Editing Marks (Writer's Secrets)

Writing is an essential part of a well-balanced literacy program.  It is through writing that we can observe a child's knowledge of phonics and vocabulary.  It can also be considered a window into the mind of the writer, allowing us to understand that person a little bit better than before. 

Writing instruction in my classroom will consist of understanding and using the writing process.  This includes prewriting/drafting, revising, editing, and publishing both original and assigned writing pieces.  The concept of authorship is valued in second grade. Each child is believed to be an author/writer with a story to tell.

A new writing program to our school this year is Step Up to Writing.  This is a step by step approach to teaching children to write in an organized manner- teaching topic sentences, supporting the main idea, and restating the topic sentence at the end of the paragraph.  It helps student to stay on track with their writing thoughts.

We will also be learning about the Six Traits of Writing.   The Six Trait Model uses elements of composition: ideas, organization, voice, word choice, sentence fluency and conventions to compose, teach and assess writing. Because writing is an art form, it is often difficult to articulate why writing is ‘good’ and what made it so. The Six Trait Model articulates for the student, characteristics of writing which can be studied, communicated, evaluated and developed.

By the end of second grade, a child ...

• Writes for many different purposes
• Writes different types of compositions (for example, stories, reports, and letters)
• Makes good judgments about what to include in her writing
• Takes part in writing conferences and then revises and edits what he has written
• Pays attention to the mechanics of writing (for example, spelling, capitalization, and punctuation) in the final versions of compositions