Navigating the "R.A.F.T."

Choosing a topic for this post was a tough one - so many choices!   I really want to stay true to our purpose: Sharing tried and true strategies that work/adapt to varied grade-level and curriculum.  So, let's jump into the "R.A.F.T" !

I first tried R.A.F.T. writing with my students about 5 years ago.  However, it has resurfaced and gained my attention during a research-based study of Differentiated Instruction last month.  This writing technique has worked for my students, with many ability levels, and in many subject areas. It is also a wonderful alternative assessment, showing all degrees of understanding of the perspective, format, or topic.  Every occasion I have used this technique, the students are engaged because of their choices.  Even the reluctant writers dive right in. 

There are web sites that do a great job of explaining, but here's a synopsis:
R - Role of the writer.  The writer uses the perspective of their role.
A - Audience of the writing. To whom are you writing?
F - Format of the writing. (Such as a newspaper article, e-mail, commercial, etc.)
T - Topic of their writing.

The idea is to allow for as much student choice as possible, but the Teacher may assign any combination of the 4 parts.  For example, last month's assignment for my students:
Role - Any famous Inventor or an object that is part of the invention you made
Audience - Your teacher or Ben Franklin
Format - A friendly letter
Topic - The Design Process

Another recent R.A.F.T. followed a (successful) lesson focused on Author's Purpose. That lesson was written as a plan for a differentiated lesson (KUD):
Know - The elements of an exemplary poster.
Understand - The reasons authors write (persuade, inform, entertain).
Do - Use existing knowledge of a self-selected topic to create a poster to persuade, inform, or entertain the reader.

A colleague of mine asked if my students were able to write with a different voice, aware of their audience.  For a quick check, I split my class in two.  I asked half to write to a first-grader explaining what they learned in math today, and the other half wrote to their parent.  Yes!  The writings were distinctively different - and both showed their learning to a great degree.

My only guidance would be to make sure the students are comfortable with at least 2 of the 4 parts within R.A.F.T.  I try to make sure they have mastered the format if my assessment is on the topic.  Alternatively, I would make sure the students selected a topic they are knowledgeable about if my assessment is focused on their perspective/voice. 

If you are interested in the R.A.F.T. writing, I recommend ReadWriteThink for some lesson ideas.  If you desire examples or templates, try out this wiki by "Daretodifferentiate" http://daretodifferentiate.wikispaces.com/R.A.F.T.+Assignments

If you haven't already tried one, jump on into the R.A.F.T. !