Although many historians now use the medium of television to advance their arguments and interpretations of history, the construction of written accounts remains fundamental to their craft. It also lies at the heart of current assessment systems, which means that young people similarly need to be able to create effective historical accounts of different kinds. The quality of students’ writing depends on the processes of selection and organisation as well as on effective communication within the appropriate genre, and the materials in this section deal with all three dimensions. 

Emphasising the importance of writing does not mean that other forms of literacy are unimportant. Several examples of teachers’ work presented here demonstrate the value of improving students’ oral communication in strengthening their writing; others highlight the ways in which technology can provide support, by isolating different stages of the process, for example, or by enhancing collaboration between students in testing the strength of their arguments, or by providing an appropriate audience for students’ work. The value and limitations of different kinds of writing frame are also explored as is the role that historians’ work can play as a model for students’ own writing.

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You can find an introduction to key articles by history teachers about teaching all pupils to write history essays here...