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Sharpen Your Child’s Writing Skills A Guidebook for Kentucky Parents
Introduction | The Writing Process | The Contents of the Writing Portfolio | The Scoring Guide | Frequently Asked Questions Is your refrigerator covered with your children’s best school work? Have you saved samples of your children’s best efforts as they have grown? If so, you will understand completely many of the benefits of Kentucky’s Writing Portfolio. Examining student work is valuable to everyone involved in a child’s education. Collections of this work, in the form of a portfolio, show us student understanding, achievement, and growth — as well as how curriculum and instruction are working. Kentucky schools are emphasizing student writing to improve thinking and learning for all students. The goal of instruction is to help students develop life-long learning skills and the confidence to make use of those skills. For many of us, writing in school was a limiting, and sometimes unpleasant, experience. As adults, we have come to realize that our previous writing instruction did not always prepare us for the types of real-world writing we are now required to do. With positive developmental writing instruction, our children will not experience the same frustration. We, as parents and teachers, know the ability to communicate is important. Kentucky teachers realize the importance of teaching effective communication skills for success in today’s world. The support and involvement of parents like you is necessary to make sure our children become effective thinkers and confident communicators — keys to a successful future for us all. A committee of Kentucky teachers and other educators was charged with the task of defining the state’s writing portfolio. Their responsibility was to ensure that your child and all other students throughout the state receive the same rich, varied learning opportunities.
Making the Point: The Writing Process Grinding pencil sharpeners, tapping computer keys, rustling paper, and the sounds of students reading their writing aloud to one another are common sounds you will hear when you visit P-12 classrooms in Kentucky. Teachers are changing their instruction to emphasize writing and the writing process. Parents want to know more about those changes. The writing process may be defined as a series of stages (processes) that writers engage in to produce a final product (finished writing). During this writing process, writers explore and rethink their work continuously.
While the majority of your child’s writing takes place in a school setting, writing begins at home. Long before children have mastered the skill of putting pen to paper, they write because it is fun. Parents can help keep this interest alive without taking over ownership of the child’s writing. Writers also require feedback at all stages of the writing process. One type of feedback occurs when writers talk with others about their writing. This conversation, known as conferencing, is essential to improving writing skills. The sections entitled “How Can Parents Help?” include conferencing suggestions. How Can Parents Help? Question rather than dictate Coach rather than correct PREWRITING The first stage in the writing process includes the activities, experiences and exercises which motivate writers to begin the first draft. During this time writers consider the purpose (real reason) for writing and the audience (the intended reader/listener) for whom they are writing. If prewriting is successful, writers will have a clear sense of direction for their writing and many ideas for supporting the purpose. This planning stage is vital for producing effective writing. How Can Parents Help? Provide opportunities for observation and critical thinking (cultural experiences, outdoor activities, trips, films, educational television programs, etc.). Read with your child and provide access to books, newspapers, and magazines (at home and/or in the community library). Encourage your child to be curious about what is going on in the world. Help your child find a real reason to write · to inform (e.g., create a family letter to friends and relatives) · to persuade (e.g., convince parents to allow a privilege) · to entertain (e.g., create a play for others to perform) Help your child identify topics/subjects of interest. Invite discussion topics. Encourage listing, notetaking, jotting down ideas, brainstorming, etc. Be an active listener. Ask questions to clarify and make helpful comments. Suggest possible audiences (relatives, other children, public officials, community leaders, school officials, etc.) Discuss different forms of writing (letter, poem, article, story, play, etc.) DRAFTING During the drafting stage, the writer produces the first draft (written copy). The most important emphasis here is getting the thinking on paper How Can Parents Help? Provide a quiet work place for your child to write and a variety of resource tools. Ask and answer questions regarding content. — What is your purpose? — Who is your audience? — Why are you writing this? — What is the assignment? Respect your child’s ability to make the appropriate choices and resist the temptation to take over the project. Encourage your child to return to prewriting when “writer’s block” occurs. REVISING During the revision stage the writer revisits and shares with others a piece of writing in order to determine what needs to be added, removed, and/or rearranged. Revision is not recopying an assignment neatly in ink or correcting grammar, punctuation, and spelling. Instead, the writer focuses on strengthening content and meeting the needs of the audience. How Can Parents Help?
