Finding the Middle Ground: Collins
Writing Part 2 for Grades 4-5
Erin Monn
March 16, 2012 In-Service
New Bloomfield Elementary
Please Do Now!
Think about how you have used a Type 1 or Type 2 writing in your
classroom. Record benefits and/or drawbacks to your experience.
If you have not used a Type 1 or Type 2 writing yet, write about
how you could use one in your classroom.
Please share with a neighbor.
Remember….
 Type 1=
 Type 2=
 Thinking on paper
 Shows writer knows
something about
content
 Assesses background
knowledge
 Checks for
understanding
 Time limit
 Needs a correct
response
 Brainstorming
 Requires specific
number of items/lines
 No correct answer
 Did it or did not do it
 One draft
 Grade for content not
how expressed
 Can give time limit and
required number of
lines/items
 One draft
Purposes for Today
 Review Collins Writing Program and where it fits in the
schedule
 Introduce and explain Types 3, 4, 5
 Type 3 (Edit for FCAs-one draft)
 Type 4 (Peer Edit for FCAs-two drafts)
 Type 5 (Publish-multiple drafts)
 Discuss grading of writing using FCAs
What is Collins Writing?
 “…A model for a writing-across-the- curriculum/writingto-learn program that explains exactly how to “write
more-grade less” by defining five types of writing
assignments and the outcomes expected for each.”
(Collins, page vii)
 Emphasizes frequency, focus, and feedback
 Includes informal writing and formal writing
 Encourages students to “think on paper”
 Utilizes Focus Correction Areas (FCAs)
 Selective approach to correcting student writing
 Become focus for instruction, modeling, practice,
assessment
How Does it Fit in Our Schedule?
 Type 1 and Type 2 writing (Quick writes; Content
focused)
 Perfect for content areas
 Types 3, 4, 5 (Longer writes; writing and content
focused)
 Use during writing period in schedule
 Can expand on content area Type 1 and Type 2 writings
Type 3 Writing
Characteristics (Self editing)
 Objectives
 Move students from recording ideas to refining them
 Students create a draft, read it aloud, and review draft for following
criteria:
 Did I complete the assignment?
 Does the composition sound right? Is it easy to read?
 Do I have problems with the focus correction areas? (FCAs)
 Provide a structured editing process for drafts
 Form
 Any form (essay, letter, story, diary entry, etc.)
 Audience
 Student (reads aloud to him/herself)
 Teacher (reads and evaluates based on FCAs)
Type 3 Writing
Characteristics (cont.)
 Evaluation Criterion
 Did I complete the assignment?
 Does the composition sound right? Is it easy to read?
 Do I have problems with the FCAs?
 If answer is “NO” to first two questions, paper is returned and
student completes assignment
 If answer is “Yes” to first two questions, paper is scored based
on FCAs.
 Paper Format
 FCAs listed on left hand side
 Name and date listed on right hand side
 Number paper
 Skip lines (ease of editing/revising)
Type 3 Writing
Advantages and Disadvantages
 Advantages
 While more time consuming than Types 1 and 2, very
efficient
 Relatively easy to evaluate and grade
 Improves writing skills (reading aloud, frequent practice,
FCAs)
 Helps students organize and understand content knowledge
 Allows you to differentiate instruction and assignments
 Disadvantage
 Student does not receive feedback on errors other than
FCAs
What Does the Process Look Like?
 Choose Type 3 writing
 Use a Type 1 or Type 2 piece
 Start from scratch
 Teach FCAs and inform students of FCAs
 Student writes first draft
 Student reads piece out loud to him/herself and asks:
 Did I complete the assignment?
 Does the composition sound right? Is it easy to read?
 Do I have problems with the focus corrections areas?

Student makes revisions based on answers to three questions listed
above
What are the Benefits to Having Students
Read Their Writing Out Loud?
 Single most effective way to help students revise/edit
their work
 “Voice, after meaning, is the most important element in
effective writing.” (Donald Murray)
 “Read your work aloud. This will slow you down enough
to catch errors that would be difficult to see during silent
reading.” (Anne Ruggles Gere)
What are the Benefits to Having Students
Read Their Writing Out Loud?
 “When we read the text over, we find ourselves mentally
filling in explanations that aren’t actually included in the
writing. We imagine transitions where none exist, and
unless we read aloud, it’s easy to skip over clunky
phrasing. These things happen because we read with our
brains, not our eyes, and brains fill in what should be on
the page and ignore the things that shouldn’t be there.”
(Anne Ruggles Gere)
What are Focus Correction Areas
(FCAs)?
 Selective approach to correcting student writing
 Choose 3-5 critical problem areas
 Will change over time
 Focuses students and teacher on few clearly specified
criteria
 Can use the skills in Harcourt
How Do I Choose the FCAs?
 Content=the what of writing
 Quality of information or
ideas
 Details used to support
ideas
 Organization=the order of
writing
 Unity, coherence, emphasis
 Logical order or sequence
 Convention=the appearance
of writing
 Legibility, spelling,
neatness, usage
 Can kill a piece of writing
 Style=the personality of
writing
 Word choice, Sentence
structure, variety, voice
 Reader knows where he/she
is going
 Easy to summarize
***They are skills you have
taught.***
Guidelines for Creating FCAs
 Guideline One-Write specific FCAs
 Three examples from text vs. sufficient support
 At least one simple sentence and one complex sentence vs.
sentence variety
 Three vivid verbs underlined vs. word usage
 Guideline Two-FCAs are best when mixed for content,
organization, style and mechanics.
