Principles of the Program

Our Writing Instruction Program is based upon these 10 principles:

1. Writing is a skill that all students can learn.
2. Writing is a form of discovering, thinking, and learning, both about ourselves and about the world around us.
3. Students develop their writing skills best by engaging in frequent practice for a variety of purposes, audiences, and situations, including computer-based environments.
4. Writing is a process. Writers need to explore and discover which strategies work best for them.
5. Writing and reading are closely connected. Frequent, wide-ranging, critical reading gives writers information and familiarity with writing strategies.
6. Writing is a social act. Students develop as writers when they discuss their work, generate ideas together, and respond to each other’s work-in-progress.
7. Students develop as writers by learning how to locate, evaluate, and use a wide variety of ideas from print and electronic sources.
8. To write successfully in most contexts, students must become comfortable employing the rules and conventions of Standard American English.
9. Writing is an important means for citizens to participate in their government and contribute to their communities.
10. Writing is a powerful tool that must be used responsibly.