Writers in the Schools (WITS) is serious about the business of teaching writing. Since 1983, WITS has supported area schools in their efforts to engage students in the joy and power of reading and writing. External evaluations of the program report that WITS not only helps students enjoy writing and improve their communication skills, but it also has a positive effect on their standardized test scores.

According to University of St. Thomas Professor Carl Scott, "WITS offers students a high-quality program that is a model nationally and internationally. For more than a decade, your experience, diversity, proficiency, and depth in teaching have resulted in better writing skills, higher writing self-efficacy, and higher standardized test scores for children in our community." 

WITS in-school programs focus on the writing process and address key objectives in language arts, including original voice, inventive word choice, sentence fluency, and clear organization. WITS long-term programs allow students to develop relationships with professional writers while receiving intensive instruction and time to practice and master new techniques. Through innovative approaches, WITS writers build skills in reading and analysis, expose students to multi-cultural literature, and emphasize the importance of revision.

Writing is an art that must be practiced and developed over time. Through WITS In-School Program students:

• Participate in long-term creative writing workshops taught by professional writers,

• Practice all phases of the writing process—brainstorming, drafting, editing, revising, and publishing their work,

• Take a field trip to The Menil Collection Museum or other inspiring venue,

• Learn basic literary skills and develop an enthusiasm for literature and the arts, translating into improved grades and higher self-esteem.

• Publish their writing in an anthology, and

• Celebrate their success in public events.

What does your school get with WITS?
A professional poet, fiction writer, or playwright will lead weekly creative writing workshops for a full year

A published anthology for each student, as well as performances, readings and other events

A field trip to The Menil Collection for writing tours of the museum or a trip to another inspiring venue

Visual or performing artists join the writer to lead classes that emphasize the connection between writing and art

Opportunities for students involved in the program to read at the city-wide Young Writers Reading held each May.

TAKS: Is WITS aligned with the state's objectives?
YES. Although WITS is not a test-prep program, WITS teaching supports key areas of the new TAKS test, including original voice, inventive word choice, and clear organization. Students also become familiar with different genres and learn to identify and use literary conventions. Through continued practice, students develop greater focus, coherence, and depth of thought in their writing. Revision techniques help students acquire critical and analytical thinking skills. As students begin to take pride in their work, they are motivated to learn how to use punctuation and grammar more effectively.

Analyses of the passing rates on the fourth-grade TAKS writing tests found that students enrolled in WITS programs in HISD outperformed their non-WITS counterparts in 2002-2003 through 2005-2006 school years.

Cost
Please contact Long Chu by phone at 713-523-3877 or by e-mail for pricing information.

How do schools pay for the WITS Program?
Many schools pay for WITS through Title 1 funding. Other schools tap resources such as PTOs, business and community partners, or private foundations.

The following is a list of schools that have participated in WITS since 2009:

Askew Elementary School

Bellaire High School

Black Middle School

Blackshear Elementary School

Blaffer Gallery (University of Houston)

Briargrove Elementary School

Briarmeadow Charter School

Community Family Centers

Condit Elementary School

CSTEM

Davila Elementary School

Duchesne Academy

Edgewood Elementary School

Furr High School

Garden Oaks Elementary School

Grady Middle School

Harbach-Ripley Neighborhood Center

Harris County Department of Education

Helms Community Learning Center

Helms Community Learning Center

Herod Elementary School

International High School at Sharpstown

Johnston Middle School

Kaleidoscope Middle School

Krahn Elementary School

Kujawa Academy Elementary School

Lanier Middle School

Lockhart Elementary School

Long Middle School

Looscan Elementary School

M. D. Anderson Cancer Center

Meadow Wood Elementary School

Neff Elementary School

Oak Forest Elementary School

Pugh Elementary School

T.H. Rogers School

T. H. Rogers School for the Deaf

School at St. George Place

Shadowbriar Elementary

St. John's School

St. Michael Catholic School

Texas Children's Cancer Center

Texas Children's Renal Center

The Emery / Weiner School

The Fay School

The Heritage Society

The Menil Collection

The Regis School

The Rhodes School

The Rice School

Travis Elementary School

White Elementary School

Wilson Montessori School