Ch 3. Writing strategies and skills.

   In this chapter, Tompkins describes what is writing strategies and skills, when they are needed, why they are important, how we can teach them, and so on. In fact, students already know and use some strategies and skills in their writing process, waiting for our suitable and precise instruction about them “including why they are important and how and when to use them adequately” (p.56) which helps students be capable writers. Teaching strategies that make writers “take conscious and deliberate control of the writing process”, and skills that can be applied to authentic reading and writing, are no optional but compulsory. They not only enable a writer to produce a writing that is reflective and able to communicate with its audiences effectively, but affect other areas and offer active learning in them. This is supported by Matthew Wibaker’s saying that “literacy is central to all learning and literacy is learning through the work of dedicated and caring teachers at every grade level. (Teaching word recognition, spelling, and vocabulary, 2000) For those reasons, both of strategies and skills are important and especially beneficial for ESL/EFL students, making them “understand the connections between mechanics, craft, style, and meaning” (p.62) though combination of a variety of direct and indirect instructions.

   According to Sunmi Kim, “rather than imposing traditional skills-focused instructions in EFL writing classes, teachers need to experiment with an array of heuristics and techniques to provide a more effective and balanced guidance.“ I agreed her opinion that teachers should provide students with the balanced guidance and think that the reason why the traditional skills-focused instructions were not successful was not balanced, but biased. What is important is not whether strategies or skills are in order of priority. We should only focus on which methodology can work well in improving their understanding of writing and actual writing and making them like and enjoy writing.


Tompkins, Gail E. (2008). Ch3. Writing strategies and skills. In Tompkins of Teaching Writing : Balancing Process and Product. (pp. 52-72). New Jersey, Pearson Education.
Timothy V. Rasinski. Teaching word recognition, spelling, and vocabulary : strategies from The reading teacher. Newarek, Del. : International Reading Association, 2000.