6-8 Language Arts

Philosophy:

Writing is a complex skill that involves learning a language and using it effectively to convey meaning through text. We recognize that students’ abilities in writing develