAN DO Descriptors list level 5 writing proficiency as “organizing details logically and cohesively.” Thus, the most effective cross-curricular secondary writing strategy I use with my intermediate LTELs (long-term English-learners) is what I call “Swift Structures.” This term simply means reading a prompt across any content area and quickly jotting down an outline to organize a strong response.

To implement Swift Structures, begin by displaying a prompt and modeling how to swiftly create a bubble map or outline beginning with a thesis/opinion, then connecting the three main topics, which are each supported by at least three details. Emphasize this is NOT the time for complete sentences, just bulleted words or phrases.

Once the outline is completed, show your ELs how easy it is to plug in transitions, expand the bullets into detailed sentences, and add a brief introduction and conclusion. After modeling and guided practice, set a 5-10 minute timer and have students practice independently. Swift Structures is one of my weekly bell ringers, so students build confidence and skill over time. It is best to start with easy prompts where students have preformed opinions and knowledge in order to focus their attention on the thesis-topics-supporting-details outline, not struggling with the rigor of a content prompt.

Here is one easy prompt example: “Should students be allowed to use their cellphones in class?”

Swift Structure outline:

Thesis - Students should be allowed to use cellphones because (1) higher engagement (2) learning tools/apps (3) gain 21st-century skills

Topic 1. Cellphones create higher engagement in students...

Details A. interactive (Flipgrid, Kahoot)

B. less tempted by distractions

C. teaches responsibility

Topic 2. Furthermore,...access to learning tools...

A. Google Translate description

B. language practice (Duolingo)

C. content tutorials (Kahn Academy)

Topic 3. In addition,...practice 21st-century skills…

Details A. prep for workforce

B. access to information

C. time-management support

This bare-bones outline is like the frame of a house. Get the structure right, and it’s easier to fill in the interior decorating (style, grammar), roof (introduction) and driveway (conclusion). Without the frame, the roof and walls will fall apart, and the reader is left confused by circuitous rubble.

Once LTELs have mastered creating simple Swift Structures in less than 10 minutes, it is time to introduce complex questions similar to prompts found on content assessments or essays. Students need to gain assurance that they can quickly and logically explain and justify their opinions on multiple content essays without freezing under pressure.

Thanks to Jenny, Michele, and Joy for their contributions!

Please feel free to leave a comment with your reactions to the topic or directly to anything that has been said in this post.

Consider contributing a question to be answered in a future post. You can send one to me at [email protected] . When you send it in, let me know if I can use your real name if it’s selected or if you’d prefer remaining anonymous and have a pseudonym in mind.

You can also contact me on Twitter at @Larryferlazzo .

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ELA Class Structure: A How-to Guide

Structuring an ELA curriculum is similar to wardrobe shopping. We all have our personal preferences, our go-to pieces, and our timeless shirts, skirts, or pants. Yet, shopping with friends is always more fun. With others, we can get fresh insights, swap wardrobe secrets, and highlight one another’s strengths. Who doesn’t like taking a peak into another person’s closet? Teaching is much the same. One common topic for discussion among secondary English teachers is ELA class structure. There are so many standards to address, but often, there is not much time to do them justice.

In this post, I’m sharing my tips. This approach is what worked for me while I taught middle and high school. Last year, I took a position as an instructional coach, and doing so has allowed me to work alongside many English teachers on a daily basis, which I love! Often, we reflect on ELA class structure. In the same way, I hope you walk away from this post feeling very much like you just had a great teaching conversation with a friend over a hot cup of coffee.

CHOOSE YOUR POWER STANDARDS

You may call them something different, but the first step in balancing ELA curriculum is figuring out essential standards — the ones that drive the most power.

Which skills are the most important for students to learn in order to succeed in the next grade l evel?  For example, Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence (W.9-10.1).

Which ones focus on ideas that cross disciplines? Maybe… “Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text” (RI.9-10.1).

What standards will be most important throughout a student’s lifetime? Perhaps, “Use context as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.”

While it can be tempting to say that every standard carries equal weight, it’s hard to do justice to all standards equally. We should teach students the skills inherent in all of the standards; however, identifying power standards can help us decide which units or lessons deserve more of our instructional time. Reflecting on the standards that are core to your curriculum will help you to structure your overall units.

Tip: Have these conversations with grade-level teachers and departments, if possible!

DETERMINE THE DAILY

After choosing essential standards, it’s time to determine which topics or skills you want to cover daily in your classroom. Personally, I have always found myself coming back to three items on a regular basis.

Vocabulary is something that has to be engrained in your program in order for students to truly  learn the words instead of memorizing them. Creating a classroom culture in which words are appreciated helps to build a literacy foundation. You can read more about prioritizing vocabulary instruction and activity ideas here .

Grammar needs to be scaffolded. For that reason, I learned to sequence my grammar instruction strategically throughout the year. Plus, grammar ties in really well with both reading and writing, so it’s natural to incorporate into any class period.

Years ago, I committed to daily independent reading in the form of full-choice classroom book clubs . Every day, students would read at the beginning of the class period. It’s the perfect bell ringer to get students settled and focused as well as to allow time for conferring one-on-one.

So, this arrangement is not set in stone, but a typical Monday looked something like this:

• 10 minutes independent reading: Confer with students and/or model reading.
• 20-25 minutes grammar: Introduce the grammar concept for the week via direct instruction.
• 10-15 minutes vocabulary: Introduce five new words.

Throughout the remainder of the week, I would incorporate grammar and vocabulary as often as possible. Usually, vocab activities would only last about five minutes before or after independent reading, and grammar exercises are similarly easy to pair with writing lessons. Some days, I would build grammar and vocabulary into learning stations, which provides some much needed flexibility.

On Tuesday through Friday, the remainder of class was dedicated either to writing or reading, depending on the unit.

ALTERNATE UNIT TYPES

I’ve always found that in 45 minutes, it’s hard to fit in both a reading and a writing unit. So, I learned to alternate them . For example, with freshmen…

First Nine Weeks

We begin the year with a couple important writing units: email etiquette and a plagiarism 101 refresher.

Following, we would dive into reading literature and reading informational texts skills. In doing so, we read short stories and nonfiction pieces. While studying reading strategies like summarizing and analysis, students would also be writing objective summaries and crafting scaffolded literary analysis responses . However, they weren’t writing formal essays until the end of the unit, which is when they would write a two to three page literary analysis paper.

You can read more ideas for first quarter ELA curriculum in this post . Or, if you need short story and literary element unit ideas specifically, you can find them here .

Second Nine Weeks

Second quarter often consists of a play or literature circles, coupled with some form of informational research writing about a social issue in the texts or how the culture of the time period impacts the literature.

Students will typically complete the historical context writing before reading a play, like Romeo and Juliet , for example, or they will begin writing the essay half-way through reading their literature circle novels after they have begun to see a social issue emerge.

Third Nine Weeks

During third nine weeks, students would dig deep into research writing. During this time, their reading mostly consisted of nonfiction because we were doing research! Yet, they still were reading their choice text every day at the beginning of class.

When we read The Odyssey,  students chose a mythical beast of their choice and added an additional obstacle onto Odysseus’s journey home in the form of a narrative: a children’s book.

Fourth Nine Weeks

The last quarter of the year I often dedicate to celebrating learning. Students are often engaging in a passion project or multi-genre research project while completing some small group and independent reading.

These are just a handful of examples of how you might pair reading and writing units . I have taught various grades from 7th through 12th, and while the texts and specific writing genres vary at each level, having a comfortable rhythm is helpful. It gives everyone time to breathe, adds variety, and allows for multiple formal writing opportunities throughout the school year with informal practice sprinkled in regularly.

This ELA class structure worked best for me. I loved that I could use it with workshop format, a flipped classroom model, and more traditional styles as well.

So, now you’ve seen inside my wardrobe! More than likely, you want to wear some of my outfits and can do without some others. The beauty is in sharing ideas with one another…somewhat like swapping favorite clothing items from a friend’s closet. I hope you’ve found some inspiration in this post to help you feel organized this school year.

How to Sequence Grammar Instruction

First nine weeks ela curriculum guide, ideas for pairing reading with writing, how to run full-choice classroom book clubs, vocabulary instruction: a creative manual, you may also enjoy..., get the latest in your inbox.

5 engaging, student-centered ELA strategies to try this year

I once had a professor who said, “If you’re doing more work than the students, then you’re doing too much. The students should always be working harder than you.” At first, I didn’t really believe her. I thought this was one of those pieces of advice that sounded too good to be true, because I had already resigned to a life of working too hard and caring too much (because that’s what teachers do, right?). But once I stepped foot in the classroom and gained more experience, I recognized the value in her advice. Good teaching is working harder than your students, but great teaching is working a little less so that they can work more. Great teaching is orchestrating an engaging, student-centered learning experience. In other words, it’s giving the work back to the students and forcing them to take ownership in their learning. If this kind of philosophy sounds appealing, then here are 5 engaging, student-centered ELA strategies to try this year.

SOCRATIC SEMINARS

The Socratic Seminar is named after Greek philosopher Socrates, who believed in the power of social learning and deliberate discussion. Socrates believed that humans learned best from questioning and discussion. He believed discussion helped individuals critically think through complex ideas and learn better than they could on their own.

My previous classroom, set up for a Socratic Seminar

You can think of a Socratic Seminar as an “intellectual discussion,” but you can also see it as a conversation where you “think out loud” and “talk it out.” Essentially, it is a student-led discussion over a text or big idea. Instead of you facilitating the discussion by asking questions, students take charge of their own learning in this activity by creating and asking the questions. A Socratic Seminar is truly a student-centered and social approach to learning. For you, this means it is less prep work. It’s one of those lessons that nearly teaches itself. For the students, it is more work and ownership of the lesson, but isn’t that how it should be anyways?!

