Member-only story

What They Mean and How to Teach Them: Corwin Literacy

Nikolai Gogol

·19.2k Followers· Follow

Published in Your Literacy Standards Companion Grades 3 5: What They Mean And How To Teach Them (Corwin Literacy)

5 min read

785 View Claps

52 Respond

Save

Listen

Corwin Literacy is a leading provider of professional development and resources for educators. Their instructional framework is based on the belief that all students can learn to write effectively. The framework is organized around six traits of writing: ideas, organization, word choice, sentence fluency, voice, and conventions.

This article will provide an overview of each of the six traits and offer practical tips on how to teach them.

Ideas are the foundation of any piece of writing. They are the thoughts and concepts that the writer wants to communicate to the reader. Good writing starts with strong ideas.

Your Literacy Standards Companion, Grades 3-5: What They Mean and How to Teach Them (Corwin Literacy)

by Andrew Lang

4.7 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	32852 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	760 pages

How to teach ideas:

Brainstorming: Help students generate ideas by brainstorming. This can be done through freewriting, mind mapping, or discussion.
Outlining: Teach students how to outline their ideas. This will help them organize their thoughts and develop a logical structure for their writing.
Thesis statements: Help students write clear and concise thesis statements. The thesis statement is the main argument of the essay and provides a roadmap for the rest of the writing.

Organization is the way that ideas are arranged in a piece of writing. Good organization makes it easy for the reader to follow the writer's train of thought.

How to teach organization:

Paragraph structure: Teach students how to write effective paragraphs. A good paragraph has a topic sentence, supporting sentences, and a concluding sentence.
Transitions: Help students use transitions to connect their ideas. Transitions are words or phrases that signal the relationship between ideas.
s and s: Teach students how to write effective s and s. The should grab the reader's attention and provide a roadmap for the rest of the writing. The should summarize the main points of the essay and provide a final thought.

Word choice is the selection of words that the writer uses to communicate their ideas. Good word choice makes writing clear, concise, and engaging.

How to teach word choice:

Vocabulary: Help students expand their vocabulary. This can be done through direct instruction, reading, and games.
Figurative language: Teach students how to use figurative language to add interest and depth to their writing. Figurative language includes similes, metaphors, and personification.
Connotation: Help students understand the connotations of words. The connotation of a word is the emotional or associative meaning that is attached to it.

Sentence fluency is the way that sentences are written. Good sentence fluency makes writing easy to read and understand.

How to teach sentence fluency:

Sentence variety: Teach students to use a variety of sentence structures. This includes simple sentences, compound sentences, and complex sentences.
Sentence length: Help students to write sentences that are the appropriate length. Short sentences can be choppy, while long sentences can be difficult to read.
Punctuation: Teach students the correct use of punctuation. Punctuation marks help to clarify meaning and make writing easier to read.

Voice is the writer's unique perspective on the world. It is the way that the writer communicates their personality and style.

How to teach voice:

Personal experiences: Encourage students to write about their own personal experiences. This will help them to develop their own unique voice.
Reading: Help students to read widely. Reading exposes students to different writing styles and helps them to develop their own voice.
Writing workshops: Provide students with opportunities to share their writing with others. Writing workshops can help students to get feedback on their work and to develop their own voice.

Conventions are the rules of grammar, usage, and mechanics. Good conventions make writing clear and easy to read.

How to teach conventions:

Grammar: Teach students the basic rules of grammar. This includes parts of speech, sentence structure, and verb tense.
Usage: Help students to use words correctly. This includes avoiding common errors such as subject-verb agreement and pronoun agreement.
Mechanics: Teach students the mechanics of writing. This includes capitalization, punctuation, and spelling.

The Corwin Literacy instructional framework is a valuable tool for teaching writing. The six traits of writing provide a clear and concise way to assess student writing and to provide targeted instruction. By following the tips in this article, you can help your students to become effective writers.

Your Literacy Standards Companion, Grades 3-5: What They Mean and How to Teach Them (Corwin Literacy)

by Andrew Lang

4.7 out of 5