How educators can promote writing skills in a tech-heavy world

March 5

There is no denying the world we live in has become heavily influenced and dependent on technology. Whereas this comes with many advantages, it can also come with downfalls.

One of those downfalls is the loss of a critical skill essential for continued education and long-term workplace success: writing. We may be using pencils less and less in our elementary school classrooms across the nation, yet we are still expecting kids to produce essays and strong writing projects.

An essential part of the writing process is the planning and rough draft stage, which is nothing without paper and pencil. Not only does this step now seem less appealing to students, but they also constantly complain of hand pain and cramping.

Here are five ways you can help promote writing skills in your classroom:

1. Make journaling a daily task. Let’s work on that endurance first! Every day, task students with a desired length of journaling time. It can start at 10 minutes and slowly increase as you see their stamina increase. Search for examples of writing prompts, and make them fun and engaging so it becomes something students enjoy.

2. Model writing consistently. As educators, we often assume kids just know how or were taught how to write. We need to take a lot into consideration such as the COVID-19 pandemic and inconsistent schooling during that time. Take a step back, and model the expectations for your students. I like to provide sentence frames for students as well as have them take notes to refer back to.

3. Hype up writing. I will be the first to admit that writing takes a back seat at times since it is just embedded into the day as part of ELA (English Language Arts). Be more intentional as a teacher, and set alarms to remind you to transition into a block of time just for writing. Encourage students to make a junk journal, or create a writing board in your classroom highlighting your strategies or showcasing exemplary work.

4. Celebrate young authors. Make a big deal of published works (final drafts), and take it a step further by having students create hard copies of final products (books, digital work). Highlight these students in classroom newsletters, and share their creations with parents to show off their hard work.

5. Make writing connections. Writing is connected to all subjects, but be intentional about highlighting how and when it does. For example, in reading, have students write a different ending to a story. In math, you can have students write word problems.

What are successful ways you encourage students to become better writers? Share your ideas with us on the Arizona PBS Kids Facebook page!

About the author

Marissa Will is the mother of two, Olivia (8) and Logan (7). Writing was her first passion: she’s a freelance writer and a Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication alumna. Will is currently educating the future leaders of tomorrow: She has spent over 10 years educating third graders, with a master’s degree in elementary education from Northern Arizona University-Yuma.