Is Writing Important? 3 Reasons Middle School Students Should Write

“Is writing important?” A common question at the beginning of the year in my classroom. Many students dread writing and don’t understand why they have to write. So I spend the first weeks of school (and the entire year) showing students why writing is so important. 

As ELA teachers, we have the task of guiding students through the writing process to be effective communicators and successful writers in all other subjects and life! Writing should be a focus all year, and here are some reasons why.  

Writing Develops Critical Thinking Skills

To begin, writing is important because it develops critical thinking skills. When students write, they must analyze information, synthesize ideas, and evaluate arguments; higher-level thinking skills require students to think critically. 

This process requires students to use their own experiences and knowledge to make connections between different topics.  

Writing Activities for Critical Thinking

• View photos and respond to questions or prompts as it relates to a unit of study

• Respond to an essential question at the beginning and end of a unit. Then have students review both responses and write about how their thinking changed and what information from the unit influenced their thinking.

• Students write questions as they read and, after reading, go through and answer their questions or answer questions posed by peers (use unanswered questions to prepare for a class discussion). 

• For nonfiction reading, turn subheadings into questions and search for the answer in the text that follows each subheading. Did the information answer the question? Does it leave the reader with more questions?  

Students need to be able to think critically about information and effectively communicate their ideas. Effective written communication is an invaluable skill and one that many employers believe employees lack.

Writing is an Essential Skill (in school and in life)

Students must be able to communicate ideas in the real world, and that can start in the classroom. The students need to understand how they will use writing when entering the ‘real world’ because, in middle school, they are not making the connections between skills learned in school and how the skills will transfer to life outside of school. 

Teachers need to make a connection between the skill and its thread to the real world for students. Explaining the ‘why’ when introducing any lesson is a beneficial practice; it helps students understand the skill and how it benefits them in their lives. 

Real World Writing Ideas for the Classroom

• Email a teacher about an assignment or question from class

• Letter to the principal about longer lunch, longer recess, using phones in school, etc.

• Presentation for the school board, principal, and parents- persuading the adults to allow them to do or have something they want or need

• Enter a competition to have their writing published. It can be short stories, poetry, essays, etc. (Follow all district and school guidelines) 

• Prepare a video to be shared on the school website or other places as appropriate (Follow all district and school guidelines for posting content with students).

Teachers need to make writing as authentic as possible so students can see the reason for effective communication and why writing skills are so important. 

Writing Builds Confidence

Another reason writing matters is that writing improves confidence. Many students dread writing because it is hard, but also because they do not see themselves as writers. They believe they are not good at it, so they want to avoid it.  

Small wins turn into big wins, and students begin to see that they are writers and how being an effective writer benefits them in school and life.  

Writing also builds confidence in the following ways: 

• Allows you to express yourself. It lets you share your thoughts and feelings with other people. 

• Makes you smarter. By reading books and articles, you learn new things. And by writing down those things, you retain them better. You also begin to understand topics on a deeper level.

•  Helps you build relationships. People who write often tend to be more open and friendly than those who rarely do. 

• Builds character. It teaches you how to work hard, persevere, and overcome obstacles.

One step at a time, teachers need to build the foundation of solid written communication, guiding students on how to take the ideas in their heads and put them on paper to get and keep people’s attention. Effective communication builds confidence.  

Bonus Reasons to Write

Writing Promotes Metacognition

Writing helps students reflect on learning as well as what students know and the progress of their learning.  This takes lots of scaffolding and practice but is essential practice for students.  

Writing Enhances Creativity and Imagination

Giving students time to write about anything they want encourages imagination and creativity.  Students and teachers may even discover ideas that would have stayed hidden if not given the time to write.  

There are plenty of reasons to write, and teachers must find the time. It can feel overwhelming and almost impossible at times to develop organizational skills, let alone the development of ideas, with our middle school students.  Writing is hard, but students who are given the time and guidance will not only be better writers but better people.  

The magic is in the process!

Check out the articles below for more information!

Why Students Should Write in All Subjects - Youki Terada

5 Reasons Why Writing Skills Are So Important for Students - Virginia Corona