Scriveners' Trappings

This in-depth post explores the issue of language impacts our ability to think. After an introduction the post is split into three sections.

The first section explores "the psycholingusitic case for writing education." It is noted that the Common Core states that students in grades 6-12 "should demonstrate increasing sophistication in all aspects of language use, from vocabulary and syntax to the development and organization of ideas, and they should address increasingly demanding content and sources.” 
And following this raised a different question:
"If a student can’t write it, however, why should we assume that she can think it?"

What follows is a look at language, where we see that the language we learn impacts us in many ways, that some cultures have many words for a word like snow while others do not, that cultures whom have language that have "gendered objects" impacts how people view the objects. 

The second section explores "Can you teach better math and science be teaching writing?" Information is provided about New Dorp High School (in New York). The school implemented a program that included "writing-to-learn" across the curriculum (except for math) and discovered that major gains in writing were apparent by the second year. 

The third section "highlights ten features of writing education that can be used to enhance student learning across all subject areas, ultimately resulting in higher academic performance."

The first two suggestions are below (all are quoted from the post).

1. Vocabulary Across The Disciplines: Emphasize that the concept of a word may change depending on the context in which it is used.
2. Syntax Across The Disciplines: Emphasize that every math problem and essay prompt has a hierarchical structure. 
Click through to the post to learn more about these two features of writing and about eight additional features.

This article gives compelling evidence that the ability to write effectively is closely linked to the ability to think coherently. The author writes, "Students’ inability to write was contributing to their inability to think, severely impeding intellectual growth across many subjects."