Conclusion

The focus in the Never-Fail Method is always on the writing group. That is where you build the positive atmosphere that encourages learners to write more, and to write more often. That is where they see examples of good writing, and see themselves as writers whose skills are improving. That is where the joy lives.

The teaching I do outside the writing group (i.e., end punctuation, the stages of writing, and proofreading) helps learners bring writing to the group that other learners are able to read and understand. Good writing is not simply correct mechanics; in the writing group we move beyond mechanics to look at questions of style. We look at how a writer can engage the reader, which is a much more interesting question than “Did I get the periods right?” I believe that all learners, even those at a very basic level, can engage with those wider questions of style. They don’t have to wait until they have learned mechanics before working on making their writing interesting. They are writing for a real audience (the writing group), not simply doing an assignment for the practitioner to mark, and audiences want to be moved, persuaded, shocked or informed. Correct punctuation and spelling cannot accomplish those desires.

Teaching writing to literacy learners always brought me joy. The writing group was a sea of positive emotions for me as well as for learners. They found satisfaction in their progress, and I found satisfaction in my teaching.

I hope you have read enough in these pages to make you decide to move to positive-only feedback on learners’ writing, and to consider a writing group. I wish you the joy of it.