Improve Student Writing

by Writing to Learn!

~Tiffany Looney Literacy Consultant-KEDC Special Education Cooperative

~Latishia SparksInstructional Specialist-Kentucky Department of Education

I am…

Children want to write. They want to write the first day they attend school. This is no accident. Before they went to school they marked up walls, pavements, newspapers, with crayons, chalk, pens, or pencils…anything that makes a mark. The child’s marks say, “I am.” (Donald Graves, 2003)

What does writing instruction look like in your school?

3 Reasons to Write to Learn Chapter 5 - p. 50

To develop students’ higher order thinking skills.

To ensure CCR by teaching them to write in different text types or “modes”. Arguments Informative/Explanatory Narrative

To teach them to write for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences.

(page 50-51)

The Research Behind Write to Learn - p. 51

Writing regularly about the texts they read in science , social studies and language arts has a positive influence on comprehension.

Writing is the skill most directly related to improve scores in reading, science , social studies, language and math.

Writing is an essential skill for college and career readiness.

(page 51)

Implementing Writing to Learn in the Classroom p. 52-63

In groups of __you will read through your section: Provisional Writing Readable Writing Polished Writing

THEN…

Making ConnectionsKentucky Academic Standards for Writing

Review the Writing Standards placemat for your grade level and make connections to your section.

Provisional Writing Readable Writing Polished Writing

Making ConnectionsWriting to Learn in the Classroom

For your W to L type answer these questions

What is ______________?

How does it look in the classroom?

What is one explicit connection between ______ and your grade level writing standard?

Making ConnectionsKentucky Academic Standards for Reading

Review the Reading Standards and make connections to your section.

Can you make explicit connections to the Speaking and Listening , Language Standards?

Writing Samples & Instructional Tools

KCAS: APPENDIX C

KY MARKER PAPERS

Literacy Connections

The relationship between reading and writing is a bit like that of the chicken and egg. Which came first is not as important as the fact that without one the other cannot exist. ~www.k12reader.com

Let’s review …

Make a list of the most important ideas from today.

Share your list with a partner. Consider both of your list and choose the most important overall ideas.

You and your partner group with another pair and determine the most important idea and share out.

4

2

1

Evaluations

Tiffany Looney

Latishia Sparks