Writing on the Road to PARCC,
Grades 3-5
Susan B. Dold, Ed. D
doldsb@scsk12.org
The CCSS Requires Three Shifts in
ELA/Literacy
1. Building knowledge through content-rich
nonfiction
2. Reading, writing and speaking grounded in
evidence from text, both literary and
informational
3. Regular practice with complex text and its
academic language
2
Transitioning to Common Core requires
specific instructional shifts with action:
Shift One: Develop
Content Knowledge
• Support deep content understanding from
deliberate analytical reading
• Develop strategies for reading content
Shift Two: Reading
& Writing with
Evidence
• Use annotations while reading
• Distinguish important vs. interesting WHILE
reading
Shift Three:
Regular practice
with complex text
• Develop strategies for reading fluently and
using metacognitive skills
• Engage in practice reading rigorous texts
Why Teach Writing K-5?
Shift 2
• Writing helps with reading.
• Writing is 30% of a student’s ELA grade in
grades 1-5.
• The upcoming PARCC Assessments will be
heavy on writing.
Shifts 1, 2 & 3
TCAP Writing Assessment 2014
Grades 3, 4 & 5
• Students will read two complex informational texts.
Texts will cover social studies or science topics in order
to demonstrate the range of informational reading
possible in a Common Core curriculum.
• Students will write two essays:
– One prose constructed response (PCR) essay about the
first text. The essay will be an analytical summary
(informational/explanatory).
– One PCR analytical essay about both texts. The essay will
be informational/explanatory or opinion/argument.
TNDOE Scoring Criteria
Informational/Explanatory & Opinion
•
•
•
•
Development
Focus and organization
Language
Conventions
Knowledge and Skills Required
• Knowledge of the required writing mode
(narrative, informational/explanatory, opinion)
CCSS W 1, 2 & 3
• Ability to organize thoughts CCSS W 1, 2, 3 4
• Ability to identify key ideas and details
CCSS RL 1 & RI 1
• Ability to cite evidence from the text
CCSS RL & RI 8 & 9, CCSS W 7, 8 & 9
Writing PARCC-Style
• Routine writing
• Analyses
(informational/explanatory and
opinion)
• Narratives
• Research
Routine Writing
• Notes
– Two column notes
– Graphic organizers
– Annotations
• Summaries
• Journals/learning logs
• Others?
ALL content areas
Analyses
• Multiple modes
– Explanatory/informational
– Opinion (states and supports a claim)
• Evidence from the text(s) (Think all content
areas)
Narratives
• Original stories
• Modifications to stories (e.g., new endings,
write from another point of view)
• Descriptions of processes (Think Science)
When?
• Experts recommend that students in grades 15 receive one hour of writing instruction per
day.
– 30 minutes teaching them how
– 30 minutes practicing and applying
• This does not all need to take place during ELA
time
• In kindergarten, the experts also recommend
at least 30 minutes per day
How? Recommendations from the
Experts
• Provide ample time
• Involve students in the writing process
• Build fluency through handwriting, spelling,
sentence structure and keyboarding
• Create a community of writers
Scaffolding Struggling Readers with
Explicit Instruction
• I do (teach, model, provide lots of assistance)
• We do
– Whole class shares in the work
– Students work in small groups or pairs)
• You do (independently)
Gradually release the responsibility to the students.
Active Reading
• Read “with a pen”
• Annotate
–
–
–
–
Key ideas
Supporting details
Areas of confusion
Key vocabulary
• Highlight
Teach it first, using explicit instruction!
Citing Evidence—Step 1
Question
Page/paragraph
What are extrasolar planets?
P. 26, paragraph 2
What causes stars to wobble?
P. 26, paragraph 4
What is a “transiting” planet?
P. 27, paragraph 1
Why is water important to scientists who
are looking to find planets like earth?
P. 27, paragraph 5
Response
Citing Evidence—Step 2
Question
Page number
What is the “wobble method?”
P. 26
What factors must be present for there to
be a “Goldilocks Zone?”
P. 27
Why does Dr. Charbonneau hope to find
oxygen and other gases on extrasolar
planets?
P. 27
Answer
Paragraph
Citing Evidence—Step 3
Question
What does the name “Goldilocks Zone”
mean?
How have computers changed Dr.
Charbonneau’s work?
Of the three earth-like planets the Keplar
team has found, which one(s) is/are most
likely to be able to support life, and why
do you think so?
Answer
Page number/paragraph
Citing Evidence—Step 4
Supporting Information
Planets like earth
Wobbling
The transit method
Telescopes
Smaller, rocky
Conditions for life
Not too hot, not too cold
Water
Oxygen
?
From Boy’s Quest, August 2, 2012, pulled from Gale Kid Info Bits
Moving from Annotating to Writing
• Determine the purpose and mode (an
explanatory/informational essay, an opinion essay, a
speech)
• Use a graphic organizer to indicate key details related
to the purpose
– Facts and evidence for explanatory/informational
– Reasons for opinion
• Develop the paper or speech with an introduction,
body, and conclusion (Focus & Organization)
– Cite details from the text to support key points
(Development)
– Refer back to the graphic organizer and the annotated text
to help
Writing a Short Summary
• Read, mark, and/or annotate the text D
– Topic sentence
– Key points
– Concluding sentence
• Frame your topic sentence: In this text, the
author reports/states/claims that _________.
