Schools may want to examine the instruction that is being offered for on-demand writing. These guiding questions may help in this examination.
1. What instruction is given to assist students in reading the prompts critically in order to make the better choice between the two prompts offered?
2. What instruction is given for analyzing the task to identify the purpose, audience, and form?
3. Instruction must be provided to help students to internalize the criteria for effective writing.
• What prewriting strategies are addressed in your instruction to help students focus on purpose, audience, and form?
• What instructional strategies are provided for students regarding idea development and support?
• What instructional strategies are provided for students regarding organization?
• What strategies are provided to help students with self-revision?
• What strategies are taught to help students with self-editing?
4. What methods do you use to lead students from guided instruction to independent use? In other words, how do you provide instructional support or scaffolding for on-demand writing?
5. How are models used during student instruction?
6. What instruction is given on how narrating an event in a letter, article, editorial, or speech to advance a purpose is different than writing a personal narrative?
7. What instruction is given to help students understand how the use of persuasion in an article may differ from the use of persuasion in an editorial?
8. What instruction is given to help students in responding to a text, a graphic, or a chart?
9. What feedback is provided for students upon completion of an on-demand writing?
10. What opportunities do your students have to rewrite to proficiency?