Recorded Webinar

Strategies to Implement Writing Across the Curriculum

Educators from the classroom, school, and district perspective share ideas to make writing across the curriculum a success.

Watch the Recording

Why Write Across the Curriculum?

Studies show that when students write across the curriculum – in math, science, social studies, and English language arts – they sharpen the creative, collaborative, and critical thinking skills they need to be successful in the modern world.

How to Implement a Writing Initiative at Your School

While there is no one-size-fits-all answer to making a cross-curricular literacy initiative work, successful implementations tend to have a few elements in common:

  1. District and school leaders align on a shared vision for planning, launching, measuring, and improving the writing initiative.
  2. Instructional leaders commit upfront to a multi-year initiative and work with teachers to figure out when and how they should bring literacy into their classrooms.
  3. Content area teachers are provided with the professional development and continuous support to teach and provide effective feedback on student writing.
  4. English teachers take the lead in instructing students and colleagues on the mechanics of writing.
  5. Students receive specific, actionable feedback on their writing and are provided with opportunities to debate and discuss with peers as they work through their ideas.

Jumpstart Your Learning with this Webinar

As you consider how to bring a cross-curricular writing initiative to your district, you can take stock of how other educators have launched successful implementations, and use their advice to inform your own planning decisions. 

Use the form watch a recording of this webinar, which originally aired on August 22nd, 2019.



Webinar Panelists

Jodi McLawhorn

Jodi McLawhorn is the principal at St. Albert the Great School in Burbank, IL. At Jodi’s school, writing is taught in all subjects, including science, social studies, and math. Teachers at St. Albert the Great work one-to-one to help students examine their writing skills. “Writing is the core of all things that prepares our students for 21st-century life,” Jodi says. “Our students need to be equipped to write well, but also responsibly.”
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Brooklyn Joseph

Brooklyn Joseph is the Middle School Instructional Coach at Caliber Beta Academy in Richmond, CA. Brooklyn works with teachers during PLCs every week to incorporate writing into their curriculum in meaningful ways. "Writing is such an important life skill and can be a gate-keeper, especially for English Language Learners," Brooklyn says. "The more practice students have writing across content areas, the better equipped they will be for the various writing tasks they will be asked to complete once they finish school."
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Julie Butterworth

Julie Butterworth is a veteran high school science teacher at Pikes Peak Early College in Colorado Springs, CO. In her Blended Biology and Blended Chemistry classes, Julie uses the CERCA Framework to make literacy a regular part of instruction. As Julie puts it, "The backbone of science is communication and collaboration. My students and I are regularly testing hypothesis and stating claims based on the evidence that we observe and collect."
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Melissa Martin

Melissa Martin is a former high school teacher and instructional coach based in Chicago. Throughout her career, she has supported educators by equipping them with the training and resources they need to prepare students for college and careers. As a member of the ThinkCERCA team, Melissa regularly works with schools across the country to coach administrators and teachers on how to incorporate literacy into everyday instruction.
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