If you love the idea of implementing Socratic Seminars, but don’t know where to start, my  Socratic Seminar Bundle  may help you out. It contains teacher instructions, pacing information, expectations, question types and examples, all student handouts, and rubrics.

MOCK TRIALS

I transformed into “Judge G” for our insanity plea mock trial on Poe’s “The Black Cat.”

A mock trial is an authentic way to practice close reading, citing strong and thorough textual evidence, analyzing evidence, persuasion and argument skills, debate, writing, and speaking/listening. It is more than a lesson; it is a learning experience that engages every single student. A mock trial works for nearly any crime in literature or history (so, basically any book or time period). It also works for any debate; you can focus more on the structure and less on the legal proceedings. 

I facilitate an insanity plea mock trial for Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Black Cat,” but it also works for “The Tell Tale Heart,” “The Crucible,” The Great Gatsby, “Romeo and Juliet,” Lord of the Flies, Of Mice and Men, A Separate Peace, and more!

To structure a mock trial, you will need to divide your class into groups: Prosecution, Defense, and Jury, and then assign different tasks/roles for each group. This is the best part of the trial: Every student is engaged, collaborating, and learning, no matter their role. The students are doing all of the work, and the teacher is simply providing the structure and scaffolding.

If you need some help structuring your mock trial or want to save yourself some time creating everything, then my  Mock Trial for Any Text Bundle  may help. It contains everything you need to successfully implement a mock trial: instructions, outlines, templates, tasks, rubrics, and more.

QUESTION TRAILS

A question trail is an engaging, kinesthetic activity that gets students up and moving around the room on a “trail” of multiple choice questions. It’s one of the few strategies I have for making dreaded multiple choice practice engaging. At each station on the trail, students answer a multiple choice question that sends them to the next station on the trail. If students answer each question correctly, they will travel to all stations and complete a full circuit with the correct sequence of stations. If students answer a question incorrectly, they will eventually end up at a station they’ve already completed, which signals that they need to backtrack to determine their mistake. This gives the students (and the teacher) clear, immediate feedback. You can quickly see the trailblazers (who are “getting it”) and the students who are lost in the woods (who are struggling).

Harlem Renaissance Poetic Devices Question Trail

To create a question trail, you will need 10-15 multiple choice questions. Each of these should be on its own piece of paper, because each question will be posted around the room as a different “station” or “spot” on the trail. Written beside each answer (A, B, C, and D) should be a direction to go to a different station. For example:

• Answer (go to #3)
• Answer (go to #7)
• Answer (go to #14)
• Answer (go to #12)

When you are creating the questions and the answer directions, you will need to determine the correct sequence of stations. For example, #1 might send the students to #7, which might send the students to #12. Make sure all questions are covered and that the correct answers send the students to the right questions. It does not matter where the incorrect answers direct the students.

Because I usually create around 15 questions, I have my students work in pairs for question trails.

I facilitate question trails to practice  identifying rhetorical devices in songs,   using context clues to identify vocabulary words,  and  identifying poetic devices in Harlem Renaissance poetry.  The possibilities are endless!

SPEED “DATING”/DEBATING/DISCUSSIONS

One of the debate topics from my all-time favorite lesson, “Speed Debating.”

“Speed dating” is a student-centered lesson structure that you can implement in various ways, and it’s perfect for engaging all students at the same time, a rare feat in the high school setting. Essentially, you create different questions, discussion starters, or tasks for mini-discussions between students, who rotate through different partners and topics.

I facilitate  “Speed Debating”  to practice ethos, pathos, and logos and other rhetorical strategies during my Persuasion/Argumentation/Debate unit, and it’s always a hit among students. For this lesson, I use a variety of topics, ranging from silly to serious, so that the debates spark some friendly controversy. I always see my most shy, reluctant students come alive during this lesson, and I just get to float around the room and “watch the magic happen.” Speed Debating is great way to incorporate a lot of practice to familiarize students with the strategies and structure of debate.

I’ve also used a form of speed debating, “speed discussions,” so that my students could discuss essential questions during the pre-writing phase of the writing process. It’s another way to expose students to different ideas and perspectives in preparation for writing an essay. We did this in my American literature course before writing essays on the American dream in today’s society.

I’ve even used “speed presentations” in lieu of whole-class presentations, because they are much more interactive and engaging. We’ve done this in Journalism when students each researched a current or historical journalist and created a digital poster. These speed presentations were like a more lively version of a gallery walk, and they encouraged students to really “sell” their journalists to their peers.

I know others have used forms of speed dating for literary or historical characters, and I plan on doing something similar during my unit on “The Crucible,” so stay tuned for updates on that!

LEARNING STATIONS

My goal-setting station in my “Back-to-School Learning Stations”

Learning stations, or “centers,” are different sets of tasks or activities that small groups of students rotate through. Instead of a teacher delivering a whole-class lesson, stations put the students in charge of their own learning and allow the teacher to circulate around the room to provide support. This student-centered structure is engaging, collaborative, kinesthetic, and accessible for all students. 

I’ve found success transforming boring PowerPoint lectures into engaging learning stations. I now use learning stations to introduce historical context for literary movements and preview authors, texts, and themes. Some of my favorites include  Puritanism Introduction Learning Stations,   Transcendentalism Learning Stations,  and  The Roaring 20s Learning Stations.  I also use  Back-to-School Learning Stations  to cover the syllabus, expectations, goal-setting, and get-to-know-you activities.

If you’re interested in learning more about stations, you’re in luck, because I’ve blogged about them a LOT! You can check out my series of posts here:

• 10 Reasons to Implement Learning Stations in the Secondary Classroom
• How to Create Learning Stations: The Design Process
• How to Facilitate Successful Learning Stations in the Secondary Classroom

I hope these ideas help you plan ahead for your most engaging, student-centered year yet! What other strategies do you have for putting the work back on the students and engaging them in creative ways? I would love to hear about other ideas in the comments below.

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I LOVE the idea of question trails!! Do you have student (or pairs) each start at a different station to not have them just follow each other? Or, do you stagger their start? Just wondering the best strategy you’ve found. 🙂 Thanks! PS – I also love using Mock Trials in the classroom. We always put Tom Robinson on trial (as the defense) before we read that part in To Kill a Mockingbird. Makes the kids engage with that part of the book even more.

I tried the number trail which I love because movement is so important during a class day. However, how do you keep them from returning to the same number even if they have all of the correct answers? I use each number once in my “go to” on the correct answers. Am I missign the secret?

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10 Effective Writing Strategies For English Language Learners: Engaging Content That Inspires

• by MOHAMMED RHALMI
• November 18, 2013 May 28, 2023

This article provides valuable tips and writing strategies for English language learners (ELL).

Table of Contents

Introduction:.

Welcome to our comprehensive guide on effective writing strategies for English language learners (ELLs). In this article, we will explore strategies to create engaging content that inspires ELLs to become proficient writers. By combining insights from content writing and teaching practices, we aim to equip educators with valuable techniques to address the specific needs of ELLs and foster their writing skills.

Before listing the 10 effective writing strategies for English language learners, let’s first understand the challenges of teaching writing to ELLs.

Understanding the Challenges of Teaching Writing to ELLs:

Teaching writing to English language learners (ELLs) presents unique challenges that require a thoughtful approach. By understanding the linguistic and cultural backgrounds of ELLs, tailoring the teaching approach to address their individual needs, and creating an inclusive and supportive classroom environment, educators can effectively support ELLs in developing their writing skills.

• Recognizing the Linguistic and Cultural Backgrounds of ELLs : One of the first steps in teaching writing to ELLs is recognizing and appreciating their diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds. ELLs come from various countries and language backgrounds, each with its own unique set of challenges and strengths. Educators should familiarize themselves with the languages spoken by their students and gain insights into their cultural perspectives on writing. This understanding enables educators to provide relevant and meaningful writing instruction that respects and acknowledges the students’ linguistic and cultural identities.
• Tailoring the Teaching Approach to Address Individual Needs : Each ELL student has unique needs and abilities when it comes to writing. It is crucial for educators to adopt a flexible teaching approach that takes into account the individual strengths, weaknesses, and learning styles of their students. This may involve differentiating instruction, providing additional support for struggling writers, and challenging advanced writers with more complex writing tasks. By tailoring the teaching approach, educators can effectively scaffold the learning process and provide targeted instruction that meets the specific needs of each ELL student.
• Creating an Inclusive and Supportive Classroom Environment : A supportive classroom environment is essential for ELLs to feel safe, motivated, and confident in their writing endeavors. Educators should foster a sense of inclusivity and create a classroom culture that values and respects the diverse backgrounds and experiences of all students. This can be achieved by promoting open dialogue, encouraging peer collaboration, and celebrating the achievements of ELL writers. Creating a safe space where students feel comfortable taking risks and making mistakes is crucial for their growth and development as writers. Additionally, providing constructive feedback and offering guidance in a supportive manner helps ELLs build their writing skills with confidence.

Effective Writing Strategies for English Language Learners

Here are nine effective writing strategies for English language learners. 

Pre-writing stage

1. preparing for writing:.

Preparing ELLs for the writing process involves engaging them in meaningful activities that activate their prior knowledge and help them generate ideas. By building a word bank of relevant vocabulary and utilizing graphic organizers, educators can provide valuable scaffolding for their writing journey.

• Engaging ELLs in Discussions : To kickstart the writing process, engage ELLs in discussions that encourage idea generation and activate their prior knowledge. These discussions can revolve around the topic of the writing assignment, allowing students to share their thoughts, experiences, and opinions. By fostering a collaborative and interactive environment, educators can help ELLs feel more confident and prepared to express themselves in writing.
• Building a Word Bank : A word bank filled with vocabulary relevant to the writing task can be a valuable resource for ELLs. Educators should introduce and reinforce key vocabulary words, phrases, and expressions related to the topic. This equips ELLs with the necessary language tools to effectively communicate their ideas and thoughts in writing. The word bank serves as a reference point, enabling students to enhance their vocabulary and make their writing more precise and engaging.
• Utilizing Graphic Organizers : Graphic organizers are visual tools that assist ELLs in organizing their thoughts and ideas before they begin writing. These tools can take various forms, such as mind maps, flowcharts, or outlines. Graphic organizers provide a visual framework that helps ELLs structure their writing, making it easier for them to convey their ideas logically and coherently. By utilizing graphic organizers, educators empower ELLs to plan their writing effectively and reduce the overwhelm that can come with a blank page.

