ABSTRACT
The authors don’t teach division once, in one way, and expect kids to divide perfectly from that point forward. Division is a complex, multistep, foundational process. They would argue that applying grammar skills to writing is even more difficult because division solutions are outcome determinate. In other words, there’s one answer to the division problem, no matter how you get there. With division, you get the correct answer or you don’t. But a student can write without using punctuation or capital letters correctly. The student has still completed a piece of writing. Sure, the writing would be enhanced if the conventions were followed in the standard way. But it’s still writing. Writing isn’t outcome determinate. There isn’t one right answer. Writers make choices—consciously or unconsciously—that affect their message.
