Preparing for the FCAT Writes

1. Preparing for the FCAT Writes A Parent Workshop PresentationBy Mrs. Janet Shawand Mrs. Stacie Upchurch Swimming Pen Creek Elementary SchoolMiddleburg, Florida

2. Preparing for the FCAT Writes Helping your child improve in writing

3. Scoring Narrative Writing

4. How your child’s writing is graded: At Swimming Pen Creek

5. How your child’s writing is graded: From the state of Florida

6. Helping Your Child with Narrative Writing

7. Narrative writing tells a story. A story has certain elements that are not found in other types of writing.

8. Elements of a Story Exposition: The setting and characters

9. Elements of a Story Rising Action: Events that occur in the story that lead to the climax. During the rising action, CONFLICT should occur.

10. Elements of a Story Climax: Usually the most exciting, dramatic, or emotional part of the story. This is where the action changes and is usually when the conflict comes to a head.

11. Elements of a Story Falling Action: This is the part of the story where all the loose ends are wrapped up.

12. Elements of a Story Resolution: The ending of the story. They all live happily ever after!

13. Make a MIND MOVIE Imagine the action in the story step-by-step. What do you see? What do you taste? What do you hear? What do you feel?

14. Make sure the story flows and makes sense. All stories should have a conflict or problem, a climax, and an ending.

15. There should be a good, but short, beginning (with a grabber) and end. The topic should be mentioned in the beginning and end.

16. Transition words should be used throughout the passage.

17. Other Important Tips!

18. Be careful with dialogue: Fourth graders should include no more than two pieces of conversation in their writing.

19. All good writing begins with a PLANNER!

20. For a higher score, spelling and grammar are important, BUT The Florida Writing assessment is MEANT to be a draft piece of writing.

21. Organization is Important Students should use their organizers to decide when to make a new paragraph. Make sure paragraphs are indented!

22. Similes should make sense to ANY reader!

23. Remember Tom the Turkey?

24. Expository Writing

25. Expository Writing • Expository writing explains or informs. • Prompts for expository writing use words such as: explain, clarify, inform, describe. • Expository writing has three main parts or sections. • In grades three and four, an expository paper usually has five paragraphs.

26. In writing an expository paper, the student should: Read the prompt carefully Brainstorm a list of ideas Make an outline Write an introductory paragraph Write at least two or three body paragraphs Write a concluding paragraph

27. Brainstorming After reading a prompt, students brainstorm ideas for their paper. Example: The student is asked to write about pets. The student makes a list of Ideas for a paper about pets.

28. The next step is to make an OUTLINE.

29. Expository Writing The three body parts of an expository paper include The Introduction The body usually has three sections or paragraphs . The Body The Conclusion

30. The introduction should state the theme of the paper The Introduction The body provides support, details, and examples. The Body The conclusion “wraps up” thoughts and ideas about the theme. The Conclusion

31. Effective writing contains the same creativity skills whether it is narrative or expository.

32. Helping Your Child Write • You do not have to be an expert writer to help children improve their writing. • Make sure they do their writing assignments each night in a quiet area. • Be sure they have the right materials: paper and pencil, dictionary and thesaurus. • Allow them to share their writing aloud. • Encourage them to keep a personal • journal or diary.