Our district has used Step Up to Writing for a long time for grades 1 - 12. It is an approach/program that stresses organization. Students are taught to write a topic sentence, details, and explanations which are color coded. It also teaches summary paragraphs, transition words, accordion paragraphs and more. Every teacher in our district has a Step Up to Writing binder that I think is available through Sopris West. (Mine is at my office, so I am writing from memory.) The district has trained teachers to be in-house trainers who provide in-service to new staff and on-going professional training. I feel the biggest limitation to Step up to Writing is that it stifles voice and doesn't encourage students to take a risk when writing. On the writing portion of our state test we are finding that students are doing a great job in organization, but if they stick to a Step Up to Writing structure their score suffers in word choice and voice. Our district also provides on going training in Six Traits. We are just starting to in-service staff on Lucy Calkins' Units of Study. Our district expects teachers to integrate Step Up to Writing, Six Traits, and Lucy Calkins in daily writing instruction, hopefully in a workshop setting. If your students are weak in organization, it is worth consideration. The binder is a great resource of word lists, prompts, and teaching ideas.
Thank you, Barbara Parry ----- Original Message ----- From: "Ljackson" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group" <mosaic@literacyworkshop.org> Sent: Tuesday, January 22, 2008 10:23 AM Subject: [MOSAIC] Step Up to Writing >I need some quick feedback from any persons familiar with this program. >Our district has the opportunity to include some related training, but I am >unsure how this fits with our currect expectations and goals for writing >instruction. Is this a program? Is this an approach? Limitations? >Benefits? > > Lori > > > > > _______________________________________________ > Mosaic mailing list > Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org > To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to > http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. > > Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive. > > > _______________________________________________ Mosaic mailing list Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive.
