Research says...

It's always nice to have research that supports what happens in your classroom. I might of done a happy dance when I came across this tad-bit of research a month ago.

The article came from NCTE: "What we Know about Writing"

I have two goals for writing in my classroom:

1. Writing needs to be purposeful

"Finding ways for learners to write informally and throughout their learning experiences, writing that is not formally developed or graded, can help learners understand and value the important role writing can play in support learning."

I do not want to have my students write prompt after prompt and become writing zombies in doing so. They should value writing and make a conscience effort to monitor how their writing is progressing.

2. Writing needs to be engaging

"The "language arts" develop in concert. Drawing supports writing, writing supports reading; opportunity to use multiple expressions of lanugae increases language learning and ability."

Through the use of an interactive notebook I have been able to incorportate drawing, writing and reading into one process. Truth be told I am always a little bit weary when we bust out the Crayolas; the reason being...I am sure drawing/coloring seems to lack any learning potential, but now I can say drawing supports writing which supports reading!

End of Story