WRITE REFLECTIONS Training students to write…and to love it!!

1. WRITE REFLECTIONSTraining students to write…and to love it!!

2. What isWrite Reflections? It is a COMPREHENSIVE writing program spanning grades K-12 that…..

3. Teaches expository and narrative writing…K-12 • Uses only 2 graphic organizers…that spiral…K-12 • Is multi-sensory… uses color-coding… the same way…K-12

4. These strategies insure that Write Reflections is….. easy to use…… and it works!

5. Let’s look at some test scores: -without Write Reflections in 1994 -after Write Reflections by 2000

7. How quickly can students learn to write a 5 paragraph essay? Let’s look at Megan at the beginning of 3rd grade….

8. Megan’s 3rd Grade Beginning-of-the-Year Writing Continue. . .

9. Continue. . .

10. Megan’s beginning-of-the-year essay was one paragraph long. The content and details were not well focused and there were many convention errors. The essay did not have a strong conclusion.

11. By Mid-Year, Megan has learned how to: (refer to her example on the next page) 1.) identify the topic of the prompt and underline it in red so it can become the first sentence of her essay. “You’s are changed to “I’s”. 2.) put a box around the word in the prompt that tells her the writing genre she is to respond to. The word “explain” tells her this is an expository essay. 3.) use the graphic organizer to brainstorm and list up to 5 main ideas about her topic. 4.) circle with the correct color, one main idea in the brainstorming area for each paragraph she is required to include in her essay. She knows she will be writing two paragraphs because there are two main ideas indicated by the graphic organizer. 5.) under each main idea, write a detail word in each circle indicated by the graphic organizer--in this case, write three details for each main idea. 6.) finish her essay with a concluding sentence, one that repeats the idea of the topic sentence. Now let’s look at Megan’s Mid-Year organizer and essay….

14. After Megan has written her essay from her graphic organizer, she color codes her essay by underlining each sentence in the same color that corresponds to the word on her graphic organizer. The color for each word on the graphic organizer is indicated on the graphic organizer. • This underlining process is a way for Megan to check that she has included all of the elements required by the graphic organizer. Color-coded underlining also makes it easy for the teacher to quickly identify whether Megan has included all of the elements necessary for her paper. • Each time Megan underlines, she uses the same colors for the topic sentence, the main idea sentences, the paragraph details sentences, and the concluding sentence(s). The colors for each element of the essay are always the same for each and every grade, K-12. Students quickly learn the colors and the process because they are always the same! • The program comes with editing “check-off” sheets and a rubric for every “numbered” organizer in the program so you don’t have to do the work--it is done for you! Now let’ look at Megan’s mid-year, three paragraph essay. . .

17. Megan’s End-of-Year Writing: • By the end of the year, Megan is writing a structurally sound 5 paragraph essay. She is familiar with the graphic organizer. She can quickly brainstorm, and move her words to begin completion of the graphic organizer. • She knows how to color code her final essay sentences and to check for the necessary essay elements by referring back to her graphic organizer. • She or the teacher can edit her work using the editing “check-off” sheets. • She or the teacher can quickly analyze her paper and score it with the rubrics that are already provided by the program! Now let’s look at Megan’s End-of-Year 5 paragraph essay. . .

21. Megan’s Editing Sheet for Graphic Organizer (Web #18):

22. Expository (to include summary, and persuasive writing) Narrative What genres are covered in Volumes 1 & 2, for grades K-5?

23. Informative Summary Cause/effect Problem/solution Persuasive Descriptive Literary analysis Narrative Autobiography/ biography Technical Letters Research Oral Presentation What genres are covered in Volume 3, Jr. & Sr. High?

24. Write Reflections works because it…. 1.) Fits with any curriculum 2.) Uses consistent vocabulary -Topic -Main idea -Details -Elaborations (Details to the details) -Bow Ending (Conclusion) 3.) Only uses 2 graphic organizers -Expository (Includes summary & persuasive) -Narrative

25. 4.) Uses the Same Color-Coding, K-12 TOPIC Main Idea Main Idea Main Idea Detail Detail Detail Detail Detail Detail Detail Detail Detail Bow

26. THE WEBS SPIRALfrom…. Kindergarten One Sentence….

27. Colors are beautiful. Think about your favorite color. Write to explain about your favorite color. red blue yellow blue blue

28. One color I like is blue.

29. THE WEBS SPIRALTO…. Kindergarten Two Sentences…

32. THE WEBS SPIRALTO…. Kindergarten Three Sentences

35. THE WEBS SPIRALTO…. First Grade A Paragraph…..

36. bow

37. BOW

38. THE WEBS SPIRALTO…. Second Grade Two Paragraphs…..

40. Note the golden nuggets

41. “Expand their writing” lessons are included throughout the program. You can use as many or as few of those as you think you need. As an example, on the next two pages you will see lists of transition words for each paragraph that the students are taught to use.

44. THE WEBS SPIRALTO…. Third Grade Three Paragraphs…..

47. THE WEBS SPIRALTO…. Third Grade Four Paragraphs…

48. Intro

49. Bow is one sentence

50. THE WEBS SPIRALTO…. Third and Fourth Grade 5 Paragraphs…