Dayla Learning Writing Resources
A list of writing resources designed for learners to use
Here you’ll find links to resource pages for many topics that come up for writers. I use these resources in the classes I teach, but I wanted to make them available to everyone so that those creating their own writing curricula at home can use these as supplements.
(Note: This page is filled with resources designed directly for learners to use. Tips and resources for parents/guardians on how to teach writing are coming soon.)
Understanding the Writing Process
The most important thing to understand about teaching and learning “writing” is a term for a collection of skills that vary depending on the complexity and goals of the project.
It’s not a skill you learn once and then just have. It’s a lifelong practice that’s constantly adjusted for the situations in which you find yourself needing to communicate.
You can browse this list to find what you need for each part of the writing process. New resources are added regularly, and you can always reach out to me with suggestions for future content!
The Making Stage
Writing scholars often use the terms “Higher Order Concerns” (HOCs) and “Lower Order Concerns” (LOCs) to break up these steps and make them more manageable. I use the terms “Making Stage” and “Polishing Stage” to refer to these different stages of the writing process (see the video under “Getting Started” to learn why I call them this).
- Making the Writing Process More Manageable – Get an introduction to HOCs and LOCs and two useful metaphors for thinking about writing.
- Strong Thesis Statements– What is a thesis statement and how do you make sure yours is doing what it needs to do?
- Rough Draft Revisions for Thesis and Main Idea– Congrats! You have a rough draft. Here are some tips for checking out the thesis and main idea to make sure they’re in good shape.
- Adding Details to Writing– Fall short of length requirements? Often hear “give me more” about your writing? This resource may help!
- Who Do You Think You’re Talking To? (Understanding the Academic Writing Audience)– Your teacher assigns the paper, but that doesn’t make them the audience. Learn why that matters.
- Getting Organized: Using Outlines in Writing– The outline is one of the most powerful organizing tools available to writers.
- What Does Revision Really Mean?– You may know that you’re supposed to “revise,” but have you thought about what that really means?
The Polishing Stage
Generally speaking, writing is not a linear process. It’s recursive. This means that there is no set order in which writers should tackle the steps. Do it however works best for you — and that won’t be the same every time.
However, it is a good idea to save the LOCs (or “Polishing Stage”) until after the HOCs (or “Making Stage”) is complete. After all, there’s no reason to paint a wall you’re going to knock down.
Once you’ve figured out the content, structure, and details of your writing, though, it’s time to move on to making sure it looks exactly how you want.
- Formatting: What’s an Academic Paper Look Like?– Often, teachers have expectations for how a paper should be formatted. Understand why that matters.
- It’s a Matter of Style (Part 1): What is Writing Style– Learn what components make up a writer’s individual style.
- It’s a Matter of Style (Part 2): Sentence Complexity– Learn how sentence complexity impacts your writing style.
- It’s a Matter of Style (Part 3): Vocabulary Choices– Learn how vocabulary choices impact your writing style.
- Comma Splices and Run-On Sentences: When it comes to grammar and mechanics, you really need to set priorities about which errors to work on first. Comma splices and run-on sentences are among the most serious and distracting errors. Let’s get rid of them!
Research Writing
If you are working on a research project — that is, a project that requires using sources other than your own experiences — you will need some additional writing skills.
These tips will help you find sources, make sure they’re worth using, and use them in your project in a way that is ethical and avoids plagiarism.
- Evaluating Sources with the CRAAP Test– A good researcher is picky about the sources allowed in their paper. Be picky!
- Taking Notes for Research– You’ve found sources and know they’re credible. Now what? It’s time to take notes.
- Integrating Quotes into Your Writing– Once you’ve found a source and taken notes, what do you do with it? Learn how to smoothly integrate direct quotes into your own writing.
- Where, When, and How to Read– Sometimes, reading itself can be a struggle. Whether you find yourself re-reading the same page over and over or can’t remember what you read when you’re done, it’s worth checking to make sure you’re reading in optimal conditions.
Multimodal Projects
When we hear the word “writing,” we often think about text on the page, but the work of rhetoric and composition (the fancy terms for learning writing) also include multimodal projects.
“Multimodal” means a project that delivers information in more than one “mode.” This might mean creating a video, a podcast, a graphic, or a work of art as part of your project.
The tips in this section will help guide you if you’re working on a multimodal composition project.
New content coming soon!
New content coming soon!