Teaching expository writing?
Go slowly. Regular practice is essential.

Teaching expository writing and reading begins with teaching students to recognize the elements in expository prose that require their attention.

There are many strategies for teaching expository writing patterns. You’ll have to use every one. You’ll probably have to invent others I haven’t thought of.

If you think all you need do is teach a lesson on expository prose that you downloaded from the Internet, think again. Even if you are using the very best teaching practices, students will require months to become competent at producing expository prose.

You cannot cram instruction in expository writing into a unit or lesson any more than you can lose 20 pounds in a weekend. You’ll have to work at pattern recognition consistently in frequent short lessons for months before all your students get it.

Writing is a complex skill

A skill is knowledge applied in a hands-on way to produce a physical object or achieve an objective goal. Complex skills are actually collections of skills performed simultaneously or in such rapid succession as to appear simultaneous.

Some familiar examples of complex skills are:

• Driving a car

• Playing tennis

• Playing a musical instrument

• Gardening

Competence at a skill is prerequisite to proficiency at that skill.

Writing belongs on any list of complex skills. It consists of many sub-skills that the writer has to perform simultaneously in order to be considered competent.

Key to skill proficiency: practice

A recently published study by a researcher at the University of Arkansas found that world-class musicians become proficient by practicing music. It was not simply a matter of natural aptitude or genetic makeup.

Talent alone—or even talent coupled with motivation, good teaching, and family support— doesn't produce prodigies. Practice over a long period of time is necessary, even for students who have natural aptitude.

Short, regularly spaced practice sessions are more
effective than long sessions of practice at infrequent or irregular intervals. That principle holds true regardless of how bright, talented, or motivated a youngster is.

To become competent at a complex skill (whether that skill is tennis, violin, or writing) students who lack talent or motivation need shorter practice sessions over a longer period of time than students who are talented or highly motivated.

Of course, not everyone will become a world class musician no matter how hard she or he practices. And not everyone who works hard at writing becomes a successful writer. Talent and circumstances play a role. However, all students can learn to write competently, given enough time and practice.

How long will teaching writing take?

Teaching expository writing well enough that all students become competent writers will take longer than you expect. What you think is a piece of cake, may be hardtack to your students.

I can't tell you how many pieces of writing will be needed any more than I can say how Caitlin will have to practice "The Happy Farmer" before she can play it well.

It's safe to say students won't learn to write in 30 days. The writing practice needs to be spread over a period of time. You can't develop a skill by cramming.

The pieces of writing need not be lengthy. Even short writing pieces (as short as one paragraph) help students bring their pens under the control of their mental processes.

As little as a single paragraph can provide adequate practice, providing the student actually goes through all the steps of the writing process, from topic to proofreading.

Do not think that having students do worksheets, read good writing, or complete grammar exercises is teaching writing.

To get full benefit from short writing sessions, you need to have students edit intermediate writing steps in the writing process (like a working thesis or outline). They also must edit their informal writing before they submit it.

How to know when you are finished

You can stop teaching writing when students achieve competence but not before.

When a student has met my standards for competent writing on three consecutive formal writing assignments, I consider that student to have achieved competence. At that point, I'm done teaching expository writing to that student.

I consider competent writing worthy of a grade of C. In my experience, once students achieve "C-level" they have all the skills necessary to write at the B or A level. They need only a few more opportunities to practice before they are doing B- or A- writing.

Teaching expository writing until students get to the point of competence is a long haul. Once you are there, however, you find it was worth the effort.

Return to the start of the best practices thread from this page about teaching expository writing.