The report of the National Commission on Writing in America’s Schools and Colleges calls for more attention to writing.  The Neglected “R”: The Need for a Writing Revolution calls for the nation’s leaders to place writing squarely in the center of the school agenda. 

     Writing skills cannot be picked up without time for students to write and for teachers to provide instruction and guidance in the mechanics of grammar and punctuation, usage, developing a voice and feel for the audience, and other similar writing tasks.  The report calls for doubling the amount of time most students spend on writing.

      Fifty years ago most Indiana students attended K-8 or 1-8 elementary schools and

9-12 high schools.   Students in Grades 6-8 had a period of reading and a period of

English each day.  When junior high schools appeared in the 1940s, followed in later years by middle schools, many dropped the reading period and incorporated reading and writing into a single English or language arts class. 

     The reason for reducing time for reading and writing involved the need to add other areas, such as advisor-advisee programs and computer and foreign language classes, or to reduce the number of periods from eight to seven.  These were compelling needs, but the consequence was the overloading of language arts classes with both reading and writing.

     Time for both reading and writing was reduced.  In many Indiana middle grades schools, language arts classes are responsible for reading and writing.  Course and Program Descriptions for Indiana Schools from the Indiana Department of Education, August 1999, provides the difference between middle level reading courses 0480-06, 0480-07, and 0480-08 and middle level language arts courses 0420-06, 0420-07,

and 0420-08.  The language arts and reading middle level course descriptions can be found at </>.

      Middle level reading instruction includes word recognition skills, vocabulary, comprehension, literature, and independent reading.  Middle level language arts instruction includes use of the steps of the writing process that include prewriting, drafting, seeking feedback, sharing, revising, editing, and publishing.

      From 1965 to 1999, 11,277 reading endorsements and 373 reading specialist licenses were obtained by Indiana educators.  Most of these endorsements and licenses were obtained prior to 1980.  Many of these educators have retired, and middle grades schools have had difficulty in recent years finding licensed reading teachers.  In a recent survey conducted by the Middle Grades Reading Network, middle grades schools indicated that they need over 200 reading teachers but that they are not available in their areas.  Fortunately, the Indiana Professional Standards Board’s new reading licenses will soon result in more licensed reading teachers being available to middle grades schools.

      Middle grades schools can provide more time for reading and writing by offering separate reading and writing (language arts) classes for all students.  For a copy of the full report from the National Commission on Writing in America’s Schools and Colleges, go to <http://www.writingcommission.org/report.html> or call the College Board at (212) 713-8240 and request item number 997548.