— “The sentence or word that stands out for me is _______.” — “The part that is most interesting to me is ___________.” — “I’d like to know more about _______________.”
— “Does the writing say what you want it to say?” — “What changes do you think you need to make?” — “Can you tell me more about ____________?” — “Can you give me an example of ___________?”
EDITING Editing is the job of cleaning up the writing and eliminating errors (mistakes in grammar, punctuation, usage, capitalization, and spelling). Writers may need assistance from others during this process to strengthen writing skills. Correctness is important; however, editing is a developmental (growth) process. Correcting every error can be overwhelming to the writer. As writers become more proficient, they will make fewer mistakes. How Can Parents Help?
Publishing is the process of making a piece of writing public. Writers recognize the value of their writing when they share it with an audience in a variety of ways. How Can Parents Help?
— Mail a letter. — Post on a bulletin board or your refrigerator. — Submit to a magazine or newspaper. — Read aloud at family gatherings, like the dinner table
Pointing It Out: Contents of the Writing Portfolio WHAT ARE THE REQUIRED PIECES IN THE 4TH GRADE WRITING PORTFOLIO? The student includes a total of 4 pieces of writing in the portfolio. Any of the following portfolio entries may come from study areas other than English/language arts, but a minimum of one piece of writing must come from another subject area.
In addition to the 4 pieces of writing, each portfolio must include the following:
These forms, as well as other real-world forms written for various readers, are suitable for inclusion in Kentucky’s writing portfolio.
Points to Consider: The Scoring Guide Unlike a grade of A or B, your child’s score on the Writing Portfolio can give you information about the characteristics most often observed in your child’s writing. When you and your child know what to look for, you also know what needs improvement. The Kentucky Holistic Scoring Guide, below, lists the qualities of effective writing under “Proficient,” the goal for all Kentucky students. NOVICE
APPRENTICE
PROFICIENT
DISTINGUISHED
Since learning to write is as much a developmental process as learning to read, you can look for characteristics to determine if your child is growing as a writer. The Kentucky Holistic Scoring Guide lists these growth indicators as you read through the categories of Novice, Apprentice, Proficient, and Distinguished. For example, inexperienced writers may show a limited awareness of why and for whom they are writing. When they have more learning experiences and thus more growth as writers, “some evidence,” but perhaps with “some lapses,” may appear more frequently. Successful (proficient) writers will remain “focused on a purpose” throughout the writing. Parents, students, and teachers should understand these growth points toward becoming better writers How Can Parents Help? The six criteria below are those considered when portfolio writings are scored. These are generally accepted characteristics of “effective writing” you’ll find anywhere. The questions can be used to guide a conference with your child about a piece of writing. Keep in mind that a conference about a piece of writing provides a learning opportunity for your child, and good questions provoke thinking. If your child simply answers “yes” to any of the questions, ask himher to find specific examples in the piece of writing. Please do not make direct corrections or do the writing or typing for your child since this takes the responsibility for learning away from the student. Ask questions about Purpose/Audience. What do you want to write about? Why? Who will want need to read this? What do you want the audience to know or do? How will you present it to the audience? Ask questions about Idea Development/Support. What are the details and examples you have used? Do they help the audience understand completely? Are they the best details and examples for your audience? for your purpose? Have you explained important ideas? Do your examples support the main ideas? Do your details make the ideas clearer? Ask questions about Organization. Did you stick with your plan throughout the piece of writing? Does the order of the ideas make sense? Does all of your information fit together? Do your ideas flow easily from one to another? Will your reader be able to follow all of your thinking? Ask questions about Sentences. Do your sentences have different lengths? different beginnings? different structures? Or do they sound too much alike? Do your sentences express complete thoughts? Ask questions about Language. Have you used a variety of words to make your meaning clear? Do the words say what you mean? Are all of your words used correctly? Ask questions about Correctness. Have you made any mistakes in spelling? Do you see any punctuation problems? Have you used capital letters in the needed places? *NOTE: If you focus on errors before the writing is completely developed in the areas above, you may keep your child from doing his or her best writing. However, these skills should receive attention before the writing is “published” for an audience. Examples of Kentucky students’ writing at grades 4, 7, and 12 are available for you to examine at your child’s school. These examples, called benchmarks, give a clearer picture of what the characteristics look like as children develop skill. Teachers use the examples for comparison when they score student writing. Students use the examples to learn about their own writing skills. You can use the examples to help your child become a better thinker and writer.
