Idea — Low-stakes tasks — exit tickets, quick reactions, informal lists — build writing confidence without the weight of a graded assignment. Example — ‘Write one thing you learned this lesson in exactly ten words’…
Idea — Peer feedback builds critical reading skills in the responder and shows the writer how a real reader responds. It is not a shortcut. Example — Learner A reads Learner B’s paragraph and says:…
Idea — Margin codes tell learners the type of error without giving the answer: T = tense, Sp = spelling, WO = word order. Learners self-correct. Example — ‘She have been there’ gets a T…
Idea — Cohesion is how a text holds together — through pronouns, synonyms, discourse markers, and reference chains. Without it, sentences are isolated facts. Example — ‘She arrived late. The teacher was already speaking. This…
Idea — A well-formed paragraph has a topic sentence, supporting evidence or detail, and a closing sentence. This structure transfers across genres. Example — Topic: ‘Commuting by bike saves money.’ Evidence: ‘A monthly bus pass…
Idea — Every text type has conventions — emails open differently from essays, reports from stories. Teaching the genre before teaching the content cuts confusion. Example — Before teaching formal letters, show an annotated model:…
Idea — Editing is the revision of one’s own writing for accuracy — grammar, punctuation, word choice. It requires learners to distance themselves from their own text. Example — After drafting, give learners a simple…
Idea — First drafts are for getting ideas down — fluency over accuracy. Teaching learners to draft without self-editing first is a skill in itself. Example — ‘Write for five minutes without stopping. Spelling and…
Idea — Planning before writing improves coherence and reduces mid-draft paralysis. Teaching learners to plan is itself a productive-skill lesson. Example — A mind map, a bullet-point list, or a paragraph-by-paragraph outline — any visible…
Idea — Process writing treats writing as a cycle: plan, draft, revise, edit. The product is secondary to the thinking behind it. Example — Learners brainstorm, write a rough first draft, swap for peer feedback,…