2. Modeling and Guided Practice:

Modeling and guided practice are effective strategies to support ELLs in understanding the writing process. Educators can model the writing process by thinking aloud and demonstrating how to plan, draft, revise, and edit a piece of writing. By explicitly explaining their thought process and decision-making, educators provide ELLs with a clear model to follow. The guided practice involves providing structured activities and exercises that gradually release responsibility to the students. Educators can provide writing prompts, sentence frames, or sentence starters to guide ELLs through the writing process, ensuring they receive the necessary support to develop their writing skills.

• Introducing Different Writing Styles : Expose ELLs to various writing styles, such as descriptive, narrative, persuasive, or expository writing. By familiarizing students with different genres and formats, educators broaden their understanding of the possibilities within writing. This exposure helps ELLs develop a versatile skill set and encourages them to experiment with different writing approaches.
• Sharing and Analyzing Model Pieces : Share exemplary pieces of writing with ELLs to provide them with models to emulate. Analyze these model pieces together, discussing the structure, organization, language use, and overall effectiveness. This process helps ELLs identify key elements of successful writing and gives them a reference point to enhance their own writing skills.
• Explaining the Thinking Process : Verbalize your thought process as you engage in writing tasks. Share your thinking aloud, explaining the decisions you make, the strategies you employ, and the considerations you take into account. By providing insight into the thinking behind the writing process, educators demystify writing for ELLs and help them understand the intentional choices that go into crafting effective pieces.

3. Incorporating Dialogue Journals

Dialogue journals offer ELLs a valuable opportunity to engage in written conversations with teachers or peers. By encouraging regular written exchanges, dialogue journals foster writing fluency, build relationships, serve as assessment tools, and provide direct feedback.

• Encouraging Regular Written Conversations : Promote regular written exchanges between ELLs and their teachers or among peers. Dialogue journals create a safe and private space for students to express their thoughts, ask questions, and receive personalized feedback. These written conversations can cover a wide range of topics, allowing ELLs to practice their writing skills in a supportive environment.
• Promoting Writing Fluency and Relationship-Building : Dialogue journals provide ELLs with a platform to develop their writing fluency and build meaningful relationships with their teachers or peers. Through the ongoing written conversations, ELLs can refine their written expression, expand their vocabulary, and gain confidence in their ability to communicate effectively in writing. The personal nature of the dialogue journals also creates a sense of connection and trust, fostering a positive learning environment.
• Utilizing Dialogue Journals as Assessment Tools : Dialogue journals serve as valuable assessment tools for both educators and ELLs. Teachers can gain insights into the linguistic progress, writing development, and critical thinking skills of their students. By reviewing the entries in the dialogue journals, educators can identify areas of strength and areas that require further support. Additionally, ELLs can reflect on their own writing growth, track their progress over time, and set personal writing goals.
• Providing Direct Feedback : One of the key benefits of dialogue journals is the opportunity for direct feedback. Teachers can offer specific and constructive feedback on the content, language use, grammar, and overall effectiveness of the student’s writing. This individualized feedback helps ELLs understand their strengths and areas for improvement, guiding them toward continued growth as writers.

Process Writing

5. collecting organizing ideas and preparing an outline.

Collecting and organizing ideas and preparing an outline is a crucial step in the process of writing. It involves brainstorming, gathering relevant information, and structuring thoughts in a logical manner. This step ensures that writers remain coherent n their writing, as well as maintain a clear focus on their topic.

The outline serves as a roadmap, guiding the writer throughout the writing process and helping them stay organized and on track. This step allows writers to establish a solid foundation for their work. It facilitates the creation of a well-structured and cohesive piece of writing.

6. The Drafting Stage for ELLs

During the drafting stage, it is crucial to differentiate writing assignments based on the language proficiency levels of ELLs. By supporting vocabulary development through labeling pictures and encouraging free writing, as well as providing writing prompts and using sentence and paragraph frames, educators can scaffold ELLs’ writing and ensure their success.

• Differentiating Writing Assignments : Recognize that ELLs may be at different levels of language proficiency and adapt the writing assignments accordingly. Offer a range of tasks that allow ELLs to express their ideas and thoughts at a level that matches their linguistic abilities. Provide additional support and guidance to those who require it, while challenging more advanced ELLs with more complex writing tasks.
• Supporting Vocabulary Development : Help ELLs expand their vocabulary by incorporating labeling exercises. Provide them with opportunities to label pictures or diagrams related to the writing topic. This activity reinforces their understanding of key vocabulary and improves their ability to use these words in context. Additionally, encourage free writing in journals, allowing ELLs to practice using newly acquired vocabulary and express themselves creatively.
• Providing Writing Prompts and Using Sentence and Paragraph Frames : Offer clear writing prompts that provide ELLs with a specific focus and purpose for their writing. Writing prompts help ELLs generate ideas and structure their writing. Additionally, utilize sentence and paragraph frames to scaffold their writing. These frames serve as models that guide ELLs in constructing sentences and organizing their ideas into coherent paragraphs. By providing this support, educators empower ELLs to communicate their thoughts effectively and develop their writing skills.

7. Revising and Editing

Revising and editing are critical stages in the writing process for ELLs. By facilitating peer review sessions for constructive feedback and self-improvement, leveraging technology tools such as assistive technology and digital dictionaries, and cultivating a growth mindset, educators can support ELLs in refining their writing and boosting their confidence.

• Facilitating Peer Review Sessions : Encourage ELLs to participate in peer review sessions where they can exchange their written work and provide constructive feedback to their peers. Peer review allows ELLs to receive multiple perspectives on their writing, identify areas for improvement, and learn from their peers’ strengths. It promotes collaboration, critical thinking, and active engagement in the writing process.
• Leveraging Technology Tools : Utilize technology tools to support ELLs in the revising and editing stages. Assistive technology, such as grammar and spell-checking tools, can help ELLs identify and correct errors in their writing. Digital dictionaries provide instant access to definitions, synonyms, and examples, aiding ELLs in expanding their vocabulary and improving their language skills. These technological resources empower ELLs to independently revise and edit their writing, promoting autonomy and self-correction.
• Cultivating a Growth Mindset : Foster a growth mindset among ELLs when it comes to revising and editing their writing. Encourage them to view mistakes and revisions as opportunities for learning and improvement, rather than as failures. Emphasize that writing is a process that involves continuous refinement and that their efforts to revise and edit are valuable contributions to their growth as writers. By creating a supportive and non-judgmental environment, educators can instill confidence in ELLs and motivate them to actively engage in the revision and editing process.

By implementing these strategies during the drafting, revising, and editing stages, educators can guide ELLs toward producing well-crafted written pieces. These approaches take into account the specific needs of ELLs, providing the necessary scaffolding, support, and feedback to enhance their writing skills and foster their confidence as writers.

Writing lesson management

8. promoting language development:.

Writing provides an excellent opportunity for ELLs to enhance their language skills. Educators should encourage ELLs to incorporate new vocabulary and sentence structures in their writing, while also providing targeted language support as needed. This can be done through mini-lessons on grammar, syntax, or idiomatic expressions, as well as individualized feedback and revision suggestions. By promoting language development alongside writing instruction, educators empower ELLs to express themselves more effectively and confidently in written form.

9. Encouraging Peer Collaboration and Feedback:

Peer collaboration and feedback are valuable components of the writing process for ELLs. Engaging in peer discussions, collaborative writing activities, and peer editing allows ELLs to practice their writing skills in a supportive and interactive environment. Educators should establish clear guidelines for peer collaboration and provide ELLs with structured protocols for giving and receiving feedback. Peer collaboration not only enhances ELLs’ writing skills but also fosters a sense of community and active engagement in the writing process.

10. Celebrating and Showcasing ELL Writing:

It is important to celebrate and showcase the writing achievements of ELLs. Educators can create opportunities for ELLs to share their writing with their classmates, the school community, or even a wider audience. This can be done through author’s showcases, publishing written works, or participating in writing competitions. By recognizing and celebrating the efforts and progress of ELL writers, educators instill a sense of pride, motivation, and confidence in their abilities.

Here are some practical suggestions for educators to create such opportunities:

• Classroom Presentations: Dedicate specific class sessions where ELLs can present their written work to their peers. Encourage them to share their thoughts, experiences, and creative pieces. This helps build speaking skills and boosts their confidence.
• School-wide Events: Collaborate with other educators and organize school-wide writing showcases or open mic events where ELLs can share their writing with a larger audience. This allows ELLs to feel valued and appreciated for their linguistic and cultural contributions.
• Class Anthologies: Create class anthologies by collecting and compiling ELLs’ written work throughout the year. Make physical copies or create digital versions to showcase their writing achievements. Distribute copies to students, teachers, and school staff, and consider displaying them in the school library.
• Online Blogs or Websites: Set up an online blog or website specifically for ELLs to publish their written pieces. Provide guidance on internet safety and responsible online behavior. Encourage ELLs to share their work on the platform and interact with peers by leaving comments or feedback.
• Pen Pal Programs: Connect ELLs with English-speaking pen pals who are interested in reading and exchanging written letters. This not only enhances writing skills but also promotes intercultural communication and friendship.

Remember to provide ongoing support, encouragement, and guidance to ELLs throughout the writing process. By implementing these practical suggestions, educators can create inclusive and empowering environments where ELLs can confidently share their writing with others, fostering language development and cultural exchange.

