How to Use the RAFT Strategy in the Classroom to Develop Reading and Writing Skills?

Use the RAFT strategy in the classroom to encourage creative and organized writing. This writing activity will help develop the writing skills of students in a fun and creative way.

What is the RAFT strategy?

Writing is not easy for all students. In our classrooms, we see students struggling with the different phases or processes of writing. This strategy is used to help students understand the process of writing better. It teaches them the important concepts to consider when writing or reading a text. RAFT is an acronym that stands for Role, Audience, Format and Topic.

Why use the RAFT strategy?

This strategy is referred to as a “complete/one-stop” strategy, as it helps to address the most important concepts faced with writing. The application of the RAFT strategy has numerous benefits including helping students to:

• Understand their role as a writer
• Consider a topic for writing and analyze it from different perspectives
• Consider the audience/reader they are writing for and understand what needs to be conveyed
• Explore the different forms and styles of writing best suited for the assignment
• Effectively communicate their ideas and thoughts so that the audience/reader is able to easily comprehend the writing.

In a nutshell, the RAFT strategy enables students to identify their voice in writing and to write creatively considering different perspectives for a variety of audiences.

What does RAFT stand for?

The acronym RAFT stands for the following prompts:

• Role: Who is the writer?
• Audience: To whom are you writing?
• Format: Are you writing to persuade, entertain, inform, or describe?
• Topic: What are you writing about?

How to use the RAFT strategy in the classroom

Write down the RAFT acronym on the board and explain each prompt with examples. Pick a portion from your current reading assignment and decide with your students what role, audience, format and topic you can write about. For example, pick a portion from The Tempestand ask your students to do a writing assignment with these prompts using the RAFT strategy:

Role: Miranda

Audience: To herself

Format: Diary

Topic: Being on the island

The students are now able to follow the prompts to help them write creatively. After the students are finished they are able to read aloud to the rest of the class what they wrote. This will show all the different stories that the students created. This develops the text they are reading while practicing their creative writing skills. Over time, encourage students to apply the strategy individually, choosing their own RAFTs and applying it across different classes.

Like this article for teachers?

Browse the Professional Learning Board COURSE CATALOG to find related online courses for teachers in your state. Professional Learning Board is a leading provider of online professional development classes that teachers use to renew a teaching license or renew a teaching certificate.