5 Skills Needed For Proficient Writing- #1 Transcription

As a 5th grade teacher, coming back after Christmas break meant one thing… standardized test season was just a few short months away! I always worried the most about the writing portions of these tests. Were my students ready? How could I build stamina in my reluctant writers? How could I ensure that all students write complete, thorough responses? Had I taught all my grade-level writing standards? How could I make the next few months a time of intense learning without making it scary and stressful??? Is your head swirling with all these same questions?

I recently read a book that helped me wrap my head around what it actually takes to become a skilled writer. Like reading, writing involves mastering several interconnected microskills. Joan Sedita’s Writing Rope, A Framework for Explicit Writing Instruction highlights five essential strands that contribute to writing proficiency. Like understanding Scarborough’s Reading Rope, this concept allows us to analyze the microskills that may be inhibiting our students’ ability to fluently and skillfully write.

In this blog series, we will look at each of the 5 strands through the intermediate lens. Hopefully, by breaking writing down into these subskills, we can make the whole process seem a little more manageable! Follow our plan and in 12 weeks, feel confident about your students writing ability for standardized testing.

5 Strands of the Writing Rope:

Transcription

Writing Craft

Text Structure

Syntax

Critial Thinking

Let’s begin with the Transcription Strand—a fundamental aspect of writing that includes handwriting (penmanship) and spelling. Understanding and addressing this strand is vital for supporting students’ writing development.

The Importance of Teaching Penmanship

Handwriting fluency is critical. Research shows that students who struggle with handwriting often expend so much effort on letter formation that they lack the cognitive resources to generate and organize ideas effectively (Olive & Kellogg, 2002). For all students, even those with high motivation and ideas, labored handwriting can interrupt the flow of thought, making it challenging to produce coherent sentences, paragraphs, and essays.

Graham and Santangelo (2014) emphasize that instruction in handwriting not only improves penmanship but also enhances the amount and quality of students’ writing. Handwriting is not just a motor skill; it is a written language skill, and occupational therapists agree that it can be developed at any age with targeted instruction and practice.

Actionable Steps for Penmanship Remediation

When a student struggles with penmanship, it’s important to act promptly. Here are evidence-based steps teachers can take:

1. It’s Never Too Late to Remediate Penmanship

While poor handwriting habits solidify early, making remediation difficult, even older students can improve their handwriting with explicit instruction and practice. The key is to focus on the foundational skills of pencil grip, letter formation, spacing, and fluency.

2. Remediation Steps Based on Research

  • Assess the Root Cause: Identify specific challenges—whether they involve fine motor skills, grip, letter formation, or spacing. Tools like handwriting screeners or consultation with an occupational therapist can be helpful.

  • Explicit Instruction: Teach letter formation systematically. Demonstrate how to write each letter, provide guided practice, and ensure consistent reinforcement. It is often helpful to begin instruction with cursive if a student has been writing in print. Teach letters that are formed the same way together (magic c letters- c, o, d, a, g, and q).

  • Practice with Purpose: Provide short, frequent practice sessions rather than lengthy drills. Encourage students to trace, copy, and write letters independently. This should not feel punative; instead, make it feel as calm and relaxing as possible.

  • Use Multi-Sensory Approaches: Incorporate activities that engage multiple senses, such as writing letters in sand, using textured paper, or tracing over raised lines.

  • Set Goals and Monitor Progress: Let students in on why fluent penmanship matters! If they buy in, they will progress way faster! Watch this video with your students and have an honest conversation about how they feel about penmanship and writing. Use rubrics or checklists to track improvements in letter formation and fluency over time. Celebrate small wins!

3. Recommendations for Proven Penmanship Programs

Several programs have demonstrated effectiveness in improving handwriting skills.

Why Penmanship is Better Than Keyboarding for Elementary Students:

Let’s briefly explore handwriting versus keyboarding. Handwriting plays a critical role in young students' cognitive and motor development, providing a foundational skill that enhances reading, writing, and memory. Research indicates that handwriting engages the brain in ways that keyboarding does not, fostering better retention of information and stronger neural connections related to literacy. While keyboarding is obviously a useful skill, “evidence reveals an advantage for handwriting using pen and paper over keyboarding for students in grades 2 to 6 for amount written, rate of word writing, and number of ideas expressed (Berniger 2012).

