Closing the writing gap

The methodical use of Model Maps can help less able students write nearer the level of their more able peers. That helps shift D grades to C at GCSE as well as level 4 to level 5 at key stage 2 SATs. How do we know this? Because we recently conducted an experiment set up to prove this very point.

While leading our LearnWise course to students, I was simultaneously training up some Advanced Skill Teachers to lead the course themselves.  I profited from their presence to set up this experiment. At this stage, the students had learned how to map.
Firstly, the ASTs divided the students into four ability groups, from most to least able. Each group was given the instructions about their writing task. But the support they were about to receive was proportional to their ability.

The most able received no additional support. The next able group had a verbal description by the teacher (one of the ASTs) as well as a discussion where students shared ideas. Nothing was recorded.
The less able group had all of the above plus visual recording of what was said. It was initially captured onto a flipchart and then, through discussion, organized hierarchically into a Model Map displayed on the board. Both flipchart and map were removed for the next stage.
The least able group had the same support as the above group. But their visual records were not removed (the flipchart and the map).
Secondly, the all the students now engaged in creating a Model Map as their preparation for writing.
The most able group had no support other than their own ideas. Because of their ability, their maps were hierarchically categorized maps.

The next able group had the memory of their discussion to support the construction of their map. With this additional support, they too managed to create hierarchically organized maps of equal standard to the premier group.

The less able group set to work on their maps with the support of the memory of the discussion and of the map created on the board. This proved sufficient support to enable them to join their peers in producing a hierarchically structured map.

The least able group worked on their map supported by both the memory of the discussion but also with the still visible map on the board. The students didn’t simply copy it down but, rather, interpreted it and created their own version. Amazingly, their maps were equally well organized in a hierarchical fashion.

Lastly, all students sat down to their extended writing task with their Model Maps as writing plans. The gap in writing standards between the most and least able had closed considerably.

With the very strong focus on structure, students were able to move beyond the almost passive filling in of templates writing frames.

What conclusions can we draw from this? Many.

• Model Maps serve as very powerful Visual Instruction Plans (VIPs)
• VIPs, being a top–ranking  evidence–based strategy, should be used by all teachers methodically and pervasively
• Teacher behaviour does have an immediate and powerful impact on student learning
• Visual displays of organized thinking opens the door to high performance learning for all students.

To download a copy of the Closing the writing gap poster click here.