Set up your writing block quickly and easily with a simple, research-based framework
Schools need their writing instruction simplified. Most classrooms share writing time with another subject, making it difficult for students to receive the direct writing instruction they need. Between the lack of time, increased gaps in writing skills, and inconsistent writing curriculum, teachers are struggling to bring their students up to grade level.
Simplify Your Writing Instruction provides you with a classroom-tested framework that helps you set up your writing block within the limited time and resources you have. Step by step, this practical guide shows you how to amplify your students’ writing skills, employ simple feedback opportunities and interventions, streamline your lessons, use simple differentiation techniques to help reach students of all ability levels, and more.
Author April Smith is a former teacher who has trained more than 50,000 K-12 educators on best practices for writing instruction. While in the classroom, she learned that having simple and consistent systems in place is critical. Accordingly, none of the tasks and strategies will require you to create or prep anything complicated or time-consuming. In Simplify Your Writing Instruction, you will find easy-to-use checklists, implementation tasks, customizable templates, student writing samples, helpful tables and charts, and a simple spreadsheet that you can use to plan your lessons and modify your teaching to meet the needs of each writer.
Be confident and supported in your writing instruction. Simplify Your Writing Instruction will teach you how to:
- Implement the Simple Pre-Assessment Process in your classroom
- Encourage authentic writing practice at home
- Differentiate your lessons to reach your Special Education, ELL, and Gifted students
- Integrate grammar naturally and optimize student output after each lesson
- Split the writing process into efficient and effective 10- to 15-minute mini-lessons
- Make writing a priority by incorporating writing application into other subjects
- Use a simple pre-assessment to get a better overall picture of what your students can do
- Utilize more complex strategies such as small group work and conferring
Packed with expert advice and easy-to-follow strategies, Simplify Your Writing Instruction: A Framework for a Better Writing Block is a must-have resource for all K-12 educators and teachers in training.
Table of Contents
Introduction xi
Part One The Fundamentals 1
One Common Struggles 3
Time 5
Varying Student Ability Levels 6
Lack of Training and Curriculum 6
Addressing These Struggles 7
Two What Really Matters 9
Having Simple Systems in Place 11
Utilizing Data 11
Uncomplicated “Bite-Sized” Lessons 11
Filling in Gaps Using Differentiation 12
Providing Feedback and Support 12
Three Make Writing a Priority 13
My Story 15
What I Learned 15
What This Means for You 16
Part Two The First Three Weeks 19
Four The Power of Informal Pre-Assessment 23
Why Pre-Assess at All If Time Is an Issue? 25
What Pre-Assessment Should Look Like 25
The Purpose behind Using Multiple Prompts 27
Five Make Observations and Record Important Data 31
What Is Actionable Data? 33
The Recording Process 34
Recording Important Whole Group Skills 35
“Big Picture” Skills: Interest and Writing Stamina 36
Sentence and Paragraph Writing 37
Complexity of Ideas 38
Technology Knowledge 39
Other Whole Group Categories 40
What This Means for My Whole Group Instruction 40
Whole Group Grammar Knock-Out List 41
The Order Matters 41
Recording Individual Skills 42
Setting Goals and Recording Success 43
Six Build a Foundation 47
Interest and Attitude 51
Addressing Your Own Writing Baggage 51
Cultivating a Positive Classroom Environment 53
Writing Stamina 54
Days 3-5: Practice, Practice, Practice 56
Sentence and Paragraph Writing 56
Paragraph Writing Intervention 60
Idea Generation 63
Final Thoughts 66
Seven Use Pre-Assessment Data to Modify Future Lessons 69
Modify Expectations 71
Frontload or Reteach 71
Use Tools 72
Banishing Feelings of Being Overwhelmed 72
Part Three A Simple Framework for Your Writing Instruction 73
Eight Prepare Your Classroom 77
Writing Block Schedule 79
Whole Group Mini-Lesson 79
Independent Student Writing Time 79
Closure 79
Meeting Place and Student Work Areas 80
Classroom Procedures 81
Nine Start Your First Writing Unit with Efficient Mini-Lessons 85
Planning Mini-Lessons 87
The Importance of “Bite-Sized” Mini-Lessons 87
Bird’s-Eye View Planning 88
Daily Planning 89
Unit: Personal Narrative Writing - Day 3 EXAMPLE LESSON PLAN 90
The Secret Sauce: A Well-Planned Teacher Model 92
Implementing Mini-Lessons 93
Independent Writing Time 95
Transitioning from Mini-Lesson to Independent Writing Time 96
Reinforcing Skills during Independent Writing Time 97
Ten Prepare for Early Finishers and Students Who Are Stuck 101
Resources for Students Who Are Stuck 104
Students Falling Behind 109
Eleven Incorporate Grammar 111
Choosing Which Grammar Concepts to Teach 113
Incorporating Grammar Skills into a Lesson 114
Utilizing Direct Grammar Instruction 117
What Direct Grammar Instruction Looks Like 120
Ways to Apply Newly Acquired Grammar Skills in Context 123
What to Do If Students Still Don’t Get It 124
Other Ways to Fit in Grammar Practice 124
Part Four Meeting Individual Needs 129
Twelve Support Students through Small Group Instruction 133
Planning Small Group Instruction 135
Setting Goals and Recording Growth 143
Thirteen Provide Individualized Feedback through Writing Conferences 149
A Process that Works 151
Fourteen Integrate Peer Feedback Systems 161
Opportunities for Peer Feedback 164
Teaching Students How to Conduct Peer Feedback Sessions 165
Fifteen Support Students with Learning Disabilities 171
How Learning Disabilities Affect Writing Ability 173
Sixteen Support English Language Learners 177
Sentence Frames 180
Vocabulary Tools 181
Seventeen Grade with a Student-Centered Approach 183
Mastery-Based Grading 185
Standards-Based Grading 186
Grading Tools 187
Scoring with Rubrics 187
Appendix: Reproducible Pages 191
About the Author 215
Acknowledgments 217
How to Access the Downloadable Resources 219
Works Cited 221
Index 223
