1. The Writing Routine
What is a paragraph?

2. 4-7 Workshop September 21, 2012 The Write Tools Committee

3. The Basics Who: ALL K-12 teachers in ALL subject areas
What: The Write Tools Writing Routine
Where: HERE and NOW
When: Essays, reports, paragraphs, letters, charts, OAAs, etc.
Why: Consistency= Success

4. The Write Tools is a writing routine
What is The Write Tools?
The Write Tools is a writing routine
that enables students to systematically see the big picture of where they are heading, and therefore the individual skills will make more sense as they begin to practice them

5. Why Write? Reading is Thinking You get better at reading by reading
You get better at reading by writing
Writing is thinking out loud!

6. Welcome!
Today you will participate in activities that illustrate The Write Tools Writing Routine. You will realize it is a model for similar activities that you do many times with your students throughout the year.
Our goal is to implement The Write Tools district-wide in ALL grade levels and ALL content areas.

7. Entrance Slip Question
What is a paragraph?
What makes a well written paragraph?

8. What is a paragraph?
A paragraph is a group of sentences that are all about one topic. A paragraph has three parts: an introduction, a body, and a conclusion.

9. Consistent, Systematic, Explicit Instruction=
Why "The Write Tools?”
Common Strategies+
Common Language+
Common Vision+
Consistent, Systematic, Explicit Instruction=
SUCCESS!

10. The Write Tools
The Writing Routine

11. Step 1 Analyze the Prompt
Example Prompt
One of the highlights of elementary school was school lunch. Reflect on several of your favorites from elementary lunch, and write a paragraph describing them.
T = stands for topic, what is the main topic of your writing?
A =stands for audience, who will be reading the writing?
K =stands for key words, highlight words not already listed

12. Step 1 Analyze the Prompt
Example Prompt
One of the highlights of school was school lunch. Reflect on several of your favorites from school lunch, and write a paragraph describing them. T A K

13. Stop & Think time at this level: 1 minute
Step 2 Stop and Think
Model Stop & Think so that students know what it looks like
Time your students and encourage them:
“even if you have thought of a few, think of a few more!”
“ keep thinking, sometimes our best ideas come at the end”
Stop & Think time at this level: 1 minute

14. Step 3 Brainstorm
Students write down all the ideas they came up with during Stop & Think time.
Webs, lists, thinking maps, graffiti walls all work

15. Favorite elementary school lunch
Step 3 Brainstorm
Mac & cheese
Ice Cream
Pizza Stuffed Breadstick
French Fries
Topic:
Favorite elementary school lunch
Mini Chicken Sliders
Peanut Butter & Jelly Uncrustables

16. Select and Circle 3 Big Ideas
Step 4 Pick and Choose
Select and Circle 3 Big Ideas
Topic:
Favorite elementary
school lunch

17. Step 5 Make a Plan Planning makes writing easier
Planning provides a roadmap for organization of ideas
Planning makes writing better

18. Rules for Planning: You have to! Words and phrases only Don’t argue
Step 5 Make a Plan
Rules for Planning:
You have to!
Words and phrases only
Don’t argue

19. Umbrella Planner (K-3) Pizza French Fries Ice Cream TOPIC:
Favorite elementary school lunches
Use left side of umbrella is for students to preselect the transitions they will either say or write before they turn their plan into a paragraph
Pizza
French Fries
Ice Cream
Conclusion:
Favorite Elementary School Lunches

20. Topic: Favorite school lunches
Step 5 T-Chart Planner
Topic: Favorite school lunches
Big Ideas Tell Me More (supporting details)
The CCSS uses
the terminology
“supporting details”
Crust
Pepperoni
Eat with hands
Crispy
Ketchup
Seconds
Chocolate swirls
Toppings
Good on a hot day
Pizza Breadstick
French Fries
Ice Cream
Conclusions at this
level should be
a sentence that
restates the topic.
Conclusion: Favorite elementary school lunches

21. Step 6 Create a Topic Sentence
At this level, topic sentences are often provided by the teacher. Modeling the “Core Four” topic sentences provide an opportunity for students to develop good habits.
The “Core Four”
Simple Declarative
Number Statement
Question
Situation-Stance

22. Step 6 Create A Topic Sentence
Simple Declarative: clearly states the topic and includes key words from the prompt. It is usually short, simple and to the point.
“Elementary lunches are delicious.”

23. Step 6 Create a Topic Sentence
Number Statement is a declarative sentence that includes a number word. It ells how many Big Ideas are in the plan.
“I have three ultimate favorite elementary school lunches.”
Beware of the deadly duo!
There are
Here are

24. Step 6 Create a Topic Sentence
A Question topic sentence cannot be answered with a yes or no answer. The whole paragraph will provide an answer to the question.
“Which elementary school lunches were your favorites?”

25. Step 6 Create a Topic Sentence
Situation-Stance are sentences that define the topic. The stance narrows the topic and tells what the focus of the paragraph will be (independent/dependent clauses)
“Even though it was a while ago, I remember some of my favorite elementary schools lunches.”
Give students a list of “starter words” for ss topic sentences. From pg 137

26. Think about it! They have to say it before they can write it!
Step 7 Turn & Talk
Using the planner as a guide, have students, as a group, practice talking through each part of the paragraph.
After doing this several times as a class, small groups can practice it independently. This step makes writing the draft simple!
Think about it! They have to say it before they can write it!

27. Step 8 Rough Draft Body Sentences Introduce Big Ideas
“Tell me more” supporting details

28. Step 8 Rough Draft-Transitions
Transitions are words, phrases, clauses or sometime even sentences that connect Big Ideas.
Transitions serve as a bridge from one Big Idea to the next.
Pizza French Fries
Using first, second and third in a row is acceptable for young writers, but teachers should model other options as soon as possible
Another favorite is
Look for a list of starter words, transition words and words that signal a conclusion on page 155 of the reference guide.

29. Step 8 Rough Draft Title Topic Sentence Big Idea (transition)
Supporting details
Conclusion

30. How does this look DISTRICT-WIDE?

31. The Write Tools K-3 Continuum
Kindergarten
1st Grade
2nd Grade
3rd Grade
Topic Given
Analyze Topic
Stop & Think
Brainstorm
Pick & Choose
Plan
T-Chart
Umbrella Chart
Numbers Chart
T-chart
Topic Sentence
SDS
Big Idea
Transitions
Tell Me More
Conclusion
SDS & Number Sentences
Big Ideas
4 Core Sentences
Tell Me More (Supporting Details
Multi-paragraph essays
Supporting Details
Multi-paragraph

32. The Write Tools 4-7 4th - 7th Grade
Analyze Topic
Stop & Think
Brainstorm
Pick & Choose
Plan and Color Code
Transition from Umbrella to T-Chart
Topic Sentence
4 Core Sentences
Big Ideas
Transitions
Supporting Details
Conclusion
Multi-paragraph
Rough Draft
As students progress through the grade levels in all content areas, text complexity increases as the writing routine is applied to :
Opinion
Informative/ Explanatory
Narrative
Argumentative
Research Projects
*As required by the Common Core Standards

33. The Write Tools Tips
Start small, don’t try to teach all components the same day, or even the same week. Practice and model, model, model.
Stay consistent with the routine, as your students master each component, expand their expertise by adding different prompts, new transitions, types of planning, types of numbers words, etc.
Remember that this is a routine focused on creating a ROUGH DRAFT FOR a well written paragraph only.

34. The Write Tools
“Learning is complex interaction with and multiple exposures to knowledge”
Marzano

35. THANK YOU! The Write Tools
The District “L” drive contains all the resources used in today’s presentations. For additional lesson planning, questions or coaching support contact:
THANK YOU!

36. Rest of the Morning- Common Planning Time
4th grade- Plan implementation schedule for your grade level and develop prompts in the library
5th grade- Same as 4th but meet in the cafeteria (the computer lab is next door)
6th & 7th meet in PLCs to come up with at least 1 lesson based on your curriculum
By this afternoon be prepared to share what you came up with by department 4-12