Strong writing skills are essential for cognitive and intellectual development. At Gilliam Writers Group, our writing tutors are committed to helping adolescents in middle and high school improve their abilities using educational approaches supported by peer-reviewed research. We firmly believe in the power of effective, evidence-based instructional strategies to foster growth in our young writers. 

In this blog post, we’ll discuss an influential 2007 report titled "Writing Next: Effective strategies to improve writing of adolescents in middle and high schools." The report (available for download here) was published in 2007 by Steve Graham and Dolores Perin, who prepared it for the Carnegie Corporation of New York in collaboration with the Alliance for Excellent Education.

Let’s begin with an overview of the report’s content and findings. Its main focus is to provide insights into instructional strategies that enhance the writing skills of middle and high school students. In order to do this, Graham and Perin conducted an extensive review of the existing research on writing instruction, and identified eleven specific instructional practices that have been shown to better students' ability in this area. The report highlights the importance of teaching specific writing strategies, such as summarizing, note-taking, and planning, and also emphasizes the importance of giving students ample opportunities for practice, feedback, and revision. Additionally, it stresses the value of integrating technology into the writing process in order to engage students and improve their facility with computers and word processors.

The report also explains why schools should seek to develop students' writing skills across various disciplines and subject areas, including the STEM fields, rather than limiting writing instruction to English language arts classes alone. Graham and Perrin accordingly advocate for a cross-disciplinary approach to writing instruction, wherein teachers of different subjects collaborate to reinforce students' writing development. 

The report’s discussion of cross-disciplinary writing instruction had a productive impact in the world of education. Graham and Perrin recommended a new, more integrated approach designed to reinforce the benefits of writing in different academic contexts, explaining that students’ writing skills flourish when they are encouraged to apply said skills across a variety of domains. As it turns out, this increases student interest in both writing itself and in the specific disciplines being written about. As a result, educators (at least, those with adequate funding and institutional support) began to incorporate more long-form writing activities into subjects such as science, mathematics, and history. 

One of the other key contributions of the report is, as mentioned above, its identification of eleven instructional practices that have proven effective at enhancing students' writing abilities. Since the report’s 2007 publication, these practices have provided countless educators with a clear set of guidelines to follow when designing their lessons. The report emphasizes that these practices should not be viewed in isolation, but rather as a collective framework for comprehensive writing instruction.

The report also highlights the impact of professional development on teachers’ efficacy as writing instructors, indicating that ongoing training and support are crucial if educators are to effectively implement the eleven recommended instructional strategies. This finding underscores the importance of investing in teacher professional development programs that provide training in writing instruction. The Gilliam Writers Group agrees that teacher training is key, as some of our writing coaching and tutoring clients are, in fact, teachers! We’ve found that not only students, but teachers, too, can benefit from regular sessions with our faculty; the training that these professionals receive from GWG goes on to benefit countless students throughout their careers.

Overall, "Writing Next" offers a comprehensive overview of evidence-based practices that educators can employ to enhance the writing skills of adolescents in middle and high schools. The document has become a valuable resource for educators (as well as policymakers and researchers) seeking to improve writing instruction and student outcomes in various educational settings, whether in the physical classroom or during writing tutoring sessions online through a company like the Gilliam Writers Group. 

The "Writing Next" report on educational practice has served as a catalyst for myriad reforms and policy changes aimed at improving writing instruction and student engagement. School districts and policymakers (and online writing tutoring services!) have used the report as a reference to inform curriculum development, instructional strategies, and the implementation of professional development initiatives. The report has also sparked further research in the field of writing instruction, improving our understanding of effective teaching practices in this area and how best to employ them.

At the Gilliam Writers Group, we value the "Writing Next" report and have closely followed its implications for writing instruction. Our online writing tutors often draw on the report’s findings and recommendations when designing our programs and meeting with students. The eleven instructional practices outlined in the report provide us with a customizable yet universal set of guidelines to follow as educators, ensuring each of our students receives tailored instruction that aligns with evidence-based, peer-reviewed approaches. Through personalized one-on-one writing lessons, targeted feedback, and structured opportunities for practice, we help our students become more confident and effective writers over time.

In future blog posts, we’ll look more closely at the eleven instructional practices identified in the “Writing Next” report, explaining each practice’s benefits and detailing how our creative and academic writing tutors incorporate it into lessons. By aligning our teaching practices with the research-based recommendations of "Writing Next" (among other bodies of work), the Gilliam Writers Group aims to support our students’ academic and intellectual growth as effectively as possible. 

If you’re seeking private writing lessons online for yourself or your student, please don’t hesitate to reach out. You can schedule a free 15-minute consultation call on our Contact page.