Quick Writing Strategies to Help Students Learn

by Terry Myers Zawacki, WAC Director

Think, Pair, Share: Ask a question and have students write a short response. Give them a few minutes to talk to a partner about their response.

Priming the Pump: At the start of class, ask students to write down a question they would like to ask you about the material from the last class or the reading for the day. Collect the questions and pick one or two to discuss at the end of class or the start of the next class.

Clarification Pauses: About 15-20 minutes into the class, ask students to write down any questions they have at that point. Or ask them to summarize what they’ve heard so far. They can share their questions or summaries with a partner.

Think, Pair, Share at close of class: Ask students to summarize in 3-5 sentences the key points of the material you presented that day. They should discuss what they’ve written with a partner. You may want to collect their notes and choose one or more to read for the next class.

Minute Paper: At the end of class, ask a question about the day’s material for students to answer in writing. Some useful minute questions:

• Give the most important point from today’s class.
• Give an example of a specific thing the professor does that helps you (or makes it more difficult) to learn [insert appropriate topic for your course].
• What was the most difficult or confusing thing in today’s class?

Not all informal writing needs to be done in class:

Practice essay exams:

• Give students a sample question with clear directions and criteria. Ask them to read the question in class and mark any parts that are unclear or that they are unsure about.
• Students complete the essay outside of class and then meet in groups to compare their responses. Ask them to select one practice essay from each group to turn in to you. [You may want to give the student who wrote the selected essay extra credit.]
• Use the best practice essay(s) of those submitted as models with the class, explaining what makes the essays good.

Microthemes:

• Have students write 200-250 words [on the reading, the lecture] with a thesis and evidence.
• Collect and choose a random number to score each time. Give a number score and tell students the criteria for each score. Use best microthemes as models and for teaching course concepts.

Journals: Journals work best if you give students specific prompts, e.g.:

• Connect a course concept with personal or observed experiences.
• Describe material you’re having trouble understanding: what’s difficult about the lesson?
• Explain course content to a peer.
• Write a letter to your peer about a concept(s) from today’s lecture/readings/discussion/etc.

Cick here for Questions to Guide Students in Reflecting on Their Own Writing.