Core SixWrite to Learn

In a Nutshell Tool for writing and learning in all

content areas

Improves students’ thinking, deepens comprehension of content, provides formative assessment needed to improve student writing

Three Reasons for Using Write to Learn to address CCSS Writing develops higher-order thinking

Writing in different text types (arguments, informative/explanatory texts, narratives)

Range of writing

Three Types of Writing Provisional writing- brief, daily writing

that supports learning

Readable writing- clarify and organize thinking to develop essays or responses

Polished writing- engagement in full writing and revision process

Provisional Writing Used to capture interest, draw out prior

knowledge, review and check understanding, provoke thinking, spur reflection

Spelling and grammar rarely assessed

Examples: Quick-writes Learning logs 4-2-1 Free Write (p. 54)

Readable Writing Intended for audience (teacher uses to assess students’

responses) Requires students to clarify their thoughts and develop an

organizational structure for their ideas

Sample prompts (pgs. 55-56) Argumentative Informative/explanatory Narrative Comparison Analysis (textual) Analysis/mathematical Descriptive

Readable Writing

Building Writing Prewriting tool that provides scaffolding Students pair up to revise and generate

new ideas

Graphic Organizer 3 x 3 Writing Frame

Polished Writing Writing folders

House the students’ ongoing work (records and artifacts of the writing process)

Pockets pg. 61

Writer’s Club Organize students into writer’s clubs with 3-5

members Encourage students to listen carefully and provide

feedback that is specific, improvement-oriented, and about the work, not the student

Writer’s Club Discussion Questions (p.64)

Rules of the Writer’s Club1. Everyone reads.2. Writers choose one or more questions

for listeners to respond to.3. Listeners give additional feedback by

choosing other questions to answer.4. Writers listen to responses without

becoming defensive.5. Writers use what they learn to revise

and improve their work.

Post-writing Reflection Ask students to answer:

What? What did you learn during this process?

So what? What did you learn about yourself, the content, or the writing process?

Now what? How can you use or apply what you have learned?