The Product Approach

The product approach to teaching writing is a methodology that focuses on the final written product rather than the writing process. With this approach, emphasis is placed on the finished piece of writing rather than the stages used to create it. The primary goal of this approach is to enable the writer to create a well-structured, coherent, and grammatically correct written piece.

In other words, the product approach focuses on teaching students to create a written work using a specific set of rules or criteria, such as sentence structure, grammar, spelling, punctuation, and vocabulary. Rather than focusing on developing ideas, organizing information, and refining language use, students in the product approach are expected to follow a specific formula or set of rules for completing a particular writing task.

The product approach involves presenting students with models of well-written pieces, usually in the form of exemplars, and providing them with guidelines for creating comparable pieces of writing. With this approach, much emphasis is placed on students understanding the structure of the written work and following the formula provided.

Critics of the product approach argue that it could lead to a mechanistic approach to writing, resulting in students who lack creativity, originality, and the ability to engage in sophisticated critical thinking. Nonetheless, some proponents argue that the use of the product approach is necessary for teaching students the mechanics of writing effectively, and is one of the many tools teachers can utilize to foster the development of their students’ writing abilities.