August
- Create writing folders
- Conduct student assessments to determine spelling, conventions, and general writing abilities to establish a start point for writing portfolios
- Introduce Writer's Workshop
- Learn rules and procedures for Writer's Workshop
- Introduce 'Status Check' station where students display where they are in the writing process
- Establish various classroom resources for writing (computers, dictionaries, editing table, writing checklists, clipboard bin, writing supplies)
- Establish a community of respect. Review respectful ways to address peers, review peer work, and offer suggestions
September
- Introduce a 'Writer's Checklist' for students to use when writing a piece*
- Introduce the writing stages (mini lessons on pre-writing, drafting, revising, editing)
- Introduce Ideas Trait (mini lessons on how to brainstorm ideas, narrow down big ideas, stay on topic)
- Introduce Idea's student self-check list to use with writing for the month*
- Begin exploration of personal narrative writing focusing on idea elaboration
- Mini lessons on pre-writing stage
- Introduce peer revision and editing
October
- Introduce Organization Trait (mini lessons on transition words, creating idea outlines, paragraphing topics, beginning/middle/end)
- Introduce Organization's student self-check list to use with writing for the month*
- Continue exploration of personal narrative pieces
- Introduce the use of computers in writing (use of computers in writing will be restricted to information search and the publishing stage of writing)
- Mini lessons on drafting stage
- Add first quarter writing to portfolio
- Conduct first quarter in-depth individual writing conferences
November
- Introduce Voice Trait (mini lessons on developing voice in writing, writing for an audience, choosing words to define your voice)
- Introduce Voice's student self-check list to use with writing for the month*
- Begin exploration of using dialogue within writing pieces
- Finish with personal narratives and introduce opinion pieces
- Mini lessons on revising stage
December
- Continue work with Voice Trait
- Continue use of Voice rubric
- Continue work with opinion pieces
- Continue to use 3 trait rubrics for student self-check
- Mini lessons on editing stage
January
- Introduce Sentence Fluency Trait (mini lessons on fluent writing, combining sentences with connective words, sentence varieties, starting sentences differently)
- Introduce Sentence Fluency's student self-check rubric to use with writing for the month*
- Focus on spelling sight words correctly
- Continue with opinion pieces
- Add second quarter writing to portfolio
- Conduct second quarter in-depth individual writing conferences
Feburary
- Introduce Word Choice Trait (mini lessons on exploring word choice, taking risks with new words, expanding vocabulary)
- Introduce Word Choice's student self-check rubric to use with writing for the month*
- Begin exploration of writing informational pieces
- Mini lessons on finding appropriate internet sources
March
- Introduce Conventions Trait (mini lessons on the variety of punctuation that is used)
- Introduce Convention's student self-check rubric to use with writing for the month*
- Continue with informational pieces
- Mini lessons on poetry
- Add third quarter writing to portfolio
- Conduct third quarter in-depth individual writing conferences
April
- Introduce Presentation Trait (mini lessons on publishing work, cursive handwriting, adding illustrations, and computer publication)
- Introduce Presentation's student self-check rubric to use with writing for the month*
- Introduce persuasion pieces
- Mini lessons on letter writing
May
- Review each of the traits and have student's plot their progress over the year
- Students choose their own format and write a final piece
- Students use the rubrics for all seven traits to self review their work
- Peers use rubrics for all seven traits and review at least three other peer's work
- Student's choose their favorite piece to publish on the class blog and share with their grade and families
June
- Collect fourth quarter writing and add to portfolio
- Conduct final fourth quarter in-depth individual writing conferences and pass along student portfolios
*Available in 'Record Keeping and Resources" tab.
