Primary Writing
Williamsport Area School District
October 13, 2014
Agenda
• PSSA English Language Arts Test Design
• Writing Overviews
• Written Response to Reading
– 3-Point Short Answer
• Written Essay
• WASD Primary Writing Continuum
• Modes of Writing
– Opinion
– Informational
– Narrative
• David Matteson
ELA Test Development Design
At grade 3, the PCS‐ELA core can be described as:
• 20 core passage MC items
• 18 core standalone MC items
• 2 core 2 pt EBSR items
• 2 core 3 pt EBSR items
• 2 core 3 pt SA items
• 1 core 4 pt WP (weighted x2)
Total
20 points
18 points
4points
6 points
6 points
8 points
62 points
ELA Test Development Design
At grade 3, the PCS‐ELA core can be described as:
• 20 core passage MC items
• 18 core standalone MC items
• 2 core 2 pt EBSR items
• 2 core 3 pt EBSR items
• 2 core 3 pt SA items
• 1 core 4 pt WP (weighted x2)
Total
20 points
18 points
4points
6 points
6 points
8 points
62 points
Students Write for Different Purposes
and Audiences
PRIMARY WRITING OVERVIEWS
WASD Grade 2 Writing Overview
IN EVERY UNIT
3 point short answer
• Practiced weekly
• Assessed minimally twice (2)
• Treasures Weekly Assessment Open-Ended
• modified to fit PSSA structure
• Scored using PSSA Rubric
*See weekly expectations in Writing Overview
Student examples kept in writing portfolio
WASD Grade 2 Writing Overview
IN EVERY UNIT
Written Essay
1 Essay developed over time
• Modeled and Refined through Writer’s Workshop
• 3 paragraph structure: Intro, Body, Conclusion
• 1 paragraph Essay assessed “on-demand” per unit
• Unit 1, 2, 3 (1) paragraph structure: Beginning, Middle, End
• 3 paragraph Essay assessed “on-demand” per unit
• Units 4,5,6 (3) paragraph: Introduction, Body, Conclusion
Student examples kept in writing portfolio
PRIMARY WRITING CONTINUUM
Students write clear and focused
text to convey a well-defined
perspective and appropriate
content.
OPINION WRITING
PA Core does not include
Persuasive Writing
• Grades 3-5
• Grades 6+
Opinion
Argumentative
Opinion, Persuasive, or Argumentative
Opinion Writing
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Focus
Content
Style
Organization
Conventions of Language
Focus
Content
Style
Organization
Conventions of Language
INFORMATIONAL WRITING
Types of Informational Writing
• How-To/Procedure
• Report
• Cause/Effect
• Compare/Contrast
Informational Writing…
• includes only facts, not opinions.
• tells about events in the order they occurred.
• answers the questions who? what? when? where?
and why?
• often includes quotes or indirect quotes from people
involved.
Unpack the Standard
Informational Writing
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Focus
Content
Style
Organization
Conventions of Language
NARRATIVE WRITING
2 TYPES OF NARRATIVE WRITING
• Personal Narrative
• Imaginative Fiction
Personal Narrative
• Personal point of view (I, me, my, mine)
• Actual event or memory of writer
• The focus is driven by emotion
– writer expresses a strong feeling
– writer expresses what he/she learns
– writer expresses what he/she accomplishes
Imaginative Fiction
• Usually first or third person point of view (I, she, it,
they, Marie)
• Fiction, but may be based on actual events or
memories
• The focus is driven by tension of plot
All Narrative Writing Involves
• Plot
• Setting
• Character(s)
• Passage of time
– Uses temporal/transition words
• Beginning, Middle, End (paragraph)
• Introduction, Body, Conclusion (3 paragraph)
• May involve dialogue
Preparing for November In-Service with
DAVID MATTESON
• Teachers should first score their own classroom
narratives, using the PSSA Narrative rubric
• Co-scoring PLC meeting:
– teachers should exchange a sampling (3-5) students
responses and co-score with their grade level team
• Teachers should reserve at least 3 student samples
for the in-service with David Matteson.
QUESTIONS