Soaring Toward Success: Strategies and Tips

for FCAT Writes(Secondary)

Are

Area Superintendents

Area Directors

Area Support Teams

Presented by Tara Smith & Lisa Collum

February 8, 2011

Agenda

Incentives Time Management Planning Strategies Organization Strategies Support Strategies Proofreading and Revising Strategy Last-minute Tips and Reminders

Build Confidence

Principal’s Challenge Incentives Goal Sheet (Handout) Feeding the Principal Scores Conferencing with Students Instruction

Test-taking Strategy: “Race Against The Clock”

Problem: Students not finishing in 45 minutesSolution: Timed practice

Hand out planning sheet and lined paper.

Start with planning. Say “ready, set, go!” Time students for 5 minutes.

Go through each paragraph of the essay and time students.

Make it a game! You can even use raffle tickets after they finish each paragraph and do a raffle at the end of class.

Planning – 5 minutes Introduction – 5 minutes 1st Middle Paragraph – 9

minutes 2nd Middle Paragraph – 9

minutes 3rd Middle Paragraph – 9

minutes Conclusion – 5 minutes Proofread and Edit – 3 minutes

Understanding the PromptProblem: Students not knowing what the prompt is asking or in which

mode to writeSolution: Marking the prompt to maintain focus

Students should practice locating and marking key words and phrases in the prompt to help them determine important aspects of the writing scenario.

Topic Audience Purpose

Students should also practice asking key questions to understand what the prompt requires of them. Topic: What am I supposed

to do? Do I have more than one job?

Audience: Who am I writing to? What should my writing sound like? What language should I use?

Purpose: Why am I writing? To explain or convince?

Support: What will my reasons or main points be? What details should I use?

General Planning Reminder

Have students narrow their main points/reasons to 3 so they can elaborate rather than simply list.

Goal: If students pick 3 main points/reasons to write about in their middle paragraphs, they can elaborate on those reasons in 10-12 lines (Grade 8) 12-14 lines (Grade 10) with ample details.

Problem: If students have 5 or 6 reasons, they tend to list and only write a small amount about each.

Problem: If students have only 2 reasons, they tend not to write enough in their middle paragraphs.

Quick Planning – Expository Problem: Students spending too much time on planning Solution: Quick planning strategies for expository writing

Topic:

Audience:

Purpose:

#1:Example:#2:Anecdote:#3:Personal Experience:

TOPIC

Reason #1 Reaso

n #2

Reason#3

Example Anecdote Example

Timed Planning ActivityProblem: Students spending too much time on planning

Solution: Timed planning practice

Give students a planning sheet and prompt (similar to Palm Beach Writes).

Writing Situation Writing Directions

Set a timer or stop watch and allow students 5 minutes to plan.

Let students know when time is up.

Give another prompt and repeat the process.

Attempt to get through 8-10 prompts in one block.

Goal: Help students plan quickly so they do not waste time on day of test.

Essay Organization StrategyProblem: Students having difficulty organizing their essays

Solution: Hamburger Analogy

Encourage students to picture their essays as they would a hamburger. Introduction = top bun Middle = meaty layersConclusion = bottom bun

Essay Organization StrategyProblem: Students having difficulty organizing their essays

Solution: Essay Frames

IntroductionLead/

Opener:Connection to Prompt/Reasons:

Thesis:

Reason #1:

Reason #2:

Reason #3:

Middle

Conclusion

Thesis:

Supports:

Final Thought:

Organization of Introduction Problem: Students having trouble organizing the introduction

Solution: Keep it short and simple!

Teach students the key parts of an expository or persuasive introduction by illustrating the Funnel Method.

A Broad Opening Statement

Listing Supporting Reasons OR Connecting to PromptThe Thesis

Statement

Start with…

Continue by…

Finish with…

Organization of IntroductionProblem: Students having trouble organizing the introduction

Solution: Keep it short and simple!Lead

Supporting Reasons

Thesis with Ending Thought

Essay Organization Strategy

Problem: Students having difficulty following the order of reasons given in the introduction

Solution: Color code or number each reason a different color in the introduction. Highlight the reason statements in the detail paragraphs accordingly.

Detail Paragraph #1 Topic Sentence

Detail Paragraph #2 Topic Sentence

Detail Paragraph #3 Topic Sentence

#2

#3

#1

Essay Organization StrategyProblem: Students experiencing difficulty organizing their detail

paragraphsSolution: Meaty Middles

Give students an organization strategy for filling their middle (detail) paragraphs with MEAT!

