Greetings!
Consider using the first day back from holidays to do a quick assessment of the progress your students have made in writing by using a practice writing prompt. Set the conditions exactly the way they will be in the spring when they take formal district or state writing assessments.
Here are some ideas:
Level 1:
Write five sentences about your New Year's Resolutions.
Many people begin a new year by writing New Year's Resolutions. Have you set any goals for 2008? Write a paragraph that explains some things you would like to do better in the coming year at home or at school. In your paper, tell what your resolutions are, and why they are important to you.
Level 3:
It has become a tradition in many cultures to begin a new year with resolutions or goals for self-improvement in the future. Think of one change you could make that would most improve your life in 2008. Write a multi-paragraph paper that explains what your most important New Year's Resolution would be. Explain why this is an important goal for you, and tell how you plan to implement your goal in the immediate future. In our one-day training on multi-paragraph writing, we discuss writing to a prompt. If you have that module, use page 46 to remind students of the steps they need to think through when reading and planning for writing to a prompt. If you would like some training in your building on prompt writing, our office would be happy to assist you in scheduling an in-service.
All the best to you in the new year,
Your friends at The Write Tools |
Happy New Year!