More tips to help students nail content writing and engage the audience

Content writing plays a crucial role in capturing the attention of readers and inspiring them to respond. To create impactful content that truly resonates with their audience, consider encouraging your students to implement the additional tips and strategies for English language learners listed below:

Plan and Prepare:

Encourage your students to begin by defining their goal and aligning it with their overall writing plan. Identify the specific response you want to elicit from your readers and determine how you can deliver value to them. Ask your students to take the time to understand the topic and conduct research to gain insights into what is to include in their writing. Collecting ideas and information is a crucial step in designing an appropriate outline for the writing task. Planning and preparation set the foundation for creating great content.

Craft a Meaningful Message:

Ask students to serve a big idea in their content and infuse it with captivating elements. Encourage them to think about how they can tell a unique story that resonates with their target audience. By creating a meaningful message, they can capture the attention and interest of your readers, making their content more engaging and relevant.

Hit The Headline Hard:

The headline or title is the first impression readers have of your content. Students must make it attention-grabbing and enticing. They should use language that sparks curiosity and teases their audience. 

Elicit Feelings:

Emotions play a significant role in captivating readers. Students should prioritize eliciting emotions before appealing to reasoning. They have to understand the desires and motivations of their audience and weave those emotions into their content to create a powerful connection. Whether it’s joy, excitement, empathy, or inspiration, tapping into your readers’ emotions can make your content more compelling and memorable.

Write to a reader:

Another effective writing tip is to adopt a conversational tone in their writing to engage their readers. Creating a sense of familiarity and rapport can help build a strong connection with your audience.

Activate with Verbs:

Verbs add energy and action to content. Encourage students to use them with vigor and economy. Strong verbs can evoke a sense of excitement and urgency, driving readers to engage with the content.

Express themselves:

Encourage students to make the content unique by expressing their personality and injecting their personal touch. They have to find their voice and use it to create a distinctive style that resonates with their audience. 

Sometimes it is desirable to inject a sense of fun and playfulness into their content. They may lighten the tone, be cheeky, and use rhetorical questions to engage their audience. Adding an element of enjoyment can make their content more memorable and leave a positive impression on their readers.

Tell Stories:

Storytelling is a powerful technique to captivate readers. Encourage students to Incorporate storytelling elements such as time and place, characters, conflict, and resolution. By creating narratives, they can make your content more relatable and memorable. Stories have the ability to transport readers, evoke emotions, and create a deeper connection with your audience.

Arouse and Teach:

Encourage students to capture their readers’ curiosity and make their hearts pound by utilizing curiosity, foreshadowing, and cliffhangers. Additionally, encourage them to focus on sharing knowledge. By delivering value and teaching, they establish themselves as a trusted authority. 

Conclusion:

Effective writing strategies for English language learners (ELLs) involve recognizing their unique linguistic and cultural backgrounds, tailoring teaching approaches to address individual needs, and creating an inclusive and supportive classroom environment. By engaging ELLs in meaningful activities, providing scaffolding, promoting language development, encouraging peer collaboration, and celebrating their achievements, educators can foster the growth and development of ELLs as proficient writers. With these strategies in place, ELLs can confidently navigate the writing process and express their ideas with clarity and creativity.

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10 Strategies for Writing in English: Tips from the Experts [2024]

• February 21, 2024
• Teaching English Language Learners

Quick Answer: Looking to improve your English writing skills? We’ve got you covered! In this article, we’ll share 10 expert strategies that will help you become a better writer in English. From reading extensively to utilizing available tools, these tips will take your writing to the next level. So, let’s dive in and unlock your writing potential!

Table of Contents

Quick Answer

• Quick Tips and Facts

Background: The Importance of Effective English Writing

Strategy 1: read widely and actively, strategy 2: overcome perfectionism in your first draft, strategy 3: keep it simple and clear, strategy 4: practice regularly, strategy 5: seek support and feedback, strategy 6: utilize available writing tools, strategy 7: embrace research, strategy 8: leverage international resources, strategy 9: connect with other writers, strategy 10: study with teacher strategies™, recommended links, reference links.

To become a better writer in English, follow these 10 expert strategies:

• Read widely and actively.
• Overcome perfectionism in your first draft.
• Keep it simple and clear.
• Practice regularly.
• Seek support and feedback.
• Utilize available writing tools.
• Embrace research.
• Leverage international resources.
• Connect with other writers.
• Study with Teacher Strategies™.

Quick Tips and Facts:

• Effective English writing skills are crucial for academic success and professional growth.
• Reading extensively helps improve vocabulary, sentence structure, and writing style.
• Overcoming perfectionism in the first draft allows for a more fluid writing process.
• Clear and simple writing is preferred over complex language.
• Regular practice is key to honing your writing skills.
• Seeking support and feedback from peers and teachers enhances your writing abilities.
• Utilizing available writing tools can streamline the writing process.
• Conducting research adds depth and credibility to your writing.
• International resources provide valuable insights and support for non-native English writers.
• Connecting with other writers fosters a sense of community and provides opportunities for growth.
• Studying with Teacher Strategies™ offers comprehensive guidance and strategies for success in English writing.

Writing effectively in English is essential for academic success, professional growth, and effective communication. Whether you’re a student, a professional, or simply someone who wants to improve their writing skills, mastering the art of English writing can open doors and enhance your overall communication abilities. In this article, we’ll explore 10 expert strategies that will help you become a better writer in English.

✅ Reading extensively is one of the most effective ways to improve your English writing skills. By exposing yourself to a wide range of texts, you’ll expand your vocabulary, develop a better understanding of sentence structure, and absorb different writing styles. Make it a habit to read various types of writing, including novels, newspapers, magazines, and online articles. The more you read, the more you’ll internalize the patterns and nuances of the English language.

✅ Active reading is equally important. As you read, pay attention to the author’s choice of words, sentence structure, and overall writing style. Take notes, highlight interesting phrases, and analyze how the author conveys their ideas. By actively engaging with the text, you’ll develop a deeper understanding of effective writing techniques that you can apply to your own work.

Quick Tip: When reading, challenge yourself to explore different genres and topics. This will broaden your knowledge base and expose you to a wider range of writing styles.

✅ Don’t let one word slow down your draft . Many writers, especially non-native English speakers, get caught up in finding the perfect word or phrase in their first draft. This perfectionism can hinder the flow of ideas and make the writing process frustrating. Instead, focus on getting your thoughts down on paper without worrying too much about precision. You can always revise and replace words later.

✅ Highlight or underline native language words . If you find yourself using words from your native language while writing in English, highlight or underline them. This will help you identify areas where you need to find suitable English equivalents. By being aware of these words, you can gradually replace them with more appropriate English vocabulary.

Quick Tip: Remember, your first draft is just the beginning. Embrace imperfection and allow yourself the freedom to revise and refine your writing in subsequent drafts.

✅ Keep your writing simple and clear . While it’s important to showcase your language skills, clarity should be your top priority. Avoid using overly complex language or convoluted sentence structures that may confuse your readers. Instead, strive for simplicity and clarity in your writing. Use concise sentences and straightforward language to convey your ideas effectively.

✅ Use field-specific terms . While simplicity is key, it’s also important to use field-specific terms when appropriate. If you’re writing in a specialized field, make sure to incorporate relevant terminology. However, always provide clear explanations or definitions for these terms to ensure your readers can follow along.

Quick Tip: Aim to keep your sentences under 25 words. This will help maintain clarity and prevent your writing from becoming too dense.

✅ Regular practice is essential for improving your English writing skills. Treat writing as a skill that requires consistent effort and dedication. Set aside dedicated time each day or week to practice writing. You can start with simple exercises like journaling, writing short stories, or even composing emails in English. The more you practice, the more comfortable and confident you’ll become in expressing yourself through writing.

✅ Utilize daily activities . Look for opportunities in your daily life to practice writing. Take notes during meetings or lectures, write emails in English, or keep a diary in English. These small but consistent writing exercises will help you develop your skills and make writing a natural part of your routine.

Quick Tip: Consider joining online writing communities or finding a writing buddy who can provide feedback and support as you practice.

✅ Don’t be afraid to seek support and feedback . Writing is a collaborative process, and getting input from others can greatly enhance your skills. Share your work with peers, teachers, or writing groups and ask for their feedback. Constructive criticism and different perspectives can help you identify areas for improvement and gain valuable insights into your writing.

✅ Take advantage of available resources . Many universities and institutions offer writing support services for non-native English speakers. These resources can provide guidance, workshops, and one-on-one assistance to help you improve your writing skills. Additionally, online writing tools and grammar checkers can help you identify and correct common errors.

Quick Tip: When seeking feedback, be open-minded and receptive to suggestions. Remember, the goal is to improve your writing, and constructive criticism is an invaluable tool for growth.

✅ Take advantage of the writing tools available to streamline your writing process. From grammar checkers to plagiarism detectors, these tools can help you identify and correct errors, improve sentence structure, and enhance the overall quality of your writing. Some popular writing tools include Grammarly, Hemingway Editor, and ProWritingAid.

✅ Explore university resources . Many universities offer online writing modules or workshops specifically designed to support non-native English speakers. These resources can provide valuable tips, exercises, and examples to help you improve your writing skills. Additionally, international student services and peer learning advisors can offer guidance and support tailored to your specific needs.

Quick Tip: While writing tools can be helpful, remember to use them as aids rather than relying solely on them. Developing your own writing skills is essential for long-term growth.

✅ Embrace research as an integral part of your writing process . Conducting thorough research adds depth, credibility, and supporting evidence to your writing. Whether you’re writing an academic paper or a professional report, incorporating relevant research will strengthen your arguments and provide a solid foundation for your ideas.

