Twenty-sixth International Conference on Learning

Abstract

The ability to write well is an essential skill in every aspect of life, not just in academic settings. However, learning to write proficiently can be difficult for all students whether in primary school or post-secondary courses. It is typically even more challenging for students who struggle with writing. Therefore, it is important students learn the skills and strategies they need to use and manage the writing process: pre-writing, drafting, revising, and editing. The writing process tends to be recursive rather than linear, often requiring students to move back and forth through the different stages. To support struggling writers, procedural facilitators such as writer’s checklists provide explicit, scaffolded frameworks to guide students as they complete each stage. This session will present writer’s checklists within the instructional framework of the Gradual Release of Responsibility model (I Do, We Do, You Do). The workshop can be adjusted to fit small and/or large numbers of participants. Participants will follow along as the writer’s checklist for planning is modeled to respond to a writing prompt. Afterwards, participants will be sorted into small groups for collaborative practice using the checklists for drafting, revising, and editing, as time permits, to complete the written work. Upon completion, groups will share their experiences with using the checklists and brainstorm ways to adapt, modify, and accommodate the checklists based on students’ diverse instructional needs. The presentation will include handouts of checklists and examples as well as access to digital copies that can be adapted to fit participants’ needs.