M – Make your point. E – Explain it clearly. A – Add support. T – Tie it together.

Organization of Conclusion Paragraph Problem: Students having trouble wrapping up

Solution: Keep it short and simple!

The Concise Conclusion

Restate the thesis statement in a fresh way.

Recap main support points.

End with a broad final thought for the reader.

Essay Organization and Support Strategy

Problem: Students struggling with support; Small middle paragraphsSolution: Using A’s and B’s from planning sheet to give examples and

elaborate

-USE A’S AND B’S ON PLANNING SHEET

-SUPPORT WITH A (2-3 SENTENCES), GIVE SPECIFIC EXAMPLES AND ELABORATE

-SUPPORT WITH B (2-3 SENTENCES), GIVE SPECIFIC EXAMPLES AND ELABORATE

-PERSONAL CONNECTION

T:

R1:R2:

R3:

T:

a. b.

a. b.

a. b.

Essay Elaboration StrategyProblem: Students struggling with support; Small middle

paragraphsSolution: FRIES

Encourage students to add a variety of support forms to their detail paragraphs.

Students can use a catchy acronym such as FRIES to remember the menu of options for details they can choose from to include in their middle paragraphs.

F – Facts and Figurative Language R – Reasons and RecommendationsI – Imagery/Incidents E – Examples and Expert Testimony (Quotes)S – Statistics

Model Using the Color-coding System: Anytime you model, color code!

PROBLEM – STUDENTS MISSING PARTS IN EACH PARAGRAPH

Expository Example:

If you are modeling theintroduction paragraph…

Write the hook in one color.

Write the 3 reasons (thesis) in another.

Place the ending thought in another.

SOLUTION – COLOR CODE WHEN TEACHING

Expository Example:

If you are modeling the middleparagraphs….

Topic sentence in red 1st supporting sentences in

green 2nd supporting sentences in

blue Personal Connection/

Statistic/Quote in black Wrap up in orange

Highlighter Proofreading and Revising Strategy

Problem: Students leaving important information out of their writingSolution: Give students highlighters and a checklist to revise

Provide each student with 5 highlighters (all different colors).

Students can highlight and label the parts of their middle paragraphs in different colors.

Topic Sentence First Supporting Sentences (A) Second Supporting Sentences (B) Personal Story or FRIES Wrap-up Sentences

After self checking, students should revise their paragraphs to add the parts they are missing.

Classroom Writing Resources

FLOCABULARY: HIP-HOP IN THE CLASSROOM

BRAIN POP & BRAIN POP JR.

Sample Topics Plot Elements How to write a Short

Story The How-to Essay Writing about Yourself The Writing Process The Five Paragraph

Essay Writing with the 5

Senses

http://www.brainpop.com/english/writing/http://www.brainpopjr.com/readingandwriting/storyelements/

http://www.flocabulary.com/fivethings.html

FCAT Writing Last-minute Tips and Reminders

Testing Environment – Make sure you have simulated more than once before FCAT Writes!

Display a student friendly version of the rubric in a visible location of the classroom.

Link feedback to the scored areas of FCAT Writes (e.g., focus, organization, support, and conventions)

Provide a writing review in the days leading up to the test. Review both persuasive nd expository writing as well as test-taking strategies.

Mimic FCAT Writes prompt language and format when creating additional writing assessments in the weeks before the test.

Only use FCAT lined paper and planning sheets from now until test. Encourage students to write as much as they can in the time they

have. Make sure students are using pencils to write with instead of pens.

(Go easy on erasers!) Remind students to write their responses only within the lined

sections of pages 3 and 4 of the FCAT Writes paper. Incorporate writing activities across the curriculum. Assign one person to monitor attendance daily and follow up with

phone calls. (These are the students that usually need the most help!) Strategically assign substitutes in these weeks before FCAT Writes.

Contact Information

Tara J. SmithSouth Area Support TeamWriting Resource TeacherOffice: 561-330-3937 PX 73937Cell: 561-318-9782Email:

smithtar@palmbeach.k12.fl.us

Lisa CollumNorth Area Support TeamWriting Resource TeacherOffice: 561-494-1500 PX 81578Cell: 561-628-3099Email:

colluml@palmbeach.k12.fl.us