Writing for a Built-in Audience: Writing Groups in the Middle School Classroom

In this era of high-stakes testing and densely packed state standards, it is too easy for writing to become a meaningless process, useful only for school. Many strategies can help to get all students writing, but this author set out to find a strategy to help students see the power of writing and to know that their voices matter. Writing groups are what finally made writing a meaningful experience for all students in this classroom. Through research and experimentation, the author learned structures to make this special kind of group work effective and saw how writing groups transformed students’ ideas of writing and the writing process. Writing groups gave students access to an authentic and meaningful audience for their writing. Reflecting on how to give helpful comments promoted a deeper understanding of the role and power of revision.