Writing

“If students are not engaged in writing at least four days out of five, and for a period of thirty-five to forty minutes, beginning in first grade, they will have little opportunity to learn to think through the medium of writing.”

- Donald Graves

We use the Writer's Workshop Model in our classroom for 45 minutes four days a week. Each student is given time to write on a topic of his/her choosing. Each day, a mini lesson is presented in order to strengthen the student's writing, coupled with student share in large groups or partner sharing. Student/Teacher conferences help the students grow with added personalized goals to their celebrated writing strengths.
Resources used:

• Units of Study
• The Steps in the Writing Process
• Modes, Forms and Genres
• Six Trait Writing Writing A-Z
• Sitton Spelling
• Weekly Spelling
• Phonics Lessons
• Word Walls
• Write Source Grammar

Assessments:

• Kent School District Six Trait Writing Assessments
• Student Writer's Notebooks
• Anecdotal records from student/teacher conferences

Washington State EALRs:

1. The student understands and uses the writing process.
2. The student writes in a variety of forms for different audiences and purposes.
3. The student writes clearly and effectively.
4. The student analyzes and evaluates the effectiveness of written work.