Explanation
The more often students write, the more proficient
they become as writers.RAFT is a writing strategy
that helps students understand their role as a
writer, the audience they will address, the varied
formats for writing, and the topic they'll be writing
about. By using this strategy, teachers encourage
students to write creatively, to consider a topic from a different perspective, and to
gain practice writing for different audiences. RAFT assignments encourage students
to uncover their own voices and formats for presenting their ideas about content
information they are studying.Students learn to respond to a writing prompt that
requires them to think about various perspectives (Santa & Havens, 1995):



Role of the Writer: Who are you as the writer? What is my personality? How
will I react to the information or situation? Roles depend on the situation.
Audience: To whom are you writing? Who needs to read this? Whom am I trying
to persuade? What is the goal or purpose of writing? What type of emotional
reaction do I want from the reader?
Format: In what format are you writing? There are numerous possibilities:
Adverts
Advice columns
Birth announcements
Biographies
Blogs
Brochures
Calendars
Campaign Speech
Catalogues
Comic strips
C.V.s
Definitions
Dialogues
Directions
Editorials
Email messages
Fairy tales
Graffiti
Historical fiction
Horoscopes
Interviews
Invitations
Journals
Letters
Medical records
Magazine articles
Magazine covers
Membership cards
Memos
Myths
News broadcasts
Obituaries
Pamphlets
Parodies
Plays
Poems
Press releases
Questionnaires
Radio shows
Recipes
Song lyrics
Speeches
Surveys
Text messages
Wanted posters
TV Commercials
Time lines
Wills

Topic: What are you writing about? What is the subject I am covering? What
information do I have to share? What is the focus of my chosen format?
Benefits
Students must think creatively and critically in order to respond to prompts, making
RAFT a unique way for students to apply critical thinking skills about new information
they are learning. RAFT writing is applicable in every content area thereby providing
a universal writing approach for content area teachers.
COMPREHENSION STRATEGY (POST READING)
How to use RAFT in the English classroom
1. Explain to your students the various perspectives (mentioned above) writers
must consider when completing any writing assignment.
2. Display the RAFT Writing Template to your class and model on an overhead /
data projector how you would write in response to the prompt. Discuss with
your students the basic premise of the content for which you’d like to write,
but allow students to help you pick the role, audience, format, and topic to
write about. Allow student input and creativity as you craft your piece of
writing. Model a think-aloud about why having a certain role and audience
might make your stance or ideas about a certain topic different and may alter
your writing style and, therefore, your format.
3. Have students react to another writing prompt individually, or in small groups.
It works best if all students react to the same prompt so the class can learn
from varied responses. Hold a class discussion about how students created
their personal version of the assignment.
4. As students become comfortable in reacting to RAFT prompts, you can create
more than one prompt for students to respond to after a reading, lesson, or
unit. Varied prompts allow students to compare and contrast multiple
perspectives, deepening their understanding of the content.
In Practice
Sample RAFT prompts
If students are reading To Kill a Mockingbird, you may have students respond to the
issues in the story as various characters to different audiences in multiple formats.
Have a class think-aloud to come up with ideas for the piece of writing that
you will create as a group. Model on a whiteboard, overhead projector, or chart
paper how you would write in response to the prompt. Allow student input and
creativity as you craft your piece of writing.
Give students another writing prompt (for which you have already chosen the role,
audience, format, and topic) and have students react to the prompt either individually
or in small groups. For example:
R: Scout Finch
A: Community of Monroeville, Alabama
F: Eulogy for Atticus Finch
T: Social Inequality
It works best if all students follow the same process so the students can learn
from the varied responses of their classmates.
Choose a few students to read their RAFT aloud. Have a class discussion
about how each student created their own version of the RAFT while using the same
role, audience, format, and topic.
COMPREHENSION STRATEGY (POST READING)
Sources / Useful Websites
www.adlit.org
www.nbss.ie
www.readwritethink.org
www.readingrockets.org
www.jcspliteracy.ie
COMPREHENSION STRATEGY (POST READING)
Sample RAFT Lesson
Tell Me Your Story: Video-Inspired Vocabulary Writing


Lesson 1: Display the list of adjective vocabulary words below and have the
students Think-Pair-Share on the meaning of each word.
Watch either of the YouTube videos and read the prompt to your students.
Distribute the RAFT Writing Template and have students work alone to
complete the sheet. They may complete the assignment for homework.
Lesson 2: Distribute the Peer Analysis Guide and have each student read
their partner’s story and answer the questions.
Take feedback from each pair.
______________________________________________________________
Adjective Vocabulary Words:
Unmissable
Compelling
Inspiring
Intricate
Memorable
Moving
Engaging
Passionate
Powerful
Interesting
Subtle
Thoughtful
Enjoyable
Talented
Uplifting
Beautiful
Wonderful
Inspirational
COMPREHENSION STRATEGY (POST READING)
Sand Painting Video
Watch this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=518XP8prwZo
Correctly using some of the vocabulary words from our current lesson,
respond to the creative writing prompt below based on the video you just watched.
Prompt: Imagine you are a journalist in the audience during the sand painting
performance illustrating the experiences of people in the Ukraine during World War
II. Review the performance, including specific details about the way the artist
represented the events and emotions of this historical period.
Food Court Choir Video
Watch this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXh7JR9oKVE
Correctly using the vocabulary words from our current lesson, respond to the
creative writing prompt below based on the video you just watched.
Prompt: Imagine you are one of the people eating lunch in the food court during this
musical performance, and you are talking on the phone (quietly) with your best friend
the whole time.
Write the dialogue of the conversation, including descriptive details from your
perspective, questions from your friend, and your own opinions about the event.
COMPREHENSION STRATEGY (POST READING)
RAFT Writing Template
Role
Audience
Format
Topic
Writing Piece:
COMPREHENSION STRATEGY (POST READING)
Peer Analysis Guide
Tell Your Story
Read through your partner’s work, paying special attention to his or her use of the
vocabulary words, and then answer the following questions in writing.
1. List three vocabulary words you feel were used very well, and explain why the
word fits the situation perfectly.
Word 1: _________________________________________
Explanation: _________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
Word 2: _________________________________________
Explanation: _________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
Word 3: _________________________________________
Explanation: _________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
2. List two vocabulary words you are not sure were used accurately, and explain why
you think the word might not fit the situation. If you feel your partner used every word
correctly, write “Not Applicable.”
Word 1: _________________________________________
Explanation: _________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
COMPREHENSION STRATEGY (POST READING)
Word 2: _________________________________________
Explanation: _________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
3. Copy one sentence that you feel best shows that your partner understood the prompt
clearly and is writing with the appropriate purpose in mind.
Sentence: _____________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
4. What part of your partner’s story did you find most creative? Why?
______________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
COMPREHENSION STRATEGY (POST READING)