Writing Instruction
Effective writing instruction is key to helping students communicate clearly, think critically, and succeed across all subjects. Explore these essential resources to strengthen writing instruction and support students in developing strong communication skills.
Connecticut Writing Portfolio for Grades K-2: The Writing Portfolio Guides for Grades K–2 provide teachers with resources to support writing instruction throughout the school year. Each guide includes a sample reading text and a writing prompt that can be replicated or used as a model to assess student writing and monitor progress over time, with each prompt targeting a specific writing purpose. The guides also include scoring rubrics and a collection of transcribed and annotated student-response anchor papers. Together, these resources can be used with a variety of grade-level texts and writing activities to inform and strengthen classroom writing instruction.
Connecticut Writing Project at Fairfield University: The Connecticut Writing Project-Fairfield, an affiliate of the National Writing Project, is dedicated to improving students’ writing by strengthening the teaching of writing, providing professional development programs for classroom teachers, and expanding the professional roles of teachers.
Connecticut Writing Project at the University of Connecticut: The CWP-Storrs offers opportunities for professional growth to teachers in all disciplines who recognize the worth of using writing as a means of learning.
Educator’s Practice Guide: What Works Clearinghouse Teaching Elementary School Students to Be Effective Writers: This practice guide offers four recommendations to enhance elementary students’ writing. Each recommendation includes steps for implementation and solutions for common challenges. The recommendations also summarize and evaluate supporting evidence. This guide is intended for teachers, literacy coaches, and other educators aiming to improve their elementary students’ writing skills. (Tier 1-Strong Research Evidence: Teach students to use the writing process for a variety of purposes.)
Educators’ Practice Guide Summary: What Works Clearinghouse Teaching Elementary School Students to Be Effective Writers: Practice Guide Summary: This document summarizes recommendations for improving elementary students’ writing. (Tier 1-Strong Research Evidence: Teach students to use the writing process for a variety of purposes.)
Components of Effective Writing Instruction by Louise Spear-Swerling, Professor Emerita in the Department of Special Education at Southern Connecticut State University: This article examines the foundational skills required for written expression and presents instructional approaches to support students in developing and coordinating these skills as their writing proficiency advances. The information is applicable to both general education and special education settings.