Composition

Composition is the ability to express ideas and information through writing. Composition is dependent on Foundational Writing Skills, which include planning and mechanics. These skills become more nuanced in post-secondary educational settings. Adults also often require additional instruction on visualizing and structuring ideas in their writing. Adults with dyslexia may demonstrate difficulties with writing, likely stemming from problems with Decoding and spelling.

Main Ideas

Planning for the writing process becomes increasingly important as adults are required to write for specific audiences and to address specific goals in academic, personal, and workplace contexts. These types of writing may include:

• Informative or explanatory writing: Adults are often tasked with presenting ideas to others. This can include communicating about a topic to clarify a process, procedure, or concept from an objective standpoint.
• Persuasive writing: Adults are often advocating for themselves in career and personal settings through letters, emails, and other forums, and need to understand the conventions of communicating within these roles. This type of writing involves clear presentation of information and draws upon Argumentative Reasoning skills.

As digital writing and communication (e.g., blogs, emails) often mirror traditional writing structures, it is important for adults to have a strong understanding of the writing process to succeed in an increasingly digital world. This is also important for adapting to new and evolving digital writing demands, including social media postings.

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