5-8 Writing Vision:
Effective communication is fundamental for success in today’s world. In order to prepare for the rigors
of high school, university, and to have the career options that they want, our scholars must leave our
schools with the ability to:
 demonstrate control over all aspects of the writing process,
 interpret texts and clearly communicate their thoughts in the most effective manner and in
multiple formats,
 independently decide which format, strategy, and genre are best suited to the task at hand.
Part A: Our Writing Philosophy:
As a means to this end, we see these five tenets as fundamental pillars for instruction across grades 5-8
writing class.
Good Writing
Spans across
Traits,
Strategies, and
Genres
Vertical
Alignment is
Necessary
Mini-lessons,
Exemplars, and
Time for
Writing
Time for Talk
and Feedback
through
Conferences
Writing
Process,
Assessment,
and Analysis
Although there are genre-specific strategies, most traits and strategies are relevant to
all types of writing. We believe that scholars need multiple exposures to the same
genre over the course of the year, as opposed to an extended deep dive into one
genre at a time. This strategy allows us to ensure that genres “live” and are not
forgotten from year to year.
We believe that our children are scholars regardless of grade level. In order to
provide them with a thoughtful and rigorous 5-8 education experience, we must have
vertical alignment within our teaching and our approach to assessment.
We believe that in order to do anything well, we need to know what the goal is and
have ample time to practice. In writing class, teachers must share exemplars of the
genre, style, or mode of writing with scholars. Aims should be manageable and
measureable so that they can be taught in a brief mini-lesson. Children must have
lots of independent time to write in writing class.
We believe that in order to progress as individual writers, children must have
frequent feedback in the form of conferences. This feedback should push scholars out
of their comfort zones and into stretch zones.
We believe that writing should be strategically assessed and analyzed multiple times
over the course of the year. At the beginning of the year, teachers should diagnose
their scholars’ strengths and weaknesses (based on a beginning of the year diagnostic
or data from the previous year) so they can adjust their long-term and unit plans
based on their scholars’ needs. Additionally, in order for scholars to demonstrate
control over all aspects of the writing process, they must go through the writing
process frequently – about every two weeks.
Part B: Breaking it Down
Beliefs/
Philosophy
Mini-lessons,
Exemplars, and
Time for
What this Means for our Scholars

Children must be engaged in
some aspect of the writing
cycle for 20-30 minutes in
What this Means for our Teachers

Lessons should be brief. They
should be mini-lessons focused on a
specific skill in which most, if not all,
Writing
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Time for Talk
and Feedback
through
Conferences
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class daily. For example, this
could mean drafting
independently, brainstorming
through listing, or reading
aloud a piece of writing and
revising alongside a partner.
By November of 5th grade,
scholars should have the
stamina to write for 30
minutes (In Connecticut, this
goal may need to be adjusted
in order to align with the state
test).
By 7thgrade, scholars should
be able to revise and edit
independently during this
writing time.
Children must have mentor
texts in writing class. They
must read examples of great
writing (from all sources
published, teacher and
student) so that they can
model their writing on these
exemplars.
Children must receive written
and/or verbal feedback on
their writing at least twice a
week during the writing
conference.
Children should know what
they are working on, both in
terms of the daily mini-lesson
and through teacher
feedback. They need a way to
hold onto their notes so that
they too are held accountable
for their writing goals.
Student Partnerships: There is
a relationship between oral
and literate language.
Students must have
opportunities to share and
rehearse their ideas before
and after putting pen to
paper. Students should have a
writing partner who they can
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scholars need continued
development.
Aims should be measurable, bitesized, and rigorous.
While planning units and individual
lessons, teaches should use mentor
texts and authors as exemplars that
will help them set benchmarks for
student achievement during the unit
of study.
In class, teachers should use mentor
texts and authors as exemplars that
show writing traits, strategies, and
author’s craft in action.
Teachers should provide verbal
feedback at least twice a week
during the writing conference. This
feedback should be specific to the
individual needs identified by the
teacher.
Teachers need to be up to date on
their scholars’ strengths and deficits
in writing.
Teachers must keep track of their
conferences – including notes on
compliments and areas of growth.
These notes should be organized in a
conferring binder/log so that the
teacher can quickly and effectively
push their scholars into the stretch
zone during conferences. Teachers
should roam around their class with
a clipboard on which they can log
information about their conferences
and formative assessment
information.
Vertical
Alignment is
Necessary

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turn and talk with and bounce
ideas off of before, during,
and after writing.