Points of Interest: Frequently Asked Questions Q: Who developed the Kentucky Writing Portfolio and the Holistic Scoring Guide? A: The Writing Advisory Committee, made up of Kentucky educators from all parts of the state. Q: Is correctness important in portfolio pieces? A: Yes. Students should learn and practice correct spelling, grammar, capitalization, and punctuation skills in the context of pieces of writing. This means they use the lessons taught to proofread and correct pieces of writing that they are preparing for publication. Research has shown that grammar taught by textbook drill not tied to daily use does little to improve children’s speaking and writing. For more information see the editing section in “Making the Point: The Writing Process” and correctness in “Points to Consider: The Scoring Guide. Q: Who scores portfolios? A: Any teacher or administrator who has been trained to score Q: Should my child be writing in all classes? A: Yes. Writing is a tool for learning. Students in all classes should be engaged in writing-to-learn activities, writing to demonstrate learning, and writing which goes through a process to produce pieces for a real audience and a real purpose. Q: How will I know my child’s portfolio score? A: Official portfolio scores, along with other KIRIS data, are released to schools and made available to parents through the counseling office. Teachers are encouraged to discuss scores and suggestions for improvement with students.
A: Student writing folders are holding bins for many pieces of writing in various stages. They show student progress and provide students with chances to review work and make changes. In contrast, Kentucky Writing Portfolios contain a purposeful student selection of six entries. They give reviewers an opportunity to determine student performance levels based upon “best works. Q: Do the pieces for the portfolio have to be typed? A: No. The writing should be neat and legible. Students may use many methods to produce published pieces (pen or pencil, word processors, or typewriters), but whichever method is used, the student must do the writing, word processing, or typing. Q: Are NOVICE, APPRENTICE, PROFICIENT, and DISTINGUISHED the same as grades? A: No. These assessment levels relate directly to the criteria of the Kentucky Holistic Scoring Guide, used for large scale assessment. Grades are based on criteria established by individual teachers. Q: Who besides the teacher will see my child’s writing? A: The primary intended audience of individual pieces, portfolio scorers, and any other person with whom the child chooses to share may see your child’s writing. Q: Will I get a copy of my child’s portfolio? A: Your child’s original portfolio must be kept at the school. However, you may request a copy of it. Q: May my child work on the portfolio at home? A: Yes. While the writing should have a direct connection to classroom instruction, parents may assist children during the writing/learning process. Parents should adhere to the same guidelines provided to teachers in “Kentucky Educational System’s Code of Ethics for Appropriate Testing Practices for School and District Personnel.’’ Parents can ask questions and point out errors on writing which may be placed in the portfolio; however, they should not do the writing for their child nor make the corrections for himher. (See specific suggestions in “Making the Point: The Writing Process” and “How Can Parents Help? Q: How can I help my child become a better writer? A: The National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) makes the following suggestions: • Build a climate of words at home. The basis of good writing is good talk. Encourage your child to talk about subjects of interest. • Encourage your child to read, especially reading which is self-selected. Let your child see you read and invite discussions about what you are both reading. • Praise your child’s efforts at writing. Resist the tendency to focus on errors of spelling, punctuation, and other mechanical parts of writing. Be primarily interested in content. Emphasize your child’s successes. For every error your child makes, there are a dozen things done well. • Encourage your child to write away for information, free samples, travel brochures, etc. For suggestions about where to write and how to write, purchase a copy of the helpful U.S. Postal booklet All About Letters. • Be alert to occasions when your child can be involved in writing. Writing for real purposes is rewarding, and the daily activities of families present many opportunities for purposeful writing (grocery lists, telephone messages, notes to family members). • Ask to see your child’s writing. Express interest but remember to allow your child to decide if and when to share. (Selected comments from “How To Help Your Child Become A Better Writer,” a brochure from NCTE) Reprinted with permission from NCTE.
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Reflective Writing in the form of