The (Not So) Simple View of Writing

Literacy

Jun 23

Written By Sarah

Writing isn’t just about putting words on a page. It’s a complex process that requires a child to juggle transcription, composition, executive functioning, and working memory—all at the same time.

Let’s break it down: 

When we think about transcription, we think about foundational writing skills that allow us to literally put words on paper (or screen). These skills include handwriting, typing, punctuation, spelling, and spatial organization.

When we think about composition, we think about the ideas that go into writing. It's about turning ideas into words and sentences — the knowledge of the topic we are writing about, understanding the elements of the writing genre, organization of ideas, knowing our audience, and vocabulary.

The somewhat sneaky component to this (not so) Simple View of Writing is executive functioning. Writing is hard. Many students struggle with stamina and quickly announce, "I'm done" after writing a couple of sentences. On the outside, this can look like the student doesn't care or isn't putting in enough effort. But there is often more going on than simply not wanting to do the work. Sometimes students save face because they don't have the foundational transcription skills and would rather have a few correctly spelled sentences than an imperfect paragraph. Other times, the act of writing is just taxing because it requires so many executive functioning skills like attention, planning, motivation, and self-regulation.

And then, to top it all off, we have working memory running in the background the entire time, helping kids hold onto their ideas long enough to write them down. All of these components are happening simultaneously and can be draining for many students. In my Writing Guide, I share tips on how to meet students where they are and push just a little bit more at a time to increase their stamina over time.

What does the Simple View of Writing mean for homeschoolers?

Teach foundational writing skills like handwriting/typing and spelling.
Start writing instruction at the sentence level (K-2) and then work up to paragraph/essay level with a systematic and explicit writing program.
Writing is hard because it requires a lot of executive functioning. Meet your child where they are and support their needs!

But what about copywork and narration?

Homeschool writing programs often feature copywork, narration, and notebooking. While these are great strategies to include, they are not a substitute for formal writing instruction. Research shows that ALL children benefit from systematic, explicit writing instruction. Children should be physically writing original ideas from 5-6 years old and up.