Writing Strategies

TICKET TO LEAVE: Exit slips are used with students at the end of a lesson, as they are on their way out the door. On the exit slip, students reflect on their understanding, ask questions, or make comments about the learning of the day. Teachers collect them and use the information to inform their future instruction. This strategy is very flexible and can be modified in many ways to meet the needs of the class and teacher.

KEY-3: The Key Three Routine was developed by Joan Sedita. It consists of 3 steps - creating a top-down web to organize ideas, turning that web into a more detailed set of two-column notes, and finally writing a summary from the notes. Visit the Keys to Literacy website for more information: http://www.keystoliteracy.com/index.htm

QUICK WRITES: QuickWrites can be used at any stage in the learning process. This strategy is a chance to have students stop for a minute and give some feedback about anything that the teacher is interested in knowing - how well the students are understanding the content, whether they have any questions, what they'd like to know more about, what they think is significant, how they are feeling, etc. The student uses a post-it, index card, or simple slip of paper to write his or her brief response and gives it to the teacher. Then, the teacher uses the information collected to inform his or her teaching

R.A.F.T: RAFT stands for Role, Audience, Format, and Topic. This is a reflective strategy where students choose a role or perspective from which to write, an audience for their writing, a format to use, and a topic to write about. The idea is that the student gets a chance to demonstrate understanding of the material in a different way. For example, a student might write a letter from the cell wall to the nucleus about its role in the function of the cell. SAMPLE for CIVICS

SPLIT-PAGE NOTES: Split-page notes divide the paper into two columns. On the left side, students record the main ideas or key points, leaving white space between each topic. On the right side next to each main idea, students record the more specific details about each topic. The most important component of split-page notes is the summary at the end, where students synthesize their thinking by summarizing the contents of the notes. These notes are also meant to be interactive, meaning that the student can revise the notes at any point in the learning process

WRITE AROUND: A write around is sometimes called "acceptable note-passing." In a write around, four students sit together, each one with a piece of paper. The teacher gives the students a topic or problem to write about. Each student writes for a couple of minutes about the topic silently. Then, the papers are passed around the circle to the next person, who silently reads what was written and has a minute to add to it, respond, or pose questions. This continues until each student gets his or her original paper back. The idea is that students get the chance to write about the content, and have the opportunity to collaborate with their classmates and share ideas in a quiet, organized way. Here, no one can be left out of the conversation and multiple views and ideas are expressed. This strategy can be adapted in many ways.