Maybe it's because the shift to standardized testing has replaced essay writing? Kids just don't do it as much anymore. I don't base that on any research, it's just a feeling I have from talking to teachers. Is it true? This is part of a larger question about literacy, but it's important to discuss whether our instructional practices in the classroom are tied to something the students will need outside of school.
Being able to make an argument, defend it, and articulate your viewpoint in a persuasive way is something that all kids can benefit from both in grade school and their life in and beyond college. The DBQ essay, compare and contrast essay, and even creative writing can teach them to do this. Of course, the ability to write is tied closely to the ability to read which many Dallas students struggle with, but teaching grammar and breaking down sentence structure could be one of those missing pieces. We don't teach those things explicitly as much as we did and maybe that has something to do with the number of struggling readers we have. Not the most persuasive thing coming from a blogger, I know, but if this were a book I was writing, I promise I'd proofread. Until then, enjoy these minor typos because they're here to stay!
Happy Monday folks!
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