This document discusses strategies for improving student writing. It suggests that students are often boring writers because they lack knowledge of grammar, structure, genre conventions and how to impact the reader. The document advocates for scaffolding writing tasks and using constraints to prompt creativity. It provides examples of discourse markers, techniques for varying sentence structures, and an activity called "slow writing" intended to help students think more carefully about their writing.

1. D a v i d D i d a u
r e s e a r c h E D - 2 5 t h A p r i l 2 0 1 5

2. The Problem
• Why are so many students boring
writers?
• What do you need to know to write
well?
– Knowledge of grammar
– Understanding of structure
– Awareness of impact
– Knowledge of genre conventions

3. Whenever you see an expert doing
something differently from the way a
non-expert does it, it may well be that
the expert used to do it the way the
novice does it, and that doing so was a
necessary step on the way to expertise.
Daniel T Willingham
Every artist was first an amateur.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

4. “Wisely and slow. They
stumble that run fast.”
Romeo and Juliet
Act 2 scene 3

5. Scaffolding
• Simplify the task sufficiently to allow
pupils to attempt it but hard enough so
that everyone has to do something
challenging
• Never put up scaffolding unless you
have a plan for taking it down.

6. Do we want students to be
creative?
• A definition of creativity: overcoming
constraints
.

7. Focus on how not just what
• Use a mix of long and short sentences
• Avoid ‘and’ & ‘but’ (except at the
beginning of sentences!)
• Vary your discourse markers: as,
although, while, despite

8. Adding: and, also, as well as, moreover, too
Cause & effect: because, so, therefore, thus, consequently
Sequencing: next, then, first, finally, meanwhile, before, after
Qualifying: however, although, unless, except, if, as long as,
apart from, yet
Emphasising: above all, in particular, especially, significantly,
indeed, notably
Illustrating: for example, such as, for instance, as revealed by,
in the case of
Comparing: equally, in the same way, similarly, likewise, as
with, like
Contrasting: whereas, instead of, alternatively, otherwise,
unlike, on the other hand
Know your discourse markers

9. Do we want students to be
creative?
• A definition of creativity: overcoming
constraints
• Constraints can either prompt or stifle
creativity.

10. The problem with writing frames
Act 3 scene 2 is important because Brutus lets
Antony speak to the people of Rome which is the
turning point of the play. Antony makes what could
be the best persuasive speech in English literature. It
fits into the play because before Antony’s speech
Cassius persuades Brutus to join the conspiracy to
kills Caesar. Brutus then lets Antony speak at
Caesar’s funeral because he trusts him: “I know that
we shall have him well to friend”. This shows that
Brutus is wrong to trust Antony because he turns the
people of Rome to his side and gets them to riot.
Antony says, “Cry havoc! And let slip the dogs of
war”. This shows that he is deliberately making the
people riot.

11. Lexical density & black space
Act 3 scene 2 is important because Brutus lets
Antony speak to the people of Rome which is the
turning point of the play. Antony makes what could
be the best persuasive speech in English literature. It
fits into the play because before Antony’s speech
Cassius persuades Brutus to join the conspiracy to
kills Caesar. Brutus then lets Antony speak at
Caesar’s funeral because he trusts him: “I know that
we shall have him well to friend”. This shows that
Brutus is wrong to trust Antony because he turns the
people of Rome to his side and gets them to riot.
Antony says, “Cry havoc! And let slip the dogs of
war”. This shows that he is deliberately making the
people riot.

12. Lexical density & black space
The turning point of the play comes when Brutus lets
Antony speak to the people of Rome. Before
Antony’s speech, Cassius persuades Brutus to join
the conspiracy to kill Caesar. Brutus allows Antony to
speak because he trusts him: “I know that we shall
have him well to friend.” Brutus is wrong to trust
Antony. The line “Cry havoc! And let slip the dogs of
war” shows that Antony wants revenge and intends
to turn the people of Rome to his side and get them
to riot.

13. Slow Writing
Write an account of your day so far...
1. Your first sentence must be a question
2. Your second sentence must be 3 words
exactly
3. Your third sentence must begin with
“Although…”
4. Your fourth sentence must be 22 words
exactly
5. Your final sentence must begin with an
adverb (__ly)

14. Slow Writing on Triptico
https://app.tripticoplus.com/

15. Crafting analytical sentences
• Despite _______________, ____________
___________________________________.
Explain something positive about
George & Lennie’s relationship
Explain the consequences of Lennie’s actions

16. Crafting beautiful sentences
• Farm animals give off large amounts of
methane. Explain the effects of adding
large amounts of methane to the
atmosphere.
• Considering that _______________, ___
___________________________________.

17. Adding: and, also, as well as, moreover, too
Cause & effect: because, so, therefore, thus, consequently
Sequencing: next, then, first, finally, meanwhile, before, after
Qualifying: however, although, unless, except, if, as long as,
apart from, yet
Emphasising: above all, in particular, especially, significantly,
indeed, notably
Illustrating: for example, such as, for instance, as revealed by,
in the case of
Comparing: equally, in the same way, similarly, likewise, as
with, like
Contrasting: whereas, instead of, alternatively, otherwise,
unlike, on the other hand
Crafting analysis

18. Write a sentence describing the picture
Landscape with the Fall of Icarus, Pieter Bruegel

19. Did you notice Icarus?
Landscape with the Fall of Icarus, Pieter Bruegel

20. Landscape with the Fall of Icarus, Pieter Bruegel
Now, start the sentence with the phrase,
“At first glance…”

21. Key messages
• Slowing down makes us think about
how, not just what
• Constraints prompt creativity
• Thinking becomes more sophisticated
when it is expertly scaffolded.