SUMMER 2013

1. SUMMER 2013

2. Common Core Standards • About Write Steps • Types of Writing Taught by Grade Level • Conferences • Time • Materials • Motivation • Materials Review • Online Access • Rubrics • Grade Level Scope and Sequence

3. COMMON CORE STANDARDS * Review grade level writing standards……… - Differences - Grade level progressions

4. About Write Steps • Complete K-5 writing program • Covers writing and language Common Core Standards • Day to day lesson plans • Plans include anticipatory set, modeling/guided writing, checking for understanding, guided practice, independent practice, and closure • Designed around writer’s workshop model • Uses 6 + 1 Traits of Writing, Madeline Hunter’s lesson plan format, multiple intelligences, and Bloom’s Taxonomy • Can be personalized to teacher style and student’s needs • Includes free choice and prompt writing

5. About Write Steps • Daily modeling of writing • Uses the writing process • Revising is taught in Kindergarten. Editing is added towards the end of 1st grade. All 2nd-5th grade units include editing and revising • Culminating activity of each unit is a Formal Core Writing piece which acts as an assessment. • Students are writing all “text types” required in Common Core Standards (opinion, informative/explanatory, narrative, and research) • Spiraled sequence of Common Core Standards. Each unit presents New Focus Skills (NFS) – presented and practiced many times as Review Focus Skills (RSF)

6. Types of Writing Taught by Grade Level

7. Types of Writing Taught by Grade Level

8. Conferences • Daily conferencing incorporated during independent practice • Roving conferences: teacher is moving around the room, momentarily checking in with as many students as possible • Formal conferences: one on one communication between student and teacher. Scheduled with two or three students and planned to cover one or two teaching points • Record keeping conference sheet included

9. Time • Lessons are written in a day/minute format to provide a structured plan • Times are estimates • Matches district time guidelines • Adjust as needed to fit student needs • Lessons designed to be taught a minimum of three days a week (K and 1st) and four days a week (2nd-5th). • Flex time built into final lessons of a unit – allows students to finish writing pieces, teachers to score/conference, or opportunities for extensions (publishing, illustrating, blogging, sharing, etc.)

10. Materials • Spiral bound notebooks, composition books, or binders • Folder/binder for reference materials (word lists, check lists, genre pages, etc.): 3rd-5th grade • Storage – writing needs to be kept and stored neatly since students will revise, edit, and add to old pieces…..must be kept at school • 4 colored pens

11. Motivation • Strategies incorporated to boost self-esteem and confidence: - Showing real student samples - Providing engaging prompts - Allowing for free choice writing - Celebrating student achievement - Showing attention getting visual aids - Teacher modeling - Receiving teacher and peer feedback - Sharing students work in author’s chair

12. Materials Review • Pacing Guides • Writing Core Coverage Charts • Binders - Daily Plans - Self Reflection Checklist (Teacher) - Assessment Prompts

13. Online Subscription • Logging On • Resources Available

14. Rubrics • Review Write Steps Rubrics (Advantages/disadvantages) • Review district rubrics (Advantages/disadvantages) • Opinions – Mesh write steps into what we have? Mesh what we have into Write Steps?

15. Scope and Sequence • Grade level scope and sequence (available on Literacy Moodle) compared to Write Steps • What changes need to be made?