A Writing For Pleasure pedagogy can also read as an effective pedagogy. Why? Because it is based on what research says is the most effective and affective writing practices.
There is no reason to suppose that children and young people cannot experience pleasure in writing. It makes sense too with educational research consistently telling us that there are significant academic benefits to be gained if you also attend to the personal and affective domains. For example, The National Literacy Trust (Clark, 2017) states that ‘seven times as many children and young people who enjoy writing write above the expected level for their age compared with those who don’t enjoy writing.’
In his review of 100 years of literacy research, Hillocks (2011) also forcefully states, ‘we now know from a very wide variety of studies in English and out of it, that students who are authentically engaged with the tasks of their learning are likely to learn much more than those who are not.’ Our Writing For Pleasure manifesto therefore looks to make real, practical and available the fourteen most effective writing principles and their associated practices and how they also promote enjoyment and satisfaction in being a young apprentice writer.
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