For elementary students, handwriting is superior to keyboarding because it strengthens fine motor skills, enhances memory, and supports literacy development by engaging the brain in ways keyboarding cannot. Writing by hand helps children form stronger connections between letters and sounds, critical for reading and spelling, making it an essential skill during early learning stages.

What about the reality that most standardized assessments are now given on a computer and require typed responses? Unfortunately, these tests evaluate not only students’ writing skills but also their typing ability, as their accuracy and fluency at the keyboard can directly affect the quality of their responses. While teaching typing is necessary, it shouldn’t replace focus placed on good penmanship (for most students). One approach is to have students handwrite their outline or response first and then type. This gives the opportunity to focus on ideas and organization without the additional burden of navigating a keyboard. Sometimes doing what’s best for our students has to take precedence over letting the creators of high-stake tests dictate our teaching practice.

For more research and handwriting resources, click the Reading Rev Handwriting Links List.

Why Explicit Spelling Instruction is Crucial for Writing

Accurate spelling is the second facet of transcription. Research has shown that strong spelling skills reduce the cognitive load required for transcription, allowing students to focus on higher-order writing tasks such as organization and idea development (McCutchen, 1996, 2006; Bourdin & Fayol, 1994, 2000). When students struggle with spelling, their ability to compose high-quality texts suffers (Graham et al., 1997).

Actionable Steps for Spelling Remediation

Older students who are struggling with spelling, will most likely struggle with writing! Spelling instruction and intervention is needed. When a student isn’t a proficient speller, it’s important to act promptly. Here are evidence-based steps teachers can take.

1. It’s Never Too Late to Remediate Spelling

I thought I was just born a poor speller. Then, in my thirties I began learning phonics so I could teach decoding and encoding to my students. Guess what? I wasn’t born a poor speller after all! I had just never learned phonics!

Explicit phonics instruction is the most effective way to teach spelling. By systematically teaching the relationships between sounds and letters, we help students internalize patterns that improve both their spelling and overall writing fluency.

2. Remediation Steps Based on Research

  • Assess the Root Cause: Identify specific challenges—assess what phonetic patterns your student has mastered and where he/she has gaps. Learn more about free diagnostic assessments here.

  • Explicit Instruction: Use a scope and sequence and begin instruction with the lowest (most basic) area of need. Work your way through the skills teaching one at a time and continually reviewing previously taught patterns.

  • Practice with Purpose: Provide short, frequent learning and practice sessions.

  • Use Multi-Sensory Approaches: Incorporate activities that engage multiple senses, such as tapping out sounds and syllables with Total Physical Response.

  • Set Goals and Monitor Progress: Use check-ins and assessments to monitor progress. Celebrate small successes! Read about student motivation here.

3. Recommendations for Proven Spelling Programs

Several programs have demonstrated effectiveness in improving phonics and spelling skills. Consider incorporating:

Find out more about evidence-based spelling instruction below.

Conclusion: Building a Strong Foundation for Writing Success

As teachers, we know that writing is one of the most complex skills our students will learn, combining cognitive, linguistic, and motor processes. Without strong transcription skills—handwriting and spelling—students can easily become overwhelmed, unable to devote the mental energy needed to generate and organize their ideas.

By addressing penmanship and spelling challenges head-on, we can equip our students with the tools they need to become confident and fluent writers. Whether it’s through explicit instruction, multisensory activities, or targeted remediation, every small step can make a significant difference. And remember, it’s never too late to teach these skills—every student deserves the opportunity to unlock their writing potential.

In the next post of this blog series, we’ll dive into the Writing Craft strand, exploring how to inspire creativity and guide students in expressing their ideas effectively. Together, let’s continue breaking down the writing process to build stronger, more confident writers in every classroom

Disclosure: This post contains one affiliate link, meaning I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you if you purchase The Writing Rope through this link.

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5 Skills Needed For Proficient Writing- #2 Syntax & Sentence Writing

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4 Tips to Help Students Transfer Phonics Patterns to Their Writing