On the most recent benchmark, I noticed that many students didn't follow all the steps of the writing process as taught. Many students are trying to skip the rough draft step. It is crucial! Without the rough draft, the student doesn't go back and revise the piece for things to add, words to remove and most importantly, things to substitute. It is in the revision process that students will see that they've overused a term or used too vague of a term that needs to be substituted. When I read a final draft full of errors, I know with certainty that the student didn't follow the steps as taught and expected. On final drafts, students still must reread and correct small errors. I read many final drafts with run on sentences that should have been caught. In the weeks remaining before the STAAR writing test, we will regroup and focus on the skills each student has yet to master. We are working through a new expository that we should be finishing this week. I will send this piece home with a copy of the writing rubric that shows what is expected to score a 4. I'm hoping this will help you understand how you can best support your child as a writer at home.
Please check the Upcoming Dates tab at the top of this page. I've added important dates through the end of March.