✅ Cite your sources . When using information from external sources, make sure to properly cite them. This not only gives credit to the original authors but also adds credibility to your own work. Familiarize yourself with the appropriate citation style for your field, such as APA, MLA, or Chicago.

Quick Tip: Use reputable sources for your research, such as academic journals, books, and reliable websites. This will ensure the accuracy and reliability of the information you include in your writing.

✅ Leverage international resources to support your English writing journey. Many organizations and websites offer valuable insights, tips, and exercises specifically tailored to non-native English speakers. Explore online platforms, forums, and blogs that focus on English writing for international audiences. These resources can provide guidance, examples, and inspiration to help you improve your writing skills.

✅ Connect with other non-native English writers . Building a network of fellow writers can provide a sense of community and support. Join online writing groups, participate in writing challenges, or attend writing workshops to connect with other non-native English speakers who share similar goals and challenges. Sharing experiences and exchanging feedback can be immensely beneficial for your growth as a writer.

Quick Tip: Consider joining social media groups or forums dedicated to English writing for non-native speakers. These communities can provide a platform for discussion, feedback, and learning opportunities.

✅ Connect with other writers, both native and non-native English speakers . Engaging with a diverse community of writers can expose you to different perspectives, writing styles, and techniques. Attend writing conferences, join writing workshops, or participate in writing retreats to meet and learn from experienced writers. Collaborating with others can spark creativity, provide valuable insights, and offer opportunities for growth.

✅ Share your work and seek collaboration . Don’t be afraid to share your writing with others and seek opportunities for collaboration. Co-writing projects, peer editing, or even joining writing circles can help you refine your skills, gain new perspectives, and create meaningful connections with fellow writers.

Quick Tip: Consider starting a writing group or workshop in your local community or online. This can provide a supportive environment for writers to share their work, receive feedback, and grow together.

✅ Study with Teacher Strategies™ to gain comprehensive guidance and strategies for success in English writing. Teacher Strategies™ is a team of expert teachers and educators specializing in crafting engaging, informative, and actionable content. Their articles provide firsthand insights, detailed analysis, and practical tips to help you excel in various aspects of education. Explore their articles on instructional coaching, classroom management, differentiated instruction, early childhood education, and assessment techniques for further reading and learning.

Quick Tip: Teacher Strategies™ offers a wealth of knowledge and resources to support your English writing journey. Take advantage of their expertise and learn from their collective experience.

What are the 7 strategies of writing?

The 7 strategies of writing discussed in this article are:

What are the 5 writing strategies?

The 5 writing strategies covered in this article are:

Read more about “5 Popular ESL Teaching Methods Every Teacher Should Know …”

What strategies can you use to write in English?

To write effectively in English, you can use the following strategies:

Read more about “4 A’s Lesson Plan in English Grade 2 …”

What are strategies for effective writing?

Strategies for effective writing include:

Quick Tip: Effective writing requires practice, continuous learning, and a willingness to seek feedback and improve.

In conclusion, becoming a better writer in English is within your reach. By implementing these 10 expert strategies, you’ll develop the skills and confidence to express yourself effectively through writing. Remember to read widely, practice regularly, seek support and feedback, and utilize the available resources and tools. Whether you’re a student, a professional, or simply someone who wants to improve their writing skills, these strategies will guide you on your journey to becoming a proficient English writer.

Unlock your writing potential and start your journey to success today!

• Instructional Coaching
• Classroom Management
• Differentiated Instruction
• Early Childhood Education
• Assessment Techniques
• 5 Popular ESL Teaching Methods Every Teacher Should Know 2024
• 6 strategies for better writing when English is your second language
• La Trobe University NEST

Remember, effective English writing is a journey, and with the right strategies and resources, you can unlock your full potential. Keep practicing, exploring, and learning, and you’ll see your writing skills soar!

Meet Marti, a seasoned educator with a rich background in tutoring, communication, and social work, who contributes her invaluable insights and strategies to Teacher Strategies. Marti’s journey in the educational sector began during her university years, where she started as a tutor. This role not only fueled her passion for teaching but also provided her with an opportunity to develop and refine her educational techniques. Holding a degree in Communication, Marti excels in creating engaging and effective learning environments by utilizing clear, impactful communication strategies. Her ability to convey complex concepts in an understandable and relatable manner has made her a favorite among students and educators alike.

In addition to her prowess in communication, Marti also holds a degree in Social Work, which has endowed her with a deep understanding of the diverse backgrounds and challenges faced by students. This unique combination of skills allows her to approach teaching with empathy, patience, and an unwavering commitment to inclusivity. Marti believes that education should be accessible to all, and she incorporates principles of social work into her teaching to support and uplift students from all walks of life.

On Teacher Strategies, Marti shares her innovative approaches to education, drawing from her extensive experience in tutoring, her expertise in communication, and her background in social work. Her articles provide educators with practical tips and strategies to enhance their teaching methods, foster a positive and inclusive classroom environment, and effectively communicate with their students. Marti’s dedication to making a difference in the lives of students shines through in her contributions to the site, making her an invaluable resource for teachers looking to enrich their professional practice and impact their students’ lives positively.

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15 Best Writing Strategies With Examples

When you’re a writer , you need to know the best strategies to get your reader’s attention and hold onto it.

The goal is to get them hooked on your content, so they’ll want to read more.

Only then can you cultivate a relationship that serves you both.

So, how do you do that (without actually hypnotizing them)?

You learn different writing strategies, applied to advantage by the pros, and work on making them your own. 

The first question to answer is, “What is a writing strategy?”  

What Are the Different Types of Writing Strategies?

1. start with a strong hook. , 2. give your opening paragraph a strong sense of direction. , 3. be authentic in every sentence. , 4. create a reader avatar. , 5. create an outline. , 6. have fun with it. , 7. start a dialogue with your reader. , 8. get time on your side. , 9. prioritize clarity. , 10. break it up with visuals. , 11. put your reader to the test., 12. dazzle them with surprising facts. , 13. add interesting quotes from authorities in the field. , 14. ask questions to get your readers thinking , 15. tell your reader a story. , which writing strategies will you use.

A strategy is a general plan — or set of plans — you make to achieve a goal.

So, a writing strategy involves tactics you use to ensure your writing meets the goals you’ve set for it. 

Your number one goal is to capture and hold onto your reader’s interest. Your related goals will depend on the overall purpose of your writing: 

• To sell something (and make money)
• To motivate your reader to do something
• To evoke an emotional response (pathos, anger, levity, etc.)

While the reason for your writing goal can vary, the goal itself does not. And the sooner you learn how to put the following 15 writing strategies into practice, the sooner your audience will grow. 

15 Writing Strategies with Examples 

No doubt, you’ve already become familiar with some of these time-tested examples of writing strategies. It’s what you don’t (yet) know that can hold you back and limit your influence. 

That’s about to change. 

Your first sentence should hook your reader and make them curious enough to read the second sentence, which should lead them irresistibly to the third, and so on. 

That first sentence should grab hold of their interest and get them thinking, “I need to know what will come next.” Your entire opening hook doesn’t have to consist of one sentence, but a few sentences at most should suffice to get under your reader’s skin. 

Strong hooks can include any of the following: 

• Probing or rhetorical questions
• Anecdotes 
• Bold claims

Example: 

“Did you know every year the amount of garbage we toss into the ocean is three times the weight of fish caught?” (statistic)

Your first paragraph should clearly communicate the direction of your piece. And it should give the reader a reason to care about it. They should want to know more and feel compelled to see what you’ll reveal. Give them a reason to feel invested. 

Otherwise, they might bookmark your page to “save it for later,” but we all know what that usually means. It’s the internet version of walking away. 

“As a lifelong crabber (that is, one who catches crabs, not a chronic complainer), I can tell you that anyone who has patience and a great love for the river is qualified to join the ranks of crabbers. However, if you want your first crabbing experience to be a successful one, you must come prepared.”

– (Mary Zeigler, “How to Catch River Crabs” )

Come as you are. This is not a place to show off or pretend to be someone else. Try to trick your reader, and they’ll most likely leave and never return. So, ix-nay on the bait and switch. Put yourself in the reader’s shoes and give them what you know they would want. 

Be genuine, and show that you care as much about their time as you do about yours. 

“I haven’t wanted to call myself a functional alcoholic . For just a second, the word “functional” makes it easier to accept the word that comes after it. 

“Then the reality hits: I’m not as functional as I’d like to think. And being an alcoholic means having to give up alcohol….”

Design an ideal reader based on what you know — including demographic info (married/single, age range, interests, culture, politics, geographical area). Then write as if addressing a respected friend. 

Don’t assume your reader can’t figure stuff out, but don’t use ten-dollar words when one-dollar words will do. Write the way you would talk in a friendly conversation. 

Ideal reader Alexis is a health-conscious socialite in her mid-twenties. Her interests include public relations, fashion, and social media (mainly Instagram). She reads to stay well-informed about things that matter to her. She’s visually oriented. Her dream is to work in New York as a successful public relations professional.

The easiest way to make sure you make all your points in a logical, easy-to-follow manner is to start with an outline, breaking down your work into smaller, more focused sections. Use your outline to plan your subheadings and brainstorm content ideas.

As you add content, you can connect each thought, making every sentence earn its place and respect its neighbors to ensure each thought flows effortlessly to the next. 

I. Why soy candles are healthier than paraffin. 

• All natural (no toxic chemicals)
• Supports U.S. soy farmers 
• Cleaner, cooler burn with less soot

II. 5 Best Sources of Ethically-Made Soy Candles

III. 3 Candle-Making Charities That Support Women

If you’re not all that interested in what you’re writing, your reader will pick up on that. Boredom is contagious. The good news? The opposite is even more so. Find something to love about what you’re writing, and your reader will feel your excitement and lean in. 

The more fun you have with the writing, the more your audience will enjoy reading it. 

