Writing for Understanding

Writing for Understanding is for teachers. The book lays out a manageable, effective approach to teacher planning so that students have access to all of those elements, especially the first three, before they sit down to write. Based on the principle of “backward design” (Wiggins and McTighe), it conceptualizes planning for writing instruction in terms of key elements. These are: Central Ideas What is it that I want students to understand about this content? What understandings about the craft of writing do I want them to grasp? Focusing Question What question will I pose so that students can see how to approach this thinking/writing in a specific, appropriate, manageable way? Building and Processing Working Knowledge How am I going to make sure that students know enough about this subject by the end to actually be able to write about it? Structure How will my students know how to construct/build this piece of writing so that their thinking is clear, both to them as writers and to the readers of their work? Writing How will my students draft/revise so that their final writing is clearly focused, organized, and developed to show understanding of the central ideas? In the book, we will explain each of these elements in detail, making ample use of student work and teacher think-a-louds as we go.

Writing for Understanding is for teachers. The book lays out a manageable, effective approach to teacher planning so that students have access to all of those elements, especially the first three, before they sit down to write. Based on the principle of “backward design” (Wiggins and McTighe), it conceptualizes planning for writing instruction in terms of key elements. These are: Central Ideas What is it that I want students to understand about this content? What understandings about the craft of writing do I want them to grasp? Focusing Question What question will I pose so that students can see how to approach this thinking/writing in a specific, appropriate, manageable way? Building and Processing Working Knowledge How am I going to make sure that students know enough about this subject by the end to actually be able to write about it? Structure How will my students know how to construct/build this piece of writing so that their thinking is clear, both to them as writers and to the readers of their work? Writing How will my students draft/revise so that their final writing is clearly focused, organized, and developed to show understanding of the central ideas? In the book, we will explain each of these elements in detail, making ample use of student work and teacher think-alouds as we go. In the Introduction, we lay out the argument for paying close attention to the role of understanding in the composition process. Chapter One takes a close look at what we mean by “effective writing” and explains the Writing for Understanding approach to planning and instruction in greater detail. In Chapter Two, we begin examining each planning element listed above, working with the idea of planning for a focus for student thinking and writing. Chapter Three explains the importance of planning for the acquisition of knowledge and understanding in both content and writing craft, and offers examples of what this can look like. In Chapter Four, we examine the role of structure in writing and show some ways in which teachers can plan for structure in writing. Chapter Five works with drafting and embedded revision (formative assessment on the part of both student and teacher). Chapter Six examines the question of transfer, moving away from guided instruction to more independent work. And transfer is the ultimate goal of Writing for Understanding: the point where students have internalized the ability to write effectively and can apply it in new situations. The authors of Writing for Understanding remind us throughout this thorough and practical book that the best writing depends upon clear and vital ideas about a subject - not simply practiced skill in stringing pretty sentences together. As the authors so succinctly put it, “Many problems in writing are really problems in understandng: students often know little about what they are trying to write.”

Joey has taught at the middle school level for 27 years,for the past 15 years, Joey has been deeply involved with writing instruction at the state level in Vermont. She has worked as a writing network leader, and at the Vermont Department of Education. Collaboration has been key to Joey's work, both in her own classroom and now with other teachers. For the last five years, she has provided school-based professional development in writing for many schools around the state, working closely with teachers from Kindergarten through Grade 12. Much of this work has involved providing graduate level courses, and all has been tailored to the specific writing instruction needs of the school or district. Joey is the lead author of Writing for Understanding: Using Backward Design to Help All Students Write Effectively, published in 2008 by Authentic Education. A founding member of the Vermont Writing Collaborative, she shares the commitment of her colleagues to helping all students write thoughtfully and effectively.