The Science of Writing: Writing to Learn
Giving Educators Evidence-Based Tools to Power Student’s Written Expression
Writing to Learn™ is the perfect intervention to layer onto your current curriculum or use as your go-to writing instruction.
The Writing to Learn program, developed by Dr. Karen Harris and fellow researchers over decades, is built on the evidence-based foundation of self-regulation strategies and proven metacognitive science (SRSD) and is proven to be 4.5X better than any traditional writing process.
This self-paced educator course inspires students to recognize their strengths and weaknesses and take ownership of their writing. It begins with motivational techniques like positive self-talk, goal setting, and creating a collaborative classroom. Here, peers learn to score each other's work while you model your thinking process as you work through the challenges of planning and writing.
About Dr. Karen R. Harris
Dr. Karen R. Harris is the Mary Emily Warner professor in the Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College at Arizona State University. She has worked in the field of education for over 40 years, initially as a general education teacher and then as a special education teacher. Throughout her teaching and research career, she has chosen to work in highly diverse schools in low income areas due to her commitment to improving teaching and learning for all students. Her research focuses on informing and improving theory, research, and practice related to writing development among students with high incidence disabilities, students who struggle with writing, and normally achieving students.
Through her groundbreaking work in SRSD, Harris has revolutionized how writing is taught in classrooms nationwide. SRSD addresses the cognitive aspects of writing and integrates crucial self-regulation strategies, enabling students to take control of their own learning and become independent, confident writers. Harris's relentless commitment to evidence-based practices has earned SRSD its place as one of the country's most highly-rated writing instruction programs.
About SRSD
SRSD, or Self-Regulated Strategy Development, is a teaching method that gives students the power to own their learning and boost their confidence in writing! This fantastic approach features six progressive stages of instruction, offering students clear tools to master powerful strategies and develop top-notch self-regulation skills throughout the writing adventure.
Created by Dr. Karen Harris, SRSD has received high praise from the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) and the What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) as an ultra-effective writing intervention and best practice. With the biggest effect size of any researched writing instruction method, SRSD is backed by over 120 positive studies and several meta-analyses. One standout meta-analysis published in 2012 showed that SRSD instruction significantly amped up writing quality, fluency, and strategy use.
The essential ingredients of SRSD include fun, recursive writing attributes that tap into metacognitive aspects like positive self-talk, self-assessment, self-motivation, planning, revising, and goal setting. SRSD also weaves in teacher modeling with think-aloud techniques, scaffolding, fading mnemonics, collaboration, and peer feedback.