Teaching Strategies

Quick Writing

Quick writing is a form of note making that helps students to remember what they know and understand. It can also be used to help explore and clarify ideas. Students are given a short amount of time to give quick reactions, feelings and ideas in response to prompts. The writing is for personal use and can be brief, informal and incomplete. After writing students can share ideas and new learning in pairs and/or groups.

At the beginning of a topic students can be given five minutes to write down everything they know about the topic. Prompts can be provided such as pictures, sounds etc.

During a lesson students can be asked to write a response to an idea, write an example, or explain new information in their own words.

At the end of a lesson students can be asked to write down key ideas.

The benefits of Quick Writing

• For students who are not confident orally, having time to think and write enables them to share more easily in pair and group work.
• New learners of English can be encouraged to write in their first language.

Students can be encouraged to use quick writing as an independent learning strategy.