When Strong Ideas Get Lost In Weak Writing

As educators and parents, we see students struggle with writing.  What happens when an older student has amazing ideas, but writing gaps lower the quality and authenticity in their writing. 

This is often the case with students I tutor, and why they come for extra tutoring. 

Do you have students who struggle to write? Then this article is a good starting point with some ideas to get started. 

Katie Novak writes about scaffolding in Chapter 8 of her book, UDL Now, and I found myself reflecting on these ideas and how they can help my writers. 

Recently, one of my students was given an assignment to write and present an elevator pitch.

“I have to write it... and then present it.” He told me without enthusiasm. 

The “without enthusiasm” part is a subtle cue that most educators pick up on when an older writer is struggling to get their ideas written in a way that is authentic and that will be acceptable to others.  Seasoned teachers notice where the student displays joy, confusion, frustration throughout the writing process. 

It wasn’t the topic or speaking in front of others that bothered him, he was really excited and had a lot to say about the topic. The act of writing words on paper is where he lacked confidence. He had writing gaps and he would fall short in expressing his true self in writing.  His word choices would be a watered down version of what he really wants to say. Other than his parents reaching out to me for writing support, there were no scaffolds offered.

The teacher was open to co-creating some writing scaffolds for him, and the rest of the class.  We began to proactively map out scaffolds in her classroom that would meet different variables.

An authentic scaffold requires knowing different variables that your students will bring to the assignment.  We gathered meaningful data and provided a clear rubric for students, teachers, and parents, to reflect on. 

I really like rubrics.  More importantly, my students like rubrics.  They help guide specific writing goals, standards, and expectations.  What will be measured? Was it the idea?  Was it the writing?  Speaking skills?  Was it content, or the fact that all words were spelled correctly? 

I’ve always believed that when I use a clear rubric, I am able to offer authentic and meaningful choices in how I scaffold.  It gives my students a reflective tool and discussion piece around what scaffolds they want to choose for themselves, and why.

We started small.  We focused on one upcoming writing project. The “elevator pitch” project was about presenting a one-minute speech. Writing the pitch was a vehicle to get the pitch organized into a thoughtful one minute oral presentation.

We wanted to turn stifled and forced ideas that used simple words, into authentic pitches with words that held meaning.  To do this, we wanted to build in some scaffolds designed for everyone.

This is where targeted scaffolded support and high expectations go hand in hand.  As Katie Novak reminds us through the lens of Universal Design for Learning (UDL), learners move creatively through form when they have a chance to explore and  understand it. And more importantly, they need options for how they demonstrate that understanding. 

With options available and clarity around expectations, all students can benefit from scaffolded support.

Here are some easy ideas you could implement. For an assignment like an elevator pitch, the preparation could include:

 ✅ A storyboard with captions 

✅ A video draft

 ✅ A voice-to-text brainstorm followed by guided revision

 ✅ A teacher conference and a checklist or check-ins to build it piece by piece

Even a scribe. This is sometimes considered a tier 3 intervention, but in this context and stage of writing, I’d argue there’s no reason not to offer it. A scribe can guide and model.  It’s a scaffold. 

Scaffolds can remove the need for tutoring after-school.  Most of the tier 1 and tier 2 students I tutor, don’t need the extra tutoring after-school.  I suppose tutoring is a scaffold, a 1:1 support using specific strategies. However, the busy student is adding to their already jam-packed schedule and parents are now paying for something that could’ve been built into the school day. My writing support isn't (always) some magical extra. 

UDL gives students multiple ways to access and express learning. It doesn’t lower the bar.  We do not need to look for more tutoring hours before or after school to give them the opportunity available to them in the classroom.  Clear a path for them inside the literacy block with clear and intentional structure. 

Whether your approach is rooted in Montessori’s “follow the child,” Waldorf’s creative flow, project or inquiry-based learning, or a more traditional literacy framework, tools like scaffolding alongside clear goals and rubrics expand student agency and authenticity for everyone.

Any writing scaffolding ideas you would like to share?  Would you add AI as a scaffolding tool, and if so, what would that look like?

Here is "The "Education Table" podcast with Katie Novak, EdD. She helps us understand scaffolding in education:

Katie Novak: podcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PMRHybRpEY0

1.She highlights research based on Vygotsky's Zone of Proximal Development

2.The 3 types of scaffolds: linguistic (e.g., sentence starters), conceptual (e.g., graphic organizers), and sociocultural (e.g., peer review)

3. Implementation strategies for teachers and educators looking to enhance learning experiences

Here is UDL Now, by Katie Novak, Chapter 8: Scaffolding: Setting the Bar High and Raising Students to It

https://www.novakeducation.com/chapter-8-scaffolding-setting-bar-high-raising-students