F&O
• Summarize two or three key points from the text
in one sentence each. D, F & O
• Restate the main idea in one sentence. F & O
Writing an Analytic Summary
• Read, mark, and/or annotate the text D
– Topic sentence
– Key points
– Concluding sentence
• Write your introductory paragraph. O
– Frame your topic sentence: In this text, the author reports/states/claims that
_________.
– Summarize two or three key points from the text in one sentence each.
• Write your body paragraph(s). D & O
– Explain in a few sentences how each detail you selected supports the main
idea.
• Write your concluding paragraph. O
– Restate the main idea in one sentence.
– Briefly review each of the details.
– Write your concluding sentence.
A Colleague’s Scoring Sheet
Name _________________________
Summary Paragraph Rubric/Grade Sheet
___(20) Topic sentence -main idea of text-Introduces the text, using
title and author’s name
___(30) At least 3 detail sentences-the main events/details
___(10) At least 2 expository transitions-(use your handout)
___(20) Closing/conclusion sentence-Sums up your thoughts
___(10) Correct punctuation / Capital letters
___(10) Present Tense
Total _______ Grade _____
Thanks to Lee Ann Burger, Cordova Elementary
Writing Analytical Essays
• Read the text(s) actively. D
– Underline, annotate, highlight.
• Read the prompt carefully. D
– Take note of key words (explain, opinion, cite, delineate).
• Formulate your main idea (the author’s key point, your
opinion). F & O
• Select a few key details (examples, reasons) that support
your main idea. D
• Organize your paper (introduction, body, conclusion). F &
O
• Use reasons and examples from the text(s) for the body. D
• Conclude by restating your main point and reviewing the
details that support your point. F & O
Curriculum Map, 3-5
Grade 2
Based on
an article
they read
Grade
4
Basal
Story
Grade 4
Third
grade
TCAP
passage
from
TNCore
Grade 5
work in
progress
Grade 5
work in
progress
Grade 5
work in
progress
Grade 5
Grade 4
Building Sentence Fluency (Language)
• Sentence framing
• Sentence expanding
• Sentence combining
Sentence Framing
Sentence Expanding
Sentence Combining
But, But, But…
What about grammar,
usage, and mechanics?
(Conventions)
In Context
Teach conventions in the
context of authentic reading,
writing, and editing!
Minilessons—yes;
Maxilessons—no
But what about the
typing??
MIST Literacy Portal: Background
Why it’s worth accessing:
• Additional student and teacher practice with online
assessment before PARCC
• Students get practice with tasks modeled on the
Writing Assessment before February 2014
• Teachers can enter and save scores for student work
MIST Literacy Portal: Background
What it contains:
• Will house optional practice writing tasks by grade
band in ELA, science, social studies, and CTE
– tasks have been developed to prepare students for the
Writing Assessment and increase literacy skills across
other subjects
• Students will be able to read texts and text-based
tasks and type their responses online.
• Students will have access to some PARCC-like tools
such as the ability to highlight and enlarge text.
MIST Literacy Portal: User interface
MIST Literacy Portal: Availability
Month
Tasks available in Literacy
Portal
Content
Grades/Grade
Bands
Mid-November 2013
– Mid-January 2014
Phase I tasks available on Literacy
Portal on MIST
ELA
3, 4-5, 6-8, 9-10, 11
Science, Social Studies
6-8, 9-12
CTE
9-12
February 2014
March – May 2014
Phase II - Official Writing
Assessment Only
Phase III Tasks available on
Literacy Portal on MIST, as well as
all Phase I tasks
3, 4-5, 6-8, 9-10, 11
ELA
ELA
3, 4-5, 6-8, 9-10, 11
Science, Social Studies
6-8, 9-12
CTE
9-12
Navigating practice prompts
Navigating practice prompts
Navigating practice prompts
User name:
tneducation
Password:
fastestimproving
Navigating practice prompts
Useful FREE Websites
• http://www.tncore.org/english_language_arts/curricular_reso
urces.aspx
• http://www.newsela.com/ (articles that can be read at a
variety of Lexile levels)
• http://www.readworks.org/ (reading passages and units at all
grade levels; some have questions and lesson plans)
• http://textproject.org/ (downloadable books, lesson plans,
suggestions for teaching complex vocabulary)
• http://tntel.tnsos.org/curricular.htm (check out the articles in
Kids Info Bits)
• http://www.parcconline.org/samples/item-task-prototypes
Strategies for Success
• Follow the curriculum maps.
• Teach students how to analyze and critique
by:
– Annotating text
– Asking text-dependent questions
• Teach students how to summarize.
• Teach students how to compare and contrast.
• Use the TNDOE writing prompts and create
ones of your own that are like them.
Thanks to your colleagues
•
•
•
•
Shannon McOlgan, Germanshire
Angie Taylor, Ellendale
Tanya Dennis, Delano
Lee Ann Burger, Cordova
For the writing samples they shared