Predictable Routines + Writing = Powerful Results (part 2)
Written by: Anna Cook
Every January, as I welcome a new year, I typically read as many periodicals as I can on how to make this year the very best one yet, and this January was no different! As I enthusiastically welcomed 2026, I read an article about habit stacking. The premise of habit stacking, which was popularized by Charles Duhigg in his book “The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business, is that keystone habits are foundational behaviors that have the power to significantly influence other areas of our well-being. When you establish one, it triggers a cascade of positive changes that extend far beyond the habit itself. In other words, you don’t need to overhaul your life or, in our case, the way that you teach, to create meaningful, lasting benefits in your classroom. You just need to be strategic about where you focus and how you apply your effort. As I was thinking about habit stacking on a personal level, I also started thinking about how we could apply these foundational habits to teaching and the possibilities, specifically to reading and writing. In the first part of this short series, I highlighted Mini-Lessons, Genre Studies, Focused Time to Write in the Style that we’ve read and Share, Revise and Share again, as the foundation to a seamless reading/writing plan.
As promised, in this second part of “Predictable Routines + Writing = Powerful Results, ”we’ll dive deeper into the intentional moves teachers can make to help students reach their fullest potential. Thus, stacking or building upon those habits that as a teacher, we already have in place.
The Mini-Lesson is just that, it is meant to be brief, between 5-10 minutes, and focusing on only ONE skill. Too many times, we as teachers want to mention just one more concept or revisit just one more skill during a mini-lesson time. Please refrain! The mini-lesson should be the teacher showing and modeling to the students about the ONE skill. I would also like to suggest setting a timer with the goal to end before 10 minutes. You may not reach the goal on your first try, but with practice, you will accomplish a perfect mini-lesson in 10 minutes or under!
The main goal for Genre Studies is for our students to have a deeper understanding and appreciation for various genres. When conducting a genre study, it is recommended to gather at least 15–20 strong examples of the specific genre. For some teachers, this can feel daunting – especially without using a variety of search resources. Utilizing the internet and AI tools can help identify high-quality texts that are often available in your school library or even in your classroom. In addition, age-appropriate texts can be found on trusted sites such as Scholastic, ReadWriteThink.org, and PBS Learning Media, among others. When searching for texts, being as specific as possible about your needs is especially helpful. Another idea is to incorporate visuals – such as videos, anchor charts, or music to further reinforce students’ understanding of the genre. Lastly, when introducing a resource that focuses on the genre, take no more than 20 minutes to do so. Students’ attention will start to wane. Genre studies are meant to pique interest and to excite, not to bore.
“When students start to write, it is important to make focused time to write like the style we have read.”
When students start to write, it is important to make focused time to write like the style we have read – as a class – then independently. Giving our students time to write is of utmost importance. Students should be able to write, uninterrupted, for at least 30 minutes at one time, and we as teachers should be giving that time to them! The first step is to begin with class or shared writing, where the teacher models a Think Aloud and guides discussion about the key components that must be included. This is also an ideal time to introduce sentence starters or frames, which support students when transitions are needed in their writing.
When the students start writing independently, the concept of Share, last revisions, share again is crucial in their success. Sharing can look many different ways. My favorite time in the writing process is when I conference with my students. Setting the timer to 5 minutes, each student and I meet to discuss a question they may have or their favorite part of their writing, thus far. Not only can teacher and student meet but also two to three students together sharing what they have written is beneficial as well. When peer sharing,you will need to first guide students through a peer review process, perhaps giving them specific checklists so that they can give each other constructive feedback with a specific focus. Once again, asking and giving feedback is always at the core of sharing and is a step that all too often is overlooked. Revision is always a hot button for teachers. Let’s face it, we have never been taught how to “tackle” revisions, thus the reason we gloss over it but then feel the need to take out our red pen(never!) and start marking up anything and everything that we see. I am a firm believer that we as teachers have an obligation to actually teach several mini-lessons on revising and that we need to take the revision process in small steps, one aspect at a time. Is this time-consuming? Yes! However, why are we having our students write?
One last thought about revisions. This is not the time to start hyper-focusing on grammar. This is the time to hyper-focusing on their writing in the style that they have been focusing on for the past three+ weeks. Last, but the most important, is to CELEBRATE their writing! Take the time for your students to share with their peers and also with those who are in lower grades. Have an Evening of Sharing where the students can share their writing with family and friends. All of these ideas help build a sense of community and pride in their work.
“When reading and writing are taught together through intentional habits, students are better equipped to transfer skills, deepen understanding, and produce thoughtful work.”
In the end, predictable routines serve as the foundation for meaningful literacy instruction. When reading and writing are taught together through intentional habits, students are better equipped to transfer skills, deepen understanding, and produce thoughtful work – proving that consistency, when paired with purpose, leads to powerful results.
Resources
Edutopia: 5 High-Impact Writing Strategies for the Elementary Grades. Autumn Mosby, March 15, 2024.
Edutopia: The Benefits of Writing Groups. Penny Kittle and Kelly Gallegher, January 14, 2022.
Education.com: 5 Tips to help your Students write More, More, More! Tina Kay Jennings, June 16, 2017.
CNN.com: 3 keystone habits that can transform your health in 2026 — and make everything easier. Dana Santas, January 1, 2026
Random House: The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business. Charles Duhigg, January 7, 2014
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