Scholars must study many
genres and types of writing.
Each grade will spiral back to
genre/skills/units of study
taught in previous grades in
order to deepen their
understanding about the
genre/skills/unit of study.
Scholars must go through the
writing process frequently.

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
Good Writing
Spans across
Traits,
Strategies, and
Genres



Writing
Process,
Assessment,
and Analysis

By the end of 8th grade
scholars should show
independent mastery of all
different types of genres.
In 5th and 6th grade, scholars
will practice many types of
writing and master certain
strategies as denoted on the
scope and sequence.
In 7th and 8th grade, scholars
will master specific genres,
such as the literary essay.

Scholars will complete a
diagnostic at the beginning of
the year. This diagnostic
should have scholars go
through the writing process so
that teachers can assess each
step of the process.
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Teachers must manage the “time for
talk” so that students spend the
majority of their writing time
actually writing.
Teachers must use the same
language for assessment. Teachers
should use the language of 6+1 traits
in order to push scholars towards
their writing potential. For example,
an 8th grade and 5th grade teachers
should be able to talk about voice
using the same vocabulary.
Across all grades, teachers should
plan roughly 2 week process units
that take their scholars through the
writing cycle. As scholars become
increasingly independent, they
should have more autonomy in
moving through the writing cycle.
Not every piece should go through
the entire writing process.
Genres will be introduced and
revisited over the course of the
school year.
Teachers should use rubrics to
assess writing.
Genre should be woven in
throughout the year, but should not
be the sole focus. Teachers should
make explicit the traits, strategies,
and skills that are relevant to all
types of good writing.
Teachers should revisit
genres/modes of writing over the
course of the year in order to help
scholars deepen understanding of
that specific genre and make the
learning “stick.”
Teachers will grade the diagnostic
looking for students’ strengths and
weaknesses in the following
categories: the overall writing
process, genre-specific skills, and
6+1 traits.
Teachers should track mastery of the
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Scholars will complete an ondemand assessment 2-5 times
a year. They will go through
the entire writing process
during this time
During the assessment or after
the entire assessment they
will receive feedback (1
positive and 1 area for
improvement) for each part of
the writing process
(prewriting, drafting, revising,
proofreading, editing).
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daily aim and information gleaned
from student conferences. This can
be on a clipboard and then logged in
a binder or tracker.
2-5 times per year, teachers should
analyze their writing across the
grade level. Scholars should be
given the same on-demand writing
assignment and instructed to go
through the entire writing process.*
(Some schools take a 3 hour block to
do this in one sitting, school-wide.
Others extend this over several days
within the writing block.)**
Teachers will grade each part of the
writing process according to the 6 +
1 traits.
Teachers will analyze the results in
order to get a sense of both
horizontal and vertical areas of
strength and improvement. They
will use this information to tweak
their unit plans and make sure that
they are aligned both horizontally
and vertically across grades.
Computer and technological skills gain importance on a daily basis. Although we understand the
importance of these skills, we know that many of our schools have limited technology access for
students. As such, we will include an optional category as part of our curriculum map. In this section, we
will include skills such as: word processing, computer skills, typing, etc.
* At this time this will not be an assessment (like the IAs) designed by AF Network Support. However,
there should be agreement across each grade level at individual schools as to the content and the
grading of the assessment. We will post suggested topics for on-demand Writing assessments, but
these do not have to be used. Teachers have the freedom to develop their own instead. Since this will
be the first year implementing this vision, we want to make sure that we leave room for innovation at
the school level and do not mandate practices that are not tried and tested. During the 10-11 school
year, we will work to collect feedback and best practices from each school so that we can make
recommendations for this process for the following school year.
**KIPP Infinity implements their quarterly on-demand writing as an entire school for a three hour
window. This is a school-wide initiative for them and they make sure to stop the entire school for this
quarterly assessment. Before scholars are allowed to move on to the next part of the process they must
get feedback from one of the two teachers in the room. They are given feedback (1 positive, 1 area for
improvement) for each part of the process. Scholars are then allowed to move onto the next part of
the process. They may choose to incorporate feedback in order to improve their writing or not.
Part C: Books that Support This Vision
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Traits of Writing: The Complete Guide for Middle School by Ruth Culham
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Assessing Writers by Carl Anderson
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In the Middle: New Understandings About Writing, Reading, and Learning by Nancie Atwell