Powerful writing scaffolds

Writing has always been among the most challenging language domains for secondary students in Grades 6 through to Grade 12. Unlike speaking, listening or reading, writing requires a complex set of skills and a multistep process. Students must plan their writing and draft an initial version, revise it multiple times and then carefully edit it to create a polished final piece. Each step requires unique skills and places different demands on students’ speaking, listening, reading and writing abilities.

Writing can feel overwhelming for many students in their L1, especially for those with learning differences. When learning English, extra challenges like basic reading skills and spelling often add an extra layer of difficulty for children with learning difficulties – even students without these challenges can find writing in a new language tough. In my years as a high school teacher working in special education and with English language learners (ELLs) in different content areas, I’ve found a few scaffolds that make a big difference in helping students navigate the writing process. While these supports are essential for students who struggle with writing, I’ve noticed that they benefit all students, improving their confidence and work quality.

Graphic organisers

A graphic organiser is a visual tool designed to help students organise their ideas, information and thoughts clearly. For ELLs and L1 English speakers who struggle with writing, these tools are especially valuable as they fill the gap between language comprehension and effective writing. As a first step in the writing process, students can use these organisers to record their thoughts, outline key points from readings or highlight important facts they want to include in their writing. These visual tools simplify the writing task by breaking it down into smaller, manageable steps.

A wide range of graphic organisers are available, each suited to a specific type of writing task. The key is selecting the right organiser based on the assignment’s purpose and structure. Depending on your students‘ needs, you can find plenty of graphic organisers online. Here are some commonly used graphic organisers with practical examples.

Venn diagram: comparing and contrasting

A Venn diagram is a powerful tool for comparing and contrasting two ideas, events or characters. It helps students visually organise similarities and differences. For example, when comparing Romeo and Juliet and West Side Story, students can list characteristics of each in separate circles, with the overlap showing shared traits. This structure can be applied across subjects like history, science or the arts whenever students need to compare two topics. Using a Venn diagram, students can clearly identify key points and deepen their understanding of how different concepts or narratives are connected or distinct.

Evidence-based writing: C-E-R (claim-evidence-reasoning) chart

For assignments that require students to make and support an argument, such as in persuasive or argumentative essays, the C-E-R chart is very helpful to students. It helps them structure their arguments logically. The ‘claim’ is the main point or thesis, ‘evidence’ is the support (facts, quotes, examples) and ‘reasoning’ explains how the evidence supports the claim.

Paragraph writing: main idea and supporting details

When students must write body paragraphs focusing on a central idea, a ‘main idea and supporting details’ graphic organiser is an excellent way to structure their paragraph. Students can write the paragraph’s main point in the centre and then use the outer boxes to list details, examples or evidence that support this main idea.

Cause-and-effect organiser: understanding relationships between events

When writing about cause-and-effect relationships, such as explaining why a historical event happened or describing the consequences of an action, a cause-and-effect graphic organiser is useful. Students can list causes on one side of the organiser and effects on the other, helping them clearly trace the relationship between events.

For secondary school teachers working with ELLs, exceptional needs students or general education students, it is crucial to model the use of graphic organisers in class. Start by introducing a specific type of organiser and walk students through how to fill it out, explaining each part step by step. For example, if the task is to write a compare-and-contrast essay, demonstrate how to use a Venn diagram to identify key similarities and differences before they begin writing. Teachers should also encourage students to refer to the graphic organisers as they write.

Word banks, sentence starters and paragraph frames

You can provide students with different supports to facilitate the task during writing. These include word banks, sentence starters and paragraph frames. A word bank is a list of words students can refer to and incorporate into their writing. This list often includes key vocabulary related to the content and transition words, signal words and academic terms. For instance, if students write a narrative or a procedural text, their word bank might include sequencing words such as: first; next; then; afterwards; and finally. Your word bank can also be content-specific vocabulary. For example, during expository writing on global warming, your word bank may include terms such as: carbon dioxide; greenhouse effect; carbon footprint; and biodiversity. A word bank should be customised based on the writing task, your content and the needs of your students.

Another support is sentence starters, which are useful phrases that help students begin their sentences or paragraphs, especially when unsure how to start. For example, sentence starters can provide a clear structure when writing a C-E-R essay. In my experience, sentence starters effectively prompt students to think and start writing. Sentence starters also help students organise their thoughts, develop coherent arguments and ensure their writing follows a logical flow, making it easier to express their ideas effectively. Look at the chart (Figure 1) for examples.

