Writing is a powerful instrument of thinking because it provides students with a way of gaining control over their thoughts. Writing shapes their perceptions of themselves and the world. It aids in their personal growth and their effecting change on the environment. Students are often unaware of the power of the written word, yet the written word:
... enables the writer, perhaps for the first time, to sense the power of ... language to affect another. Through using, selecting and rejecting, arranging and rearranging language, the student comes to understand how language is used.
(Greenberg & Rath, 1985, p. 12)
Adolescents' writing abilities develop gradually with incremental and uneven progress. In order to become empowered in writing, students need concentration, instruction, practice, and patience.
The teacher's mandate is to assist adolescents to gain control over the written word. Students in grade 10 should:
| Writing as Process | A Variety of Witing Experiences | Writing Folders (Dossiers) and Portfolios | Assessment of Writing | Conventions of Writing |