Primary WritingWilliamsport Area School District

October 13, 2014

Agenda

• PSSA English Language Arts Test Design• Writing Overviews• Written Response to Reading

– 3-Point Short Answer

• Written Essay• WASD Primary Writing Continuum• Modes of Writing

– Opinion– Informational– Narrative

• David Matteson

ELA Test Development Design

At grade 3, the PCS‐ELA core can be described as:

• 20 core passage MC items 20 points

• 18 core standalone MC items 18 points• 2 core 2 pt EBSR items

4points• 2 core 3 pt EBSR items 6

points• 2 core 3 pt SA items 6 points• 1 core 4 pt WP (weighted x2) 8

points

Total 62 points

ELA Test Development Design

At grade 3, the PCS‐ELA core can be described as:

• 20 core passage MC items 20 points

• 18 core standalone MC items 18 points• 2 core 2 pt EBSR items

4points• 2 core 3 pt EBSR items 6

points• 2 core 3 pt SA items 6 points• 1 core 4 pt WP (weighted x2) 8

points

Total 62 points

PRIMARY WRITING OVERVIEWS

Students Write for Different Purposes and Audiences

WASD Grade 2 Writing Overview

IN EVERY UNIT

3 point short answer

• Practiced weekly

• Assessed minimally twice (2)

• Treasures Weekly Assessment Open-Ended • modified to fit PSSA structure

• Scored using PSSA Rubric

*See weekly expectations in Writing Overview

Student examples kept in writing portfolio

WASD Grade 2 Writing Overview

IN EVERY UNIT

Written Essay

1 Essay developed over time• Modeled and Refined through Writer’s Workshop• 3 paragraph structure: Intro, Body, Conclusion

• 1 paragraph Essay assessed “on-demand” per unit• Unit 1, 2, 3 (1) paragraph structure: Beginning, Middle, End

• 3 paragraph Essay assessed “on-demand” per unit• Units 4,5,6 (3) paragraph: Introduction, Body, Conclusion

Student examples kept in writing portfolio

PRIMARY WRITING CONTINUUM

Students write clear and focused text to convey a well-defined perspective and appropriate

content.

OPINION WRITING

PA Core does not include

Persuasive Writing

• Grades 3-5 Opinion• Grades 6+ Argumentative

Opinion, Persuasive, or Argumentative

Opinion Writing

• Focus• Content• Style• Organization• Conventions of Language

Focus

Content

Style

Organization

Conventions of Language

INFORMATIONAL WRITING

Types of Informational Writing

• How-To/Procedure

• Report

• Cause/Effect

• Compare/Contrast

Informational Writing…

• includes only facts, not opinions.

• tells about events in the order they occurred.

 • answers the questions who? what? when? where?

and why?

• often includes quotes or indirect quotes from people involved.

Unpack the StandardInformational Writing

• Focus• Content• Style• Organization• Conventions of Language

NARRATIVE WRITING

2 TYPES OF NARRATIVE WRITING

• Personal Narrative

• Imaginative Fiction

Personal Narrative

• Personal point of view (I, me, my, mine)

• Actual event or memory of writer

• The focus is driven by emotion– writer expresses a strong feeling – writer expresses what he/she learns – writer expresses what he/she accomplishes

Imaginative Fiction

• Usually first or third person point of view (I, she, it, they, Marie)

• Fiction, but may be based on actual events or memories

• The focus is driven by tension of plot

All Narrative Writing Involves• Plot

• Setting

• Character(s)

• Passage of time – Uses temporal/transition words

• Beginning, Middle, End (paragraph)

• Introduction, Body, Conclusion (3 paragraph)

• May involve dialogue

DAVID MATTESONPreparing for November In-Service with

• Teachers should first score their own classroom narratives, using the PSSA Narrative rubric

• Co-scoring PLC meeting:– teachers should exchange a sampling (3-5) students

responses and co-score with their grade level team

• Teachers should reserve at least 3 student samples for the in-service with David Matteson.

QUESTIONS