Teaching Writing: The 'what' and 'how' of effective instruction (online)

What does writing look like in a structured literacy environment?

In this workshop we will cover all the key elements of an effective writing programme, including evidence-based methods for teaching the technical skills (handwriting, spelling, and sentence structure) and best practice for teaching composition (the students writing their own, original ideas). All participants will receive copies of key resources, including my spelling programme, a guide to teaching sentence structure, and my scope and sequence of writing goals. Four writing units will also be shared - to fast track planning in Term 3.

Assessment will be a another key focus. In particular, formative assessment of the draft writing book, though we will also discuss options for school-wide, summative assessment.

About me:

Dr Helen Walls is a professional learning facilitator and educational researcher, with twenty years’ experience working in schools. She is committed to raising achievement in writing by sharing evidence-based, practical methods that will engage every student. Helen is Managing Director of The Writing Teacher - a consultancy which provides writing workshops and resources for teachers, all accessible online. She also works in schools as a professional learning facilitator. For her PhD thesis, Helen conducted two empirical studies into the teaching of writing. The first was a trial of the Fast Feedback Formative Evaluation System. The second was a survey of teachers’ beliefs and practices, and an investigation of the impacts of these on student achievement. She has published with Essential Resources, The Australian Journal of Learning Difficulties and The Education Hub. She is currently a member of the Ministerial Advisory Group, working to ensure that out literacy curriculum is science-based and robust.