Core Six Write to Learn
In a Nutshell Tool for writing and learning in all content areas Improves students’ thinking, deepens comprehension of content, provides formative assessment needed to improve student writing
Three Reasons for Using Write to Learn to address CCSS Writing develops higher-order thinking Writing in different text types (arguments, informative/explanatory texts, narratives) Range of writing
Three Types of Writing Provisional writing- brief, daily writing that supports learning Readable writing- clarify and organize thinking to develop essays or responses Polished writing- engagement in full writing and revision process
Provisional Writing Used to capture interest, draw out prior knowledge, review and check understanding, provoke thinking, spur reflection Spelling and grammar rarely assessed Examples: Quick-writes Learning logs 4-2-1 Free Write (p. 54)
Readable Writing Intended for audience (teacher uses to assess students’ responses) Requires students to clarify their thoughts and develop an organizational structure for their ideas Sample prompts (pgs. 55-56) Argumentative Informative/explanatory Narrative Comparison Analysis (textual) Analysis/mathematical Descriptive
Readable Writing Building Writing Graphic Organizer Prewriting tool that provides scaffolding Students pair up to revise and generate new ideas Graphic Organizer 3 x 3 Writing Frame
Polished Writing Writing folders Writer’s Club House the students’ ongoing work (records and artifacts of the writing process) Pockets pg. 61 Writer’s Club Organize students into writer’s clubs with 3-5 members Encourage students to listen carefully and provide feedback that is specific, improvement-oriented, and about the work, not the student Writer’s Club Discussion Questions (p.64)
Rules of the Writer’s Club Everyone reads. Writers choose one or more questions for listeners to respond to. Listeners give additional feedback by choosing other questions to answer. Writers listen to responses without becoming defensive. Writers use what they learn to revise and improve their work.
Post-writing Reflection Ask students to answer: What? What did you learn during this process? So what? What did you learn about yourself, the content, or the writing process? Now what? How can you use or apply what you have learned?