As an elementary teacher, I’ve worked with a lot of ELA programs. Some look great on paper but leave kids confused when it's time to write. The biggest problem? Many programs check the boxes for reading instruction but fall short when it comes to actually teaching writing, especially the foundational skills.

So let’s talk about what effective writing instruction really looks like, and how to spot the red flags when evaluating a program.

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Writing Needs Its Own Space, Not Just a Reading Response

One of the most common mistakes in ELA programs is blending writing into reading time without teaching it directly. You’ll often see students asked to write a paragraph about what they read. That sounds fine, right? But here’s the problem: they’re being asked to apply writing skills they were never actually taught.

In reality, writing is not just about responding to reading. Writing has its own structures, patterns, and processes. Students need explicit instruction in how to build sentences, use punctuation, and develop vocabulary. These are skills that don’t come automatically through reading.

Programs that treat writing as a by-product of reading miss the mark. If a curriculum has kids write about characters and plot but never shows them how to write a complete sentence or a structured paragraph, it’s not really teaching writing.

Foundations Matter: What’s Often Missing

Let’s break it down. A solid writing program must include direct instruction in four foundational areas:

1. Syntax: Students need to understand how sentences work. Teaching sentence types, combining sentences, and revising fragments should be part of early writing instruction.

2. Structure: Kids need to see and build paragraphs. This starts with modeling topic sentences, supporting details, and conclusions, long before they’re expected to write essays.

3. Spelling: Memorizing a list of unrelated words every week isn’t the same as learning spelling. The best programs tie spelling instruction directly to phonics and include time to practice in real writing.

4. Vocabulary: Students should be exposed to rich, varied words and taught how to use them in writing. This means modeling word choice and giving time for revision, not just underlining “strong verbs” in someone else’s work.

Gullo (2013) emphasizes that early literacy indicators must be used to guide instruction, not just assess it. If these foundational elements aren’t part of regular lessons, students are being set up to struggle down the line.

What Direct Writing Instruction Should Look Like

Here’s what I’ve seen work in real classrooms. During a second-grade reading lesson, the teacher reads a text aloud. Then she moves into writing. She doesn’t just ask the students to write about what they read. She models writing a paragraph in front of them.

She uses the phonics pattern from that week in her spelling. She pauses to show how she thinks through building a sentence. She explains why she chooses certain words. Then, she has the students write their own paragraphs, using what they just saw.

This is not incidental writing. It’s systematic. It connects to what they’re learning in reading but stands alone as its own lesson.

Beware of “Application-Only” Approaches

Clarkson (2024) found that when assessment criteria for writing are vague, teachers often revert to personal interpretations of what “good writing” looks like. The same thing happens in instruction. Without clear, direct teaching of writing components, we end up asking students to apply skills that were never taught.

That’s a red flag. If most of the writing tasks in a curriculum involve applying skills (writing about texts, making claims, using text evidence), but there’s little to no instruction on how to form those sentences, use punctuation, or spell phonetically, we’ve skipped a step.

Why We Can’t Just Rely on Practice Alone

Graham, Hebert, and Harris (2015) found that students who received feedback during writing instruction significantly improved their writing quality. That kind of feedback isn’t possible when writing is only ever used to respond to reading. Teachers need the space to focus on writing skills themselves, not just the content.

Writing needs its own time. Its own routines. Its own focus.

When you evaluate an ELA program, ask yourself:

• Does it teach sentence structure directly?

• Are spelling and phonics connected?

• Is vocabulary taught for writing, not just for reading comprehension?

• Are writing lessons modeled explicitly, not just assigned?

• Is there space in the schedule just for writing instruction?

Foundational writing instruction isn’t optional. It’s essential. And when it’s done right, everything else gets easier.

 🧰 Download this free evaluation tool.

Keywords:

writing instruction, foundational skills, ELA curriculum, syntax, sentence structure, paragraph writing, spelling instruction, phonics, vocabulary development, early literacy, direct instruction, systematic instruction, writing modeling, reading and writing connection, writing assessment, elementary writing, writing strategies, teaching writing, curriculum evaluation, writing foundations

References

Clarkson, R. (2024). It’s missing the heart of what writing is about: Teachers’ interpretations of writing assessment criteria. British Educational Research Journal, 50(1), 134–161.

Gullo, D. F. (2013). Improving instructional practices, policies, and student outcomes for early childhood language and literacy through data-driven decision making. Springer Science+Business Media.

Graham, S., Hebert, M., & Harris, K. R. (2015). Formative assessment and writing: A meta-analysis. The Elementary School Journal, 115(4), 523–547.