Description: The RAFT strategy (Santa, 1988) encourages students to process information as opposed to simply answer questions. This writing-to-learn strategy enhances the reading of informational text by involving students personally and allowing them to respond creatively. Instead of students responding to text and explaining concepts through the more traditional means of essays and open-ended questions, RAFT encourages creative thinking by motivating students to reflect in nontraditional ways.
An acronym, RAFT stands for
R-What is the ROLE of the writer? Students select among various roles: witness, observer, spectator, reporter, participant … .
A– Who is the AUDIENCE reading this work? Will they be teachers, fellow classmates, younger students, parents, business owners, community leaders, pet owners, aliens…?
F-What will be the best FORMAT for presenting this concept? Choose if it will be a letter, a journal or diary entry, a radio or television report, an article for a newspaper or magazine, a Want Ad, a poem , ballad, sonnet, limerick, a comic strip, Top Ten List…?
T– Who or what is the TOPIC of this writing? Identify if the subject is a famous person – inventor, artist of any medium, leader…; or is it a reaction to an event, situation, conflict or relationship; or is it an explanation of the effects of, qualities of, or problems with a certain concept or idea…?
Step-by-Step
- Identify important ideas or information to be learning. For example, the reading might be about the pulmonary system, ratios, Sputnik…. Consider the many different ways someone might learn this information; for example, how would a doctor learn about medicines as opposed to a patient? Together, these will lead to potential roles, audiences, formats, and topics for writing. Instructors should be prepared to model the next steps for students.
- Explicitly instruct students in the purpose of RAFT explaining how writers consider various aspects – roles, audiences, formats and topics – prior to writing. Share with students definitions and examples of each component.
- Review the stages of the writing process.
- Stress that creativity is a key to success for this writing strategy.
- Share examples of each stage of the strategy if possible.
- Brainstorm with students potential topics listing roles, formats, and vivid verbs connected to each topic.
- Students can be grouped to complete initial writing assignments until proficiency with the strategy is established. While students are grouped, teachers should monitor and provide assistance. When a level of proficiency is achieved, students can complete assignments individually.
- Eventually, release the students to generate their own RAFT assignments.
http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/printouts/RAFTWriting.pdf