Figure 1: Sentence starters for writing a C-E-R essay

Be mindful that the type of sentence starters you provide to your students should align with the specific writing task and its purpose. For instance, in literary analysis writing, starters such as ‘The author uses symbolism to . . .’ helps students to focus on their analysis. Sentence starters must also be simple, clear and easy for students to understand. Using phrases like ‘The main idea is ’ or ‘This is important because’ provides a straightforward guide to help students articulate their thoughts without confusion, reducing cognitive load and enabling clearer writing.

Finally, starters should prompt analysis and reasoning, rather than just simple phrases or statements. For example, in a persuasive essay, using a sentence starter like ‘This suggests that’ or ‘The implications of this are’ encourages deeper engagement with the content, pushing students to reflect and analyse rather than merely restate facts.

The last strategy students can utilise is paragraph frames. A paragraph frame is especially useful for those who significantly struggle with any type of writing or are just beginning to learn English. This strategy offers a clear structure, helping students organise their ideas and express them more coherently. For example, in a cause-and-effect essay, a paragraph frame might look like this:

‘One cause of [topic] is. . . .’ followed by ‘As a result, [effect] . . .’.

This template guides students in making clear connections between causes and effects, allowing them to focus on content rather than worrying about sentence structure.

Remember that paragraph frames are not worksheets for students to fill in. Rather, they are scaffolds to support students’ thinking as they retell, summarise and/or write. Teachers should create their own frames based on their content, purpose and the proficiency level of their students. You can also add visuals to support your frame. Figure 2 shows an example of a paragraph frame for comparing and contrasting two topics.

Both alligators and crocodiles are _______________________. Alligators are _______________________ ______________________, while crocodiles are ______________________________. Also, alligators have ______________________________, while crocodiles have _____________________________. However, despite these differences, both animals are _________________ ______________________. They share similar _______________________________. In addition, ____________________________. In summary, alligators and crocodiles ____________________________. However, _____________________________.

Figure 2: Paragraph frame for comparing and contrasting

* Sketchplanations. Creative Commons. Available from https://sketchplanations.com/.

Word processor

A word processing application is a digital tool, such as Google Docs or Microsoft Word, that helps students’ input, format, edit and output text efficiently. These provide numerous features that can enhance students’ writing experience. For example, when my students use Google Docs for their writing assignments, I encourage them to focus on generating ideas first without worrying about grammar, spelling or punctuation. This approach allows them to get their thoughts down spontaneously without the pressure of perfecting every detail, as they can edit later.

Using word processors offers several benefits. Features like word predictors help students by suggesting words and phrases as they type, aiding writing fluency. Spelling and grammar checkers prompt corrections for errors, helping students improve accuracy. The thesaurus function provides synonyms and antonyms, encouraging students to expand their vocabulary. Built-in tools like internet search, definitions, images and translation support research and enrich writing with visuals and additional context. Speech-to-text tools allow students to dictate their ideas, providing an alternative for those who struggle with typing.

In my experience, the speech-to-text tool, also known as the dictation tool, has been invaluable for my students who face significant challenges with writing but are highly articulate and full of brilliant ideas when speaking. Using this tool, they’ve been able to write sentences and even compose a five-paragraph essay after multiple revisions. To activate the dictation tool in Microsoft Word, click the microphone icon in the upper right-hand corner of your document. You can enable this feature in Google Docs by going to Tools and selecting Voice Typing.

By incorporating word processor tools into the classroom, teachers can support students’ writing development, increase their engagement and provide opportunities for personalised learning.

Conclusion

Over the years, I’ve seen that writing is one of the biggest challenges for students. Whether due to learning disabilities, language barriers or the complexity of writing itself, many struggle to express themselves in written form. However, with the proper support – like graphic organisers, word banks, sentence starters and technology – writing can become manageable, even enjoyable. Together, these scaffolds reduce cognitive load, promote writing fluency and build students’ confidence in producing clear, well-organised written work. As a result, students improve as writers and grow in their ability to communicate clearly and effectively.

Grand Pacheco is a National Board Certified Teacher and a 2025 Global Learning Fellow, awarded by the National Education Association Foundation. He teaches high school multilingual students and students with exceptional needs in Maryland, USA. He is passionate about teaching academic writing in the content areas of English language arts and social studies. With experience as a mentor teacher, department chair, consultant, writer and professional development provider, his expertise spans special education, social studies and teaching English to multilingual learners and students with exceptional needs. Grand holds a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from George Washington University.

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