Strategies for Creating Text-Based Writing Prompts?

Hi Jane, Thanks for this great question. I think most of us would agree that supporting learners to develop effective writing skills is one of the greatest challenges we teachers face. Learning to write well is hard work. I think you have a great idea to answer the prompt first to be sure it aligns with your instructional goals.

For me, what has been helpful is looking closely at the anchor and the level descriptors in the standards. For instance, if the goal is to have students write an argument essay (Writing Anchor 1), I want to make it clear to learners that they need to use "valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence." At Level C, learners specifically need to logically order their reasons and support their reasons with "facts and details". They need to use words and phrases that link their opinion and reasons such as consequently and specifically. They also need to "provide a concluding statement related to the opinion presented."

It is useful to include these details in a rubric, so that learners understand what is expected. I would also want to provide them with models that illustrate these particulars so they can see what strong writing looks like. We spend some time in class discussing each of the elements in the standard and identify how the model essay addresses those elements.

I would love to hear more from members on this valuable topic.

Cheers, Susan Finn Miller

Moderator, Teaching & Learning CoP

Colleagues, I often have my students verbally discuss topics. Sometimes, these debates get very animated. After the discussion, students reflect on the highlights and identify the points that classmates made that we're thought provoking. Giving students time to discuss before writing assists in better writing and improved responses. Have any of you combined debates with prompts? If so, how do you introduce topics and what successes do you see? Kathy Tracey

This isn't exactly about writing prompts because I often use variations on the GED or HiSET prompts. They aren't necessarily the best, but students need to learn what they look like and how they're expected to respond to them. Instead of changing the prompt, I tend to scaffold the activities that lead up to it.

One method that I have found useful is to have students use graphic organizers to think about the features of the text that you want them to notice. For an argument, for example, I might have students write the author's main points in the left-hand column of a table and the corresponding evidence in the right-hand column. Sometimes I will also use this as a pre-writing activity, where students will write their own points in the left column and put the corresponding evidence in the right-hand column. This allows students to get their ideas in order without worrying about the technicalities of writing (grammar, vocabulary, punctuation, etc...). We can talk about whether the student has relevant and sufficient support for each point before the actual writing begins.