Writing an effective essay message requires equal parts art and science. The notice must leave room for creative interpretation and analysis. However, the message must also provide organization and boundaries for the writers’ responses.
1. The notice must be brief. The verbiage only serves to confuse the writer.
2. The indicator must be in focus. A rambling message in an attempt to explain or motivate is counterproductive.
3. The message should require only the background knowledge that has been emphasized in class instruction. Isolate variables from personal experience to better assess the results of instruction.
4. The notice must be age appropriate. Know the developmental capacities and interests of your students and translate them into the writing message.
5. The notice must avoid problems that students or parents would find objectionable. Save the PG-13 problems for older students. Don’t let the topic interfere with the writing task.
6. The notice must not be so personal that the writer’s privacy is compromised. A writing prompt should not prevent the writer from responding honestly and comfortably.
7. The message should not embarrass the writer’s gender, ethnicity, or socioeconomic background. Stay sensitive to these variables within your classroom. Words have different meanings depending on one’s perspective.
8. The message should allow students of different abilities to respond effectively. An ideal message allows all students to experience success in their writing.
9. The message must be interesting enough to motivate the writer. An ad that does not provoke thought will garner a thoughtless response.
10. The message must allow “breathing room” for divergent thinkers. Expect the unexpected in student responses and design prompts to allow for a variety of responses.
11. The message should allow the writer to respond with a thesis that establishes the purpose of the writing and/or the author’s point of view. If you can’t turn the writing prompt into a thesis statement effortlessly, your students will never accomplish this task.
12. The message must not artificially force the writer to a certain thesis. A unilateral message that demands a certain thesis will not produce an original thought.
13. The message may provide a write situation to establish the write instructions in context. However, the writing situation should not overwhelm or confuse the writing instructions.
14. The notice must have clear written instructions. Writers are the best judges as to whether the ad has clear instructions. Avoid vocabulary and terms that confuse students. Don’t use writing direction words, such as “analyze,” if your students don’t understand them.
Writing command words for essays designed to inform the reader…
1. Describe means to show the characteristics of the topic to the reader through visual details.
2. Explain means to make something clear or easy to understand.
3. Discussing means talking about all aspects of the topic.
4. Compare means to show how things are alike and contrast means to show how things are different. If the writing prompt only mentions compare, you still need to do both.
Write command words for essays designed to convince the reader…
5. Analyze media to break down the topic and explain each part.
6. To persuade means to convince the reader of your argument or claim.
7. To justify means to give reasons, based on established rules, to support your arguments.
8. Evaluate means to pass judgment on the good and bad points of the subject.