Examples: 

• Include a fun, illustrative bit of dialogue. 
• Paint a (word) picture your reader will want to be a part of. 
• Lead with the thing that excites you (an interesting bit of news, etc.)

More Related Articles:

How To Write A Profitable, Life-Changing Self-Help Book

9 Of The Most Useful Thesauruses For Writers

11 Creative Writing Exercises To Awaken Your Inner Author

Remember that bit about seeing your reader as a respected friend? The more you see your article or blog post as a friendly conversation with your reader, the easier (and more fun) it will be to write, and the more invested you’ll feel in being as helpful as possible. 

Imagine a friendly, animated dialogue with your ideal reader and write as you hear the words in your head. 

Example:  

“I’m glad you’re here. I have so many questions! First, I have to ask, how do you feel about zombie fiction? I have a theory, and you can tell me if I’m wrong. 

“For starters, I’ll make the bold guess that if you’re reading this blog, you’re not into the gory, graphic zombie violence some shows glory in. In fact, I’m willing to bet you’re more of an I Zombie fan. Because you’re not an all-or-nothing thinker.

“Here’s where I’m going with this…”  

It can only benefit you to address timely issues that matter to your reader. If you’re writing about a subject that’s dominating the headlines, put your own creative spin on it to make it stand out. What can you bring to the subject that few or no one else can? 

Make the subject more personal to your reader, and your content will be timeless. 

“It’s happened! The results of the 2020 election are finally in, and people around the world (not to mention over half the U.S. population) are celebrating, crying tears of relief, and dancing in the streets for joy. 

“So, what comes next? Specifically, what comes next for you? ” 

Know your message and express it with clarity, simplicity, and elegance. Every thought should be organic, and every sentence’s meaning should be unmistakable. Confuse your reader, and they’re far more likely to stop reading and move on. 

Don’t make them work to decipher what you’re trying to say. It’s not their job. 

Examples of strategies for writing with clarity:

• Know your message, and write with intention.
• Know your audience and speak their language.
• Define your (unfamiliar) terms. 
• Use your punctuation wisely (especially commas). 
• Use strong , active, and carefully-chosen verbs. 

If all you’re giving your reader is a long succession of paragraphs with some subheads thrown in, consider adding some relevant visuals — images, graphs, infographics, tables, diagrams, etc. Give their brain a brief but meaningful eye-candy break. 

By varying the delivery of helpful information, you hit “refresh” on their attention and keep them curious. 

Examples of effective visuals:  

• Infographics or diagrams to visually illustrate your points
• Images that set the mood and make your content more relatable
• Graphs and tables to show organized and relevant data. 

Include an interesting quiz/test for your reader to take, with a result they can share. Give them a chance to test their knowledge while they learn something new. Quizzes that give them a result they can feel good about and make your content more memorable. 

Challenge your reader with questions that make them think, and they’re more likely to respect and remember you. 

Examples of quiz ideas: 

“How compatible are you and your partner?”

“How much do you know about climate change?” 

“What crystals are best for your personality?” 

Throw in some juicy facts to make your readers think, “Wow! I didn’t know that.” Keep them short and easy to remember and make sure they add value to your whole piece. It should feel organic — not like it came out of nowhere. 

Your reader shouldn’t have to wonder if they accidentally clicked on a different link. 

• Surprising statistics about bullying to reconsider “zero-tolerance” policies. 
• The truth about “German” chocolate cake in a post on a beloved family recipe.
• Daniel Radcliffe’s allergy to his Harry Potter glasses in a post on unusual allergies. 

Quotes from well-known authorities can add credibility to your piece if it bolsters one of the points you’re making. Depending on your quote choice, It can also add a touch of humor or pathos to draw your reader in and encourage a stronger connection. 

A short, powerful quote can make your work more memorable by association.  

• Shocking or funny quotes from famous authors in a post on the creative process. 
• Quotes from famous fictional sleuths in a post about cozy mysteries.
• Quotes from disgruntled politicians in a post about running for office. 

Another way to make your reader feel more invested in what they’re reading is to ask them questions about something that matters to them. 

Get them thinking about the answer, and they’ll be more likely to feel a need to answer it or find the answer in what you’ve written. And if your answer satisfies them, or if their own answer leads to other meaningful discoveries, they’re likely to come back for more. 

• Questions about your reader’s writing process in a post on the same. 
• Questions on your reader’s biggest fears in a post about anxiety
• Questions on favorite scents and related memories in a post about candles.

Everyone loves a good story . Introduce a compelling story early on in your post (or chapter), and your reader is much more likely to keep reading. Your story should closely relate to the rest of your content, so it can communicate useful information while it entertains your audience. Keep it short, relevant, and memorable. 

• A brief fable that teaches a moral lesson
• A brief story from your past that illustrates a point you’re trying to make
• A short, funny story that leads to a surprising revelation

Now that you’re more familiar with the 15 best writing strategies, how will this change the way you write from now on? What strategies will you implement in your next project? 

The best part about using these strategies is their potential for making the writing itself more enjoyable and fulfilling for you — as well as more engaging for your reader. 

May your skill and influence grow as you put these strategies to work. 

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Writing Strategies for ELL Students

Teaching Writing to English Language Learners

English language learners bring a wealth of strengths to the classroom but encounter distinct difficulties in developing writing skills in English. Studies show that ELL students perceived cognitive and linguistic deficiencies and sociocultural differences as challenges when learning to write in English.

Therefore, teaching writing to English language learners requires direct instruction on topics like grammar, syntax, and vocabulary but also calls for consideration of students’ linguistic and cultural backgrounds to make connections between languages.

Navigating through this unique set of challenges can be overwhelming for both ELL students and teachers. How can teachers equip ELL students with the skills to be confident and capable writers? Consider the following writing strategies for English language learners.

A note on language: we employ the common phrases multilingual learner and English language learner , along with the acronym ELL , but we also recognize that this is imperfect nomenclature. Students who are learning English do not fit neatly into a single label.

How to Help ELL Students with Writing

Multilingual students are expected to master the English language by first forming sentences, then penning paragraphs, and, eventually, writing complete essays and reports. Students need support in maneuvering through and understanding the writing process as they learn English. The following strategies will help you guide students through the writing process, so they can develop the skills to plan, draft, and revise their English writing.

Prewriting Stage

The prewriting stage is the perfect time to scaffold writing for ELLs and create cross-cultural connections. Because this stage involves generating and mapping ideas, students may require additional guidance. During the prewriting stage, review students’ background knowledge, build on students’ vocabulary, and brainstorm with the following strategies.

Before putting thoughts to paper, engage students in a discussion to talk through their ideas. Talking can also help students put words and phrases together as well as activate prior knowledge. Multilingual learners can then draw from their experiences to connect to the writing topic at hand.

As a class, brainstorm vocabulary words that could be useful for your next writing assignment. From there, create a word bank that students can use and display it in your classroom. Consider adding drawings and pictures next to the words to further help ELL students. Students can also write the word bank in their writing journals to refer to in the future.

Graphic organizers are great tools to help ELL students map out their thinking for a writing project. A graphic organizer like the sandwich chart guides students in writing an essay that has three key details and a concluding sentence. A flow chart helps students sequence a story from beginning to end. Model how to use a graphic organizer and meet with ELL students in a small group to review the process.

Seeing how to write before jumping into a writing assignment is beneficial for all students and even more so for multilingual learners. Consider modeling to expose students to specific writing styles, like narrative or persuasive, as well as demonstrate the writing thought process. Write a piece using age-appropriate language, share your thinking aloud, and read the model writing to students. Then display the model writing so students can refer to it later.

Make writing practice meaningful and interactive with dialogue journals. Through dialogue journals, students get to have regular written conversations with their teacher or peers. This student-centered approach creates an authentic way for students to build writing fluency and letter writing skills. Plus, it allows ELL students to build relationships with their teachers and classmates. As for teachers, dialogue journals serve as a great way to assess students’ progress and provide direct feedback and praise.

Drafting Stage

ELLs come into the classroom at varying language levels, so writing will look different for every student. It’s important to differentiate writing assignments for English language learners during the drafting stage.

In the early stages of literacy and language development, ELLs will need additional support in building their vocabulary. Picture labeling provides students with visual representations and allows them to gain familiarity with vocabulary words.

With journals, students don’t need to worry about adhering to strict writing guidelines. They can jot down thoughts in their primary language, use new vocabulary, and explore different types of writing. Therefore, journals are great for drafting. Encourage students to free write in their journals, and later, have them look through entries to select a draft they want to polish.

Figuring out what to write about all while learning a new language can be overwhelming. Writing prompts alleviate that struggle by offering ELL students a framework for their writing. With prompts, students can focus their writing efforts on a given topic. Some writing prompts even provide a story starter, an opening sentence to guide students in developing their writing. Find a collection of helpful writing prompts on Shaped.

15 SEL Writing and Journal Prompts for Grades 3-12

4 Writing Prompts for Middle School Students to Practice Different Genres

29 Back-to-School Writing Prompts for Middle and High School

8 Black History Month Writing Prompts

25 Valentine’s Day Writing Prompts and Ideas

St. Patrick’s Day Writing Prompts and Activities

40 Mother’s Day Writing Prompts

ELL students may have a limited vocabulary and knowledge of the English language, preventing them from stringing words together to form a sentence or paragraph. Plus, sentence structure varies from language to language, so ELL students can benefit from strong guidance and scaffolding to construct clear and grammatical English sentences. Sentence and paragraph frames are great tools to scaffold writing during the drafting stage. Sentence frames provide students with a framework to build a sentence using English grammar. Sentence frames can also be used to teach comprehension skills like cause and effect, for example, “If _______, then _______.” Paragraph frames provide students with transitional words to piece together a strong paragraph. Display paragraph and sentence frames around the classroom for students to use.

Revising and Editing Stages

Multilingual learners may feel self-conscious when having their writing reviewed. Incorporate technological tools and a collaborative review process to help students feel more at ease.