 Good writing is more than conventions
 Requires students to examine paper from more than one
perspective
Guidelines for Creating FCAs
 Guideline Three-Avoid subjective FCAs
 Example-10 pts for originality
 Guideline Four-FCAs should be quantifiable (If looking
for 3 facts, make the points worth number divisible by
three)
 If FCAs are done right, grade should be self-explanatory
Example FCAs by Category
 Content (These get the most points)
 Explains the three steps involved in solving this problem
 Includes five or six facts about….
 Contains five persuasive reasons that support the argument
 Organization
 Includes an attention-getting beginning
 Includes at least four transition words
 Includes a clear beginning, middle and end
Example FCAs by Category
 Conventions
 Contains at least two complete paragraphs
 Contains no more than three spelling errors
 Contains at least six pieces of dialogue with correct usage
of punctuation marks
 Style
 Contains at least six sentences with different beginnings
 Contains at least two metaphors and two similes
 Contains six underlined action verbs
Your turn…
 Choose a writing assignment you will be doing with your
kiddos in the future
 Write 3-5 FCAs for that writing assignment.
TIP- A Way to Speed Up Correcting
Papers
 Students code their papers for FCAs
 Circling (vivid verbs, adjectives, vocabulary,
etc.)
 Underlining (varied sentence beginnings,
figurative language, etc.)
 Brackets (interesting beginnings, strong
conclusions)
 Number items in margin
How Do I Introduce a FCA?
 Focus Teaching
 Give a Type 1 assignment and ask students to define it and
give an example of FCA
 Example: What do you think a complete sentence is and give an
example of one.
 Allows you to assess prior knowledge of students
 Allows you to see if they have the same understanding you have
about FCA
 Teach the meaning of the FCA by using mentor texts or
through teacher modeling
 Focus Practice
 Students edit past papers for FCA
How Do I Introduce a FCA? (cont.)
 Focus Assigning (Type 3 or 4)
 After students
 Have a common understanding of FCA
 Have seen FCA modeled
 Have applied FCA to their past writing
 Focus Correcting
 Allows teacher to see:
 Effectiveness of instruction
 Which students need more practice
 Allows students to see:
 How successful they were at applying FCA to own writing
TIP-Model and Practice
Editing/Revising for FCAs
 Examples of student work (scanned/transparencies)
 Sample 1-Lead class through evaluation based on FCAs
 Discuss strengths and areas of improvement
 Teach how to solve writing problems
 Sample 2-Students partner up and evaluate based on
FCAs
 Volunteers share results and teacher shares as well
 Sample 3-Individual students evaluate based on FCAs
Tips for Successful Type 3
Writing
 MODEL, MODEL, MODEL
 Model writing a Type 3 piece of writing
 From a Type 1 or 2
 From scratch
 Model reading pieces of writing out loud slowly and
accurately
 Give Feedback
 Listen to students as they read to themselves and make
sure reading slowly and accurately
Tips for Successful Type 3 Writing
 Avoid “Stopping to Fix”
 Interrupts flow of reading
 Instead, have students place checkmark where they hear or
see something that needs attention
 After students are done reading aloud, then go back and fix
areas that needed addressed
 Can set a quota of checkmarks-Everyone needs at least
____ checkmarks.
Type 4 Writing
Characteristics (Peer Editing)
 Objectives
 Boomerang papers
 Type 3 writing that has been read aloud and critiqued by another
(SPREE)
 Two students sit together, take turns reading papers aloud to each other
 Swap papers and edit/revise for FCAs
 Have peer editor sign paper
 Students rewrite papers based on peer editor suggestions
 Type of writing that is closest to real life
Type 4 Writing
Characteristics (Peer Editing)
 Form
 Any form (just like Type 3)
 Audience
 Student author, peer editor, teacher
 Evaluation
 FCAs
Type 4 Writing
Advantages and Disadvantages
 Advantages
 Produces fair and objective evaluations
 Promotes sharing and exchange of ideas
 Creates a community of learners
 Produces the most improvement in writing and thinking
skills
 Disadvantage
 Time consuming
Type 5 Writing
Characteristics (Publishable Writing)
Historically
 Grand expectations that foster writing students can
perfect:
 Short, limited, basic words and sentences
 No risk
 Teachers’ comments focused on mechanics
 Done for every piece of writing
Type 5 Writing
Characteristics (cont.)
 Objectives
 Writing that goes public beyond the classroom
 Great content with no technical flaws
 Perfect writing for authentic reasons
 Form
 Any form (like Types 3 and 4)
 Audience
 Outside the classroom (writing contests, letter to editor, school
board, etc.)
 Evaluation
 All aspects of writing (content, organization, style, mechanics
Type 5 Writing
Advantages and Disadvantages
 Advantages
 Results in final product everyone can appreciate
 Provides opportunity to use all skills and talents to fullest
 Disadvantages
 Time consuming for all
 Demanding for teacher (final editor)
 Evaluation is difficult because final product should be of
publishable quality
Resources
Collins, J.J. Ed.D. (2007). The Collins Writing Program:
Improving student writing and thinking across the curriculum.
Massachusetts: Collins Education Associates.
Hines, Debra. “PLN Course 1: Critical Reading and Writing in
Support of Secondary Learning”. Capital Area Intermediate
Unit, Summerdale, PA. 7 December 2010. Lecture.
Ruddle, Karen. “Collins Writing.” Capital Area Intermediate Unit,
Summerdale, PA. 8 August 2011. Lecture.