Where Has Writing Gone in Schools?
Schools pack their students’ days with many subjects: math, social studies, science, and literature. Most students also attend specialty courses once a week for enrichment. They enjoy art, music, PE, Spanish, and maybe computer science or speech.
What I often wonder is: what has happened to writing and grammar? Which teacher takes responsibility for the actual teaching of writing?
The Problem With Current Writing Instruction
Often, writing is grouped into an all-around English course where it must share space with grammar, literature, and vocabulary. In these cases, writing will usually be assigned but not given the time and attention it needs. It may be a journal prompt that is never collected or a story shared in small groups.
In other schools, writing is “shoved” into all subjects.
“Who is teaching writing?” you ask at Back to School Night.
“Oh, writing is a top priority,” the administration assures you. “It is being taught across all of our curriculums.”
Really? The science teacher writing essays? The math teacher grading written explanations? And what qualifies these teachers to teach the discipline of writing?
Observing the Gap
The bottom line is that very few schools provide the writing education students need and deserve. Students are not receiving the feedback they need for improvement.
I see it in the students I tutor and even in my own children. They are not writing as much as I did in school. I don’t see book reports or research papers in elementary and middle school students in traditional classrooms.
Sure, I see gimmicks that “look like writing”—oversized posterboard cutouts with character descriptions in one corner and chapter summaries in another. But I don’t see emphasis on excellent paragraph formation (use of transitions, detail, and avoiding repetition).
For example, a 4th grader was handed a pre-written 3-paragraph essay with blanks to fill in, sold as “modeling” proper structure. It checked off the writing box for the curriculum but taught very little.
Why We Need a Dedicated Writing Class
I believe there should be an entire class in elementary and middle school just for writing.
- A unit on paragraphs
- A unit on poetry
- A unit on essays of various types
- Lessons on citing materials and quotes from novels
This class would embrace messy scratch paper, trial and error, daily practice, and growing success.
Yes, in my dream, a dedicated writing class would be part of the school day. Ideally, taught by a specialized writing teacher, or at least offered once a week as a specialty course.
Not every teacher is a strong writer or enjoys teaching writing. Why are we leaving this crucial skill to a wide range of teachers who largely don’t teach it fully—or grade it properly?
Writing Skills in the Age of AI
In today’s world of AI and artificial writing, students who lack confidence in their writing will often seek shortcuts to complete assignments. We need to show students how gratifying it is to produce their own words on paper and how eloquent they can be.
Writing is thinking. And we are at a crossroads.
It’s now or never.
How Parents Can Support Writing Skills
Parents can reinforce writing skills even when schools fall short:
- Encourage daily writing practice, from journals to stories, lists, or blogs
- Help children review and edit their own work with gentle guidance
- Celebrate creativity and effort rather than only correctness
- Provide feedback to build confidence and writing stamina
Supporting writing at home strengthens students’ skills and confidence in ways that complement a dedicated writing class.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why should writing be a dedicated subject?
Writing is a core skill that requires consistent instruction, practice, and feedback, which is difficult to achieve when it is scattered across multiple subjects.
What should a dedicated writing class teach?
A dedicated writing class should cover paragraph structure, essays, poetry, citations, and writing for different purposes and audiences.
Can students improve writing without a dedicated class?
Yes, but progress is slower and often inconsistent. Daily practice and parental support can help, but professional instruction accelerates learning.
How does AI impact the need for writing instruction?
AI makes it easier to bypass learning writing skills. Students need strong instruction and confidence to write effectively and independently.