One of my favorite strategies for teaching writing is color-coding because it makes writing visible for students.
However, here’s an important reminder: Students do NOT need to write in color.Color-coding shouldn’t become another step they have to think about during the writing process.
Have students write in pencil first. Then, once the paragraph is written, have them go back and highlight the different parts in different colors.
Why? Because highlighting allows students to actually see the structure of their writing. They can quickly recognize what they included, what may be missing, and how all the pieces of the paragraph work together.
For example, in a conclusion paragraph, students can highlight each part of the conclusion in a different color. Instead of simply telling them what a conclusion should include, we’re making the structure visible.
Color-coding can also be a great tool for self-assessment. Students write first, highlight second, and then ask: Do I have all the pieces I need?
Write in pencil. Highlight in color. Make the writing visible. ✏️🖍️
I’m sharing a FREE Conclusion Paragraph Anchor Chart that shows exactly how we use color-coding with students.