RAFT - Role, Audience, Format and Topic

Description: The RAFT writing strategy is a flexible & creative writing technique. RAFT is an acronym used to organize the parts of a writing task.  R is for the role of the writer; A is for the audience the writer addresses; F is for the form or format of the writing; T is for the topic of the writing. It is helpful to assign students the topic + a strong verb such as explain, defend, reprimand, apologize (e.g. justify your opinion about capital punishment).

The RAFT strategy integrates reading and writing in a way that is both fun and challenging. Students use the RAFT writing strategy to creatively connect to content from any subject.  RAFT is both a “learn to write” and is a “write to learn” strategy.

The RAFT strategy allows students to see the perspectives of others as they write from a given role (real or imagined) to an audience (real or imagined). RAFTs may include the same content that could be delivered in a traditional essay; however, the information is written in a creative manner with a focus on point of view, audience and format. RAFTs require students to think in unconventional ways about concepts that they have studied. RAFTs are creative and can have authentic application, which makes for an interesting assignment.

The RAFT can be used to assist comprehension and develop writing skills as students address a given topic in a written format. For instance, students learning about the water cycle in science could write from the role of a water drop to an audience of other water drops in the format of a travel guide explaining the journey through the water cycle.

Targeted Skills: Understand audience, format and the role of the writer. Develop writing skills including ideas, organization, sentence fluency, word choice, voice and mastery of conventions. Understand point of view, writing formats or genres, importance of audience.
The RAFT allows students the opportunity to complete creative and authentic writing.

When to use the strategy: Before, During or After Reading

Example: Ninth grade students complete reading the novel Of Mice & Men.  The teacher directs the students to write from the role of a main character and allows students to select their own audience, format and topic. A student creates the following RAFT: George writes a letter to Lennie’s surviving family member explaining Lennie’s death.

How to Differentiate or Adapt: The RAFT strategy is a flexible writing strategy that can be used with any content. Teachers can modify or provide a range of scaffolding by creating all or parts of the RAFT. For instance, a teacher might decide the topic for students and allow them to choose the role, audience and format. Students can learn each part of the raft separately.
The RAFT can be assigned individually, in small groups or for a whole class.