Writing

WRITING = clear, coherent expression in which the development, organization and style should be appropriate to task, purpose, and audience; six traits = idea development, organization, voice, word choice, sentence structure, and conventions

Key Features of Research-based Reading Writing Instruction:

• Providing varied models

• Guided instruction (GRR): traits, strategies, and process

• HIGH frequency--daily

• Specific, timely, relevant formative feedback

• Clear expectations (e.g., rubrics)

• Varied feedback (written, verbal, teacher, peer)

• Providing authentic purposes and audiences

• Providing choice in topic, style, audience, etc.

• Student reflection and goal setting

• Linking literacies (collaboration, inquiry, etc.)

Observed Behavior: Ideas/ Content: Student is unable to…

• Generate ideas

• Focus topic

• Choose the most relevant ideas to include

• Use details, examples, reasons, and anecdotes to develop and enrich ideas

• Integrate information 

Possible Strategy or Intervention:

• Deconstruct the question to determine what is being asked as well as the information or content needed to respond appropriately; list or chart what information or categories of ideas you need to include

• Brainstorm or freewrite on topic to generate possible focus

• Collaborative discussion with peers and adults to refine topic possibilities

• Analyze mentor texts to understand how authors deliberately use details, examples, reasons, and anecdotes to develop ideas

• Generate focus questions to help identify information to include and 

• Use graphic organizer determine information to be included (e.g., what does it say? mean? matter?; or I.C.E. > introduce, cite, explain; or plot diagram, etc.) 

Observed Behavior: Organization: Student is unable to...

• Order ideas in a logical progression

• Connect/ transition between or among ideas

• Begin or end

Possible Strategy or Intervention:

• Analyze and imitate models of various organizational structures for students to employ in own writing (comparison/contrast, cause-effect. problem-solution, chronological, etc.)

• Contrast strong leads with weak leads, identifying aspects to imitate; contrast strong endings with weak endings, identifying aspects to imitate

• Use graphic organizer or outline compatible to structure of text (e.g., Venn diagram for compare/contrast) to plan order and relationship of information being presented

Observed Behavior: Voice:  Student is is unable to...

• Write to involve to engage the reader

• Select personally important topics

• Create a tone appropriate to the purpose and audience

• Develop a clear stance

Possible Strategy or Intervention:

• Use mentor text to share examples of authors with strong voice

• Share student work with strong voice

• Revise work to include active versus passive voice

• Write from the character’s perspective

• Use the question formulation technique

• Write on the same topic in different modes or to different audiences

• Model shifts in tone in writing

• Review modes of discourse

• Conduct rhetorical analysis with mentor text

• Review patterns and sentence structure

  • polysyndeton

  • asyndeton

  • interruptive

  • telegraphic, etc.

Observed Behavior: Word Choice:  Student is unable to...

• Choose words that convey the desired message accurately

• Identify parts of speech

• Use strong verbs and specific nouns

• Selectively use adjectives or modifiers

• Identify connotation and denotation of words

Possible Strategy or Intervention:

• Brainstorm word possibilities before writing

• Use print and digital dictionaries and thesauri

• Revise words for precise meaning to convey intended meaning

• Use visuals to define words

• Revise weak verbs and nouns

• Question modifiers

• Create word walls

• Maintain vocabulary logs

Observed Behavior: Sentence Structure and Fluency: Student is unable to...

• Vary the length or type of sentences in order to create variety and reader interest

• Use appropriate and varied transitions that enhance cohesion

Possible Strategy or Intervention: 

• Identify and reposition phrases and clauses to vary sentence patterns (simple, compound, complex, compound-complex sentences)

• Model various sentence patterns from a piece of writing

• Use sentence combining to vary patterns and create interest

• Use varying sentence lengths to emphasize and reinforce meaning

• Read one’s own writing aloud 

Observed Behavior: Conventions:  Student is unable to...

• Utilize proper grammar, mechanics or word usage

• Spell correctly

• Capitalize correctly

Possible Strategy or Intervention:

• Require students to edit their own work

• Engage students in editing practice

• Teach editing symbols (appropriate to grade)

• Provide an editing rubric for self-assessment

• Provide models of grammar and mechanics problems and correct using different groupings (individually and collaboratively)

• Provide a different color for editing

• Encourage use of personal dictionaries and other digital or print resources

• Provide frequent and appropriate feedback on writing in context

Observed Behavior: Publish/Present:  Student is unable to…

• Combine both visual and textual elements to present the message

Possible Strategy or Intervention:

• Provide opportunities for students to share work with and audience

• Modeling/presenting appropriate graphics, charts, illustrations to enhance intended meaning