Peer review is a great way for ELL students to reflect on key writing skills and improve their writing proficiency. During the peer review process, students receive and provide clear, constructive feedback. Both the reviewer and the reviewee benefit from the process, as the reviewee learns how to improve their writing and the reviewer builds awareness of the writing process. For multilingual students, peer review is especially helpful as they practice listening to, reading, and writing English. Model the peer review process with students and give students a guideline on how to provide specific feedback.

After a peer review, ELL students may get caught up in misspellings and grammatical mistakes. Consider using assistive technology to ease any possible editing anxiety. Assistive technology, like word prediction and spell-check, helps students come up with words to complete a sentence and flag misspellings or errors. Tools like digital dictionaries allow students to easily look up a word’s meaning and pronunciation to build spelling, speaking, and vocabulary skills.

When teaching writing, remember to meet students where they are and create a classroom culture where students feel encouraged to explore writing.

Set multilingual learners on an accelerated path to writing proficiency with English 3D , our dedicated ELD curriculum.

Guide all students in Grades 3-12 through the writing process with Writable .

Download our free guide to using response frames with multilingual learners.

• Equity & Access

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• Introduction : Curriculum Components
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The Four Principles of Middle School ELA Engagement

Middle school is a time when students are deeply and constantly engaged in their own emotions, relationships, and “ finstas .” Problem is, it’s also a time when engagement in academics is critical to future success in school and beyond.

Research confirms that getting middle schoolers on the path to college and career readiness requires a truly engaging curriculum. We need to channel middle schoolers’ excitement with their new ways of seeing and being in the world into tackling challenging academic experiences. That’s why we created four actionable principles of middle school ELA engagement . When it comes to ELA, these principles won’t just help your students “get through” middle school. They’ll help you get through to your middle schoolers.

Your students bring a unique and complex set of needs into your classroom. If you want to do more than just hold their attention for five minutes—that is, if you want to deliver the deep engagement that leads to deep learning—you’ve got to provide both content and pedagogy that speak to those needs.

Engagement principle no. 1: Empower students to become critical thinkers

To be fully engaged, middle school students need to know that the work they’re doing will matter, be recognized, and be relevant to their lives. They need lots of opportunities to develop, communicate, and refine their ideas in light of new observations. A truly engaging curriculum supports a range of observations and possible interpretations of the text and provides supports for students to refine these ideas as they read further. In this way, students gain a sense of control over their own learning and the opportunity to become critical, independent—even audacious—thinkers.

Below are some strategies for supporting and encouraging a culture of original thinking in your classroom:

• Be clear that the text, not the teacher, has all the answers. Ask questions such as, How did you get to that response? What might change if you considered a different point of view? Could you rephrase your response in a different way? Students develop their responses by following one simple rule: If you can justify it in the text, you can hold on to your interpretation
• Teach students to develop theories they refine with time, versus focusing on right or wrong answers. Students struggle when they think learning is only about getting it right. For example, when students consider the narrator of Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart,” it’s helpful to detach them from the goal of establishing one correct character analysis and instead help them to explore and problem-solve. For example, ask questions such as, “Why doesn’t this make sense?”
• Channel Socrates. A Socratic seminar—which emphasizes inquiry and discussion over definitive responses—brings home the importance and power of open-ended questions. During the seminar, you act as facilitator of conversation rather than deliverer of knowledge, posing questions, guiding the discussion, and prompting students to contribute.

Engagement principle no. 2: Provide opportunities and supports for all students to work “up”

When it comes to physical, emotional, social, and academic development, middle schoolers are all over the place. The phrase to remember is “low floors and high ceilings”—in other words, it’s all about providing multiple entry points and the right scaffolding opportunities so that every student can engage deeply with a rigorous curriculum.

The following differentiation strategies help to drive learning:

• Incorporate multimedia strategically. Often a video dramatization or audio recording can help students find their way into a complex text.
• Scaffold with sentence frames and modified prompts. These tools reduce linguistic barriers, enabling students to produce more complex writing and speech.
• Aptitude, brackish, circumference! Daily vocab practice will make a huge difference, with each student completing assignments specifically engineered to challenge them at their level of proficiency.

Engagement principle no. 3: Support feedback systems that develop strengths

Well-delivered feedback can be useful for anyone. It’s particularly potent for middle schoolers, who may be aware of learning differences among students, vulnerable to criticism, and frequently unwilling to ask for help when they’re floundering. For them, true engagement moments are born from a teacher’s ability to provide feedback in a way that helps them see opportunity rather than failure.

The following feedback strategies help to drive learning:

• Shoulder responsibility. Over-the-shoulder conferences during class give you the chance to offer unobtrusive, bite-size, encouraging, customized, and immediately actionable feedback.
• Build a classroom culture of feedback. Fact of school/life: it’s scary to share your work. But when you encourage your students to provide supportive, targeted responses and specific, skill-related comments—not to mention eye contact and smiles—you bring out the best in everyone.
• Focus rewrites on key skills. The written feedback you provide should be manageable and should target one or two specific places where a student needs help—say, with citing evidence to support a claim or combining sentences to better illustrate an idea.

Engagement principle no. 4: Engage multiple modalities, with particular attention to collaboration

All students need to “read” text in all sorts of ways—through hearing, speaking, writing, seeing, performing, and more. By providing multiple ways for students to interact with text, you are allowing them to process the language through distinct pathways.

The following multimodal strategies help to drive learning:

• Invite drama. Dramatic readings contribute to speaking and listening skills by giving students models of excellent oral performances and helping them learn to listen for subtle differences in delivery among different performers.
• Create great debate. A debate that students are motivated to engage vividly demonstrates the importance of evidence—including the way the one piece of evidence may be used to support two opposing arguments. Students also get to exercise their listening and public speaking skills.
• Encourage performance. Performance decisions are an exercise in text analysis, challenging students to make distinct choices about the meaning and purpose of every word.

A curriculum that embodies these principles of engagement will bring out the best in your middle school students and make your classroom a challenging, lively place to learn.  

Deb Sabin is the chief academic officer at Amplify, a next-generation curriculum and assessment company. She has taught in a variety of classrooms from alternative high schools, to elite prep schools, to international dual language schools.

Responsive Teaching in Action Part 5: Creating a Gender-Inclusive Curriculum

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Helping English Language Learners Decipher Tough Texts

Teachers can help ELL students read at higher levels by emphasizing sentence structure and meaning making.

Helping newcomer students who have interrupted educational backgrounds read high-level English texts is an enormous challenge for classroom teachers. How do you create meaning from a huge block of text when students are struggling with basic phonics? How do you engender understanding of an English text when students are emerging English language learners (ELLs)? 

This school year I taught a class of all emerging English high school learners (generally level 1 ELLs), and I noticed that their strategy of dealing with an English text was to take out their cellphones and use Google Lens to automatically translate text in the picture. Although I didn’t want to fully discourage student use of this tool, from a teaching perspective, I didn’t want them to rely on this as their only tool. As a language learner myself, I know that simply translating a block of text is not how I learn a new language. The process of figuring out meaning helps cement new information into my brain.

The challenge is how to encourage students to engage with text in a way that maintains student engagement throughout the lesson, while making the information comprehensible. This is the routine I used.

Partner Reading Routine

I created a collaborative protocol that enabled students to work together to make meaning of the new language they were encountering. After building background, introducing key vocabulary, and chunking the text into manageable parts for pairs of students, we would begin with the partner reading routine. This is the five-step process: 

1. Teacher reads, students listen. Students are able to hear fluency from an English speaker.

2. Students read. Students work in pairs and switch off reading, following along as their partner reads. 

3. Students read again. Students read their chunk of text a second time because the repeated reading allows for increased fluency and comprehension. 

4. Students determine what it means. Students comb the text for at least three subject and verb pairs, marking them with our annotation technique. 

Then, they speak to each other about what it means. I provide sentence frames, and we spend time modeling how to have an academic discussion in English. If possible, I strategically pair students who can speak to each other in their home language, since allowing students time to process in their home language increases both comprehension and English fluency.

In this step, students translate single words or short phrases with an online or physical word-to-word dictionary. This is an opportunity for students to develop dictionary skills, as long as the bulk of the time is not spent searching for the word. At first I observed students using their phones to translate large blocks of text, but as they gained more experience with the routine, students began to trust the process and only translated words they really did not know. 

5. Write what it means. The last step is taking what they understood it to mean in their home language and putting it into English. Students are expected to write a short sentence with a “who or what,” a “do,” and a short object phrase that describes what, where, when, or how. At the beginning of the year, I found students going right to Google Translate, but as they established trust in the process, they saw what they could do without relying on translation. Later on or the following day, I might use the sentences that students generated as a lesson in grammar or as the prompt for a class discussion on meaning. 

breaking the code of the english language

After a few months of using this strategy, students were constructing meaning from complex texts orally and in writing. The basis of the protocol is a strong foundation in basic English sentence structure. Throughout the year I explicitly, routinely, and systematically teach that every sentence has a subject and a verb. We combined the word subject with who or what . And a verb is what the who or what does. We started with simple, bare-bones sentences (e.g., “The tools lean” or “The dogs bark”).

Following the structure of the now-out-of-print curriculum Framing Your Thoughts and the work of William Van Cleave , I add on more pieces of the sentence—pronouns, adverbs, prepositions (which is the order laid out in most curricula). Slowly we begin moving into more complex sentence patterns, such as sentences that start with dependent clauses. Although teaching grammar in a vacuum is generally not considered to be best practice, I believe that when taught in the context of language learning and deciphering text, it gives students the tools they need to construct meaning. 

This strategy showcases the amazing things that newcomers to English are capable of, and it enabled them to access much higher level text. The routine can be adapted in many different ways. For example, for classes that need more support, student pairs could wait for teacher direction after each step. Occasionally, I had certain students use a list and check off each task as they went.

In classrooms where there is such a gap between the content and what students are able to access on their own, it can be hard to find ways for students to take on the majority of academic tasks. The routine and the foundation in sentence structure enabled students to take on significant intellectual work while also hitting all four language domains. Following strong routines, separating tasks into manageable parts, and breaking down the code of the English language are all useful tools to help students succeed.

Building Strong Writers: Activities & Writing Strategies for ELL Students

Why is writing so hard? This is a question that teachers hear on a daily basis from students. There is no denying that writing is difficult. However, for English Language Learners (ELLs), writing is made even harder because they are doing a task outside of their native language.

We have compiled a list of the best activities and writing strategies for ELL students that are designed to alleviate your ESL students’ struggles.

• Before You Begin

To determine which strategies will work best for your students, ask these four questions before they start writing:

• Do they already know how to read in their first language?
• How similar is the student’s home language to the English alphabet and syntax?
• How often does the student have the opportunity to practice reading and writing in English?
• How much background knowledge does the student have about the writing topic?
• The Importance of Scaffolding Writing for ELLs

In education, scaffolding is a teaching method where teachers help students complete tasks just beyond the point that they could achieve by themselves. It was developed by Russian psychologist Lev Vygotsky, who theorized that children learn best when an adult helps them expand upon what they already know and can do.

His theory birthed the concept of a Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD)—the area between what is known and unknown where students can achieve a task with guidance from a knowledgeable teacher. Over time, teachers gradually reduce support until the students can do the task themselves.

There are many benefits to scaffolding instruction for students:

• Tasks are simplified to make them more manageable.
• Student frustration is reduced.
• Students are better able to focus on learning objectives.
• Students build confidence in their abilities.

Scaffolding your instruction is key to the success of all students—especially ELLs.  When you make connections to what students already know, learning becomes more meaningful . Determining where and when scaffolding techniques are to be used (and later removed) is crucial in helping students reach their learning goals.

• ELL Writing Strategies for Scaffolding

ELLs benefit from scaffolding throughout the writing process. Below are a few types of scaffolding writing strategies for ELL students that can be used at any grade or language level.

1. Model Texts All ELL students need to see plenty of examples of the kind of writing you want them to produce. Model texts could be selected from high-quality literature, teacher-generated,  or student-authored pieces. Whatever text you select, make sure that it clearly demonstrates your learning objective.

2. Sentence Frames Sentence frames are sentences with strategically placed blanks for students to fill in. These are helpful for newcomers who are in the earlier stages of language proficiency, or for introducing a new type of sentence structure.

3. Sentence Stems Similar to sentence frames, sentence stems provide a prompt for students to begin writing. Sentence stems are more open-ended than sentence frames, but still offer structure and guidance for the writing activity.

4. Word Walls Word walls are an excellent scaffolding technique, as they can be customized to your language objectives. You may utilize a word wall for academic vocabulary terms or other important writing elements like signal words. You can make your word wall a more powerful teaching tool by making it interactive .

5. Graphic Organizers Beginning a writing task can be daunting for ELLs. Graphic organizers are effective teaching tools that help students visually organize information and break down writing into more manageable steps. Consider pre-filling parts of graphic organizers to scaffold for your ELLs.

• Writing Activities for ELL Students

When teaching writing to English language learners, it’s important to use authentic writing activities that allow them to write about their experiences. We’ve compiled a list of engaging writing activities along with scaffolding techniques to help each of your ELLs build their writing skills.

How to Journal with ELLs

• Student journaling can be an effective activity to help ELL students build confidence and develop writing skills. There are many different ways that teachers can use journaling in the classroom. Personal journals, dialogue journals, and content-specific journals such as science or math notebooks are all helpful teaching tools. For a more in-depth look at how journaling can benefit ELL students, read our article here .

Benefits for ELLs

• Journals can be used by ELLs of any proficiency level.
• Students have the opportunity to write in their native language .
• When used intentionally, journals can expand students’ vocabulary and higher-order thinking skills.

Strategies for ELLs

• For newcomers or those who have limited proficiency, consider allowing them to draw in their journals and label their pictures.
• Use picture dictionaries or other visuals to help students bridge their understanding between words that they know in their native language and English words.
• Provide sentence starters or writing prompts to help students get started with their writing.

Sequential Writing

How to do Sequential Writing with ELLs

• Have the students write the steps to do a familiar task like getting ready for school or making breakfast. Students can practice using new and unfamiliar words along with a routine activity.
• Sequencing is an important skill for reading comprehension and scientific inquiry.
• By selecting a familiar activity, you will ensure that ELL students have the background knowledge necessary for the activity.
• Students’ home cultures can be incorporated by including the activity as homework for ESL students—have students ask their parents to tell them the steps for making their favorite meal.
• Provide pictures for students to put in the correct order for a familiar activity. Have students practice labeling or matching words with the pictures. Reinforce keywords like “first,” “next,” “then,” etc.
• For students with progressing language skills, divide a paper into four sections. Have the students draw and label pictures for each step.
• Provide a sequence graphic organizer for ELL students to write the steps to the activity.

Creative Writing

How to Use Creative Writing with ELLs

• Short, creative writing activities can provide ELLs with engaging written expression examples and ideas.
• Have students write a social media post , like a tweet, about a current event or even as a book review.
• As part of a social studies unit, give ELL students an assignment to write a postcard from a country that they have been learning about in class or their native country.
• For students with more advanced language skills, have them create a fictional ad to introduce and practice persuasive writing .
• Incorporating social media activities can enhance ESL students’ digital literacy .
• Short, engaging activities reduce the cognitive load for ELL students while increasing their motivation.
• Use model texts so that students are familiar with the type of writing you assign.
• Create a word bank or personal word wall for students to reference relevant vocabulary words.

How to Use Poetry with ELLs

• The text in poetry is both purposeful and brief, so ELL students can understand the main point without becoming overwhelmed.
• Poetry offers opportunities for students to engage with language in a playful way.
• Poems are an excellent way to incorporate your students’ native cultures into your classroom.
• To scaffold, first create a poem as a group , then have students work in smaller groups or pairs to write independently.
• Have students create word maps to help them generate relevant vocabulary or varying adjectives to make their poetry more interesting.

Writing Programs for ELLs from Continental

Continental understands there are many different writing programs to choose from when teaching writing to English language learners. Our ELL writing programs are developed with the latest research and teacher-backed activities and feature the best writing strategies to support language development.

• My Language Journal

My Language Journal is a series of personal journals that provides ELLs with opportunities to practice their writing skills and develop their vocabulary through visual learning activities. My Language Journal can be used for grades K–12.

• Uses personal writing prompts to engage ELLs
• Customizable word logs help make learning meaningful
• Topics for social-emotional learning (SEL) and content areas
• Tier 2 and Tier 3 vocabulary support
• The Write Track for English Learners

The Write Track for English Learners focuses on writing development to help ELLs develop their written communication skills. It also helps students gain confidence with classroom writing assignments and state testing requirements. It’s designed for grades K–12 and English language proficiency levels 2–5.

• Provides complete instruction for a variety of writing areas
• Step-by-step instruction with guided practice and peer review
• Correlated to English language development (ELD) standards
• Interactive eBooks with online answering, instant scoring for immediate feedback, and performance reports

Instructional ELs workbooks feature a gradual release model to help English learners make gains in classroom writing.

Writing can be difficult even for native English speakers. Thankfully there are many ways to help ESL students not feel overwhelmed and discouraged. By using these writing strategies, you can help your students begin to feel more confident in their English language skills.

Thank you to Ellen Richardson, our ELL contributor, for consulting on this blog post.

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English Department to Launch New Writing, Rhetoric and Literacy Studies Concentration for Fall 2024

The Department of English in the College of Humanities and Fine Arts will feature a new concentration in its fall 2024 undergraduate curriculum designed to prepare its students to enter a variety of in-demand professional fields, including publishing, education, legal studies, writing for nonprofit organizations, digital content strategy and more.

The new concentration, Writing, Rhetoric and Literacy Studies (WRLS), will lead students through a sequence of five introductory, intermediate and advanced courses taught by leading scholars of writing, rhetoric and literacy studies.

“The English Department at UMass Amherst has long been known for its strengths in composition and rhetoric, providing leadership for the university’s groundbreaking College Writing and Junior Year Writing courses since 1980,” said David Fleming , professor of English, who teaches courses in rhetoric. “But in the last decade or so, we’ve seen a growing demand from students for more courses in writing. We’re excited to now unveil this new five-course concentration within the English major in Writing, Rhetoric and Literacy Studies, as well as a letter of specialization for non-majors.”

Students will develop skills in public writing, community research, drafting and revision, editing and publication, audience analysis, digital rhetoric, and multimodal composition. Students can gain experience analyzing and crafting writing for different audiences and with a view to the public good. They will practice writing across a range of genres, from grant proposals and policy statements to digital essays.

The curriculum equips students with valuable skills in verbal and written communication, qualities prized among employers across professions and applicable in any career. It also gives students the option to choose from a variety of electives to design their own course path in pursuit of a wide range of careers or graduate programs.

“With a new 200-level introductory course and a more encompassing view of the field of writing studies, the new program brings together an exciting range of scholarly, practical and professional topics,” Fleming adds. “It also recognizes one of the fastest growing and most vibrant areas of study within English studies, both nationally and here at UMass.”

The concentration has been approved by the UMass Faculty Senate, and students can begin enrolling for courses for the 2024-25 academic year. A listing of fall 2024 courses counting toward the concentration and specialization is available on the Department of English website .

Students who wish to add English with a WRLS concentration as a second major should contact English Undergraduate Program Coordinator Celeste Stoddard at  [email protected] or stop by the English Undergraduate Advising Office at E345 South College.

For more information, contact Janine Solberg, director of the WRLS concentration at [email protected] .