If you Notice….
The student always asks, “How long
does this have to be?”
tt the The student brings no background
knowledge to a topic
The The student lacks understanding of
purpose
t
The student chooses topics
inappropriately
T
The student lacks strategies for
selecting topic ideas
The student doesn’t know where to
begin
The student has inconsistent prewriting
strategies
Then you Need to…
 Provide a partner-mentor, especially if writing is not
pleasurable
 Have student try retelling an experience to a partner
 Have student list ideas on a graphic organizer, expand ideas,
then write
 Provide opportunities for students to write shorter pieces,
such as poetry
 Provide small group writing scenarios
 Have student make a personal list of interests (writing
notebook)
 Have student learn to web information and classify it
 Provide background information
 Model making connections (text to Text, Text to Self, Text to
World)
 Model thinking through purposeful read alouds
 Model how to identify author’s purpose through read alouds
 Select several books on one topic, discuss how authors gear
topics for audiences; have student determine why the author
wrote the book.
 Have student write an interest list (writer’s notebook)
 Conduct mini lessons that involve updating interest/topic list
 Emphasize that most authors write about what they know
 Have student refer to connections she/he has made and
expand on those
 Model how to choose appropriate topics
 Have student write an interest list; periodic brainstorming and
updating topics will help student writers focus
 Allow students to talk about their interests before they write
about them
 Model how you select topic ideas
 Through read-alouds focus on how the author grabs the
reader’s attention
 Alter the characters (i.e., use “The Three Little Pigs” format for
“The Three Turtles”) keep protagonist and change setting
 Do mini-lessons on the topic “good beginnings”
 Maintain and add to an idea list
 Have student web answers to Who? What? When? How? By
writing or drawing before prewriting
 Have the student tell the basic story to a partner for
descriptive feedback before writing
 Require a story outline prior to writing first draft (graphic
organizer)
 Model prewriting strategies frequently
Adapted/revised from CCRSB Document
Page 1
If you Notice….
The student includes too much detail
The student brings no background
knowledge to a topic
Then you Need to…
 Model where/why deletions are necessary; provide stories
with extraneous details and have students find the
inappropriate details
 Create and display class charts about deletions
 Model how to join sentences to improve them and discuss
deleted words
 Discuss writing purpose and audience to help with focusing




The student will not revise to clarify



Have student make a personal list of interest
Have student learn to web information and classify it
Provide background information through read-alouds, and/or
visual and audio support prior to giving assignment
Model making connections (Text to Text, Text to Self, Text to
World)
Provide already written short paragraphs for purposes of
editing and revision; start with sentence combining
Provide opportunity to confer with children (guided groups or
one to one)
Have student read text aloud, while peers listen (small group
can give feedback)


Adapted/revised from CCRSB Document
Page 2
If you Notice….
The student rushes into writing
without planning
The student lacks understanding of
how to organize content
The student lacks understanding of
structure and its importance
The student lacks organization
strategies
The student understands reading
strategies but does not connect them
to own writing
The student lacks understanding of
writing in a variety of genres
Then you Need to…
 Have the student answer What” Who” When” Why” Where”,
web and plan before telling a partner
 Have the student develop an outline before creating the first
draft
 Model how to organize ideas using a common theme with the
student
 Have the student make links with reading texts; why did the
author write this?
 Create anchor charts focusing on the characteristics of various
writing genres
 Have the student identify beginning, middle (problem), and
ending (solution), of short stories written by others
 Model sequencing using timelines or cartoon strips, have
student practice this
 Complete storyboards for stories read or presented orally
 Teach story structure through mini lessons
 Model how to organize content with a graphic organizers
suited to a particular genre
 Model the use of different structures through graphic
organizers (a class binder would be a useful reference)
 Show links between common structures and genres
 Create with students anchor charts of genre characteristics
 Do read alouds focusing on a type of genre.
 Practice using graphic organizers (after they are explicitly
taught and modeled)
 Use partners and small groups during organizing to provide
feedback and share strategies










Adapted/revised from CCRSB Document
Link reading sessions to how writers create text. Discuss the
following: Who? What? When? Where? Why? How?
Have student retell stories
Have student practice writing like another author
Create story outlines for stories read as a class and show how
all writing can be outlined
Model and discuss genre structure
Provide many opportunities to work with specific genre until it
is familiar
Provide samples of genre that student can use as models
Review genre many times throughout the year
Teach through mini-lessons, the characteristics of various
genres
Page 3
If you Notice….
The student uses a limited vocabulary
and lacks good word choice
The student does not bring voice to
their writing
If you Notice….
The student writes choppy sentences
or run-on sentences
Then you Need to…
 Read aloud texts that model strong vocabulary
 Read aloud mentor texts with a focus on how the author
chooses words to enhance the message
 Allow students to use their writer’s notebook to create various
word lists
 Create with students word lists (type of lists will vary) and
display in classroom
 Provide oral activities which allow for a vocabulary rich
classroom.
 Ban over used words (e.g. said, nice) and create with students
lists of alternate words to use in their writing
 Use text to find words that “paint” a picture
 Teach dictionary skills and encourage the use of a dictionary &
thesaurus
 Model stretching out sentences
 Validate signs of voice in their writing during conferring or
reflection time
 Through read aloud, demonstrate how voice makes a
difference
 Have students describe voice in a variety of books
 Encourage students to take risks (instead of “it was stormy”
use words such as “Flashes of lighting shot through the black
sky”
 Encourage the use of a “thesaurus”
Then you Need to…
 Model how to join sentences together
 Model how to revise run on sentences for support
 Provide practice with combining short sentences
 Model good sentence structure through teacher writing
 Use read alouds to focus on the rhythm and flow of language
Adapted/revised from CCRSB Document
Page 4
If you Notice….
The student cannot reread the text
The student lacks spelling strategies
(see Spelling Document P-9)
Then you Need to…
 Provide a spelling strategy checklist for the student to follow
 Encourage the use of computers
 Have the student use a storyboard to record ideas
 Have the student refer to the class word wall when spelling









Provide mini- lessons which focus on spelling strategies
Put familiar words on a card and leave on student’s desk for
future reference
Make a personal card for desktop
Assign a peer editor to assist with identifying and correcting
misspellings
Assist with developing spelling strategies: link what student
knows to new words i.e., if student can spell mouse, for
example, have him or her spell house, household, grouse, etc.
on chart paper to link strategies
Have student identify and correct words in own writing that he
or she thinks are misspelled (have aGo Activity)
Have student create a personalized dictionary
Encourage student to use word wall
Encourage dictionary use



Adapted/revised from CCRSB Document
Page 5
If you Notice….
The student shows little awareness of
the need for accurate spelling
Then you Need to…
 Through read alouds emphasize why authors need to spell
accurately
 Create a reminder bookmark to check spelling
 Explain writing requires accurate spelling if your writing has
an audience
 Have student create word family chart/reference sheet (-ate:
create, plate, donate, etc.) based on personal need
 Teach sound-symbol strategies to sound out words
 Teach student to “chunk” words; smaller words within larger
words
 Have student use computer spell check programs
The student writes one long sentence
with no punctuation



Provide experience in sentence combining on a regular basis
Emphasize that punctuation is for meaning
Model difficulties for readers (understanding, breathing, etc.)
when punctuation is missing
The student pays no attention to
spelling or uses inconsistencies for
repeated words

Have student create a personal spelling list or vocabulary book
in which to write familiar and new words
Have the student create word family chart/reference sheet (
_ight: night, sight, delight, etc.) based on own specific needs
The student does not edit

The student doesn’t bother to check
punctuation









Adapted/revised from CCRSB Document
If student tries to edit everything at once and accomplishes
little, teach him or her to (a) read to see if it makes sense, (b)
read aloud for missing words, (c) read aloud for punctuation,
(d) read word by word for spelling check
Pair student with peer or older student to show how to edit
Model use of an editing checklist
Limit editing to only one or two items at a time (a focus)
Confer with students to provide support
Reinforce punctuation as a meaning cue
Have student read own writing aloud during writing
conference to check punctuation when it is obvious student
knows what symbols mean
Require students to edit specifically for punctuation
Provide mini-lessons to support students who do not
understand the types & purpose of punctuation
Page 6