ELA includes reading, writing, grammar, spelling (word study), vocabulary, cursive and daily five (small group reading). It is going to be an exciting year of reading, writing, and spelling. We will read wonderful stories, have creative writing assignments, challenging spelling words, and study fantastic literacy skills. All of these components are in place to make you the best reader and writer you can be. But remember, just like a great sports player has to practice...a great reader/writer does too.
Prewrite
Write/Draft
Revise
Edit/Proofreading
Publish
Ideas--The meaning of the message.
Organization--The structure of the writing.
Voice--The writer's personality.
Word Choice--The good choice of words.
Sentence Fluency--The flow and rhythm of the writing.
Conventions--The correctness of the grammar, spelling, and mechanics.
Presentation--The appearance of the writing.
Includes specific details to make the incident come alive for your reader
Focuses on re-creating an incident that happened to you over a short period of time (usually an emotional experience)
Conveys a particular mood (feeling) - do you want to surprise your readers, make them laugh, have them share in your sorrow or fear
Examples:
Writing plays, stories from history, realistic stories, tall tales, fantasies, friendly notes or letters, biographical writing, writing in journals, poems
Informational writing is used by people to share knowledge and communicate messages, instructions, or ideas to others
It allows us to report, explain, direct, summarize, and define things
It allows us to organize and analyze information by explaining, comparing, contrasting, and explaining cause and effect
Examples:
How-to writing, newspaper stories, writing a summary, classroom report, speech, writing lists
Takes a strong and definite position on an issue or advises a particular action
Gives logical reasons and supporting evidence to defend the position or recommend action
Considers opposing views
Has enthusiasm and energy from start to finish
Examples:
Persuasive essays, book reviews, letters to the editor
AREA (Answer, Reasons, Examples, Answer)- format for answering questions with story evidence
Referred to as "writing prompt, write your response, or evidence-based selected response question"
Any evidence based selected response question may contain two parts
Respond to a prompt, complete sentence with proper punctuation
Review "Writer's Checklist" to help plan and organize your response (see below)
Scored on a 1-4 scoring guidelines (see below)
Keeping a learning log, graphic organizers, taking essay tests, taking good notes, explaining problems in math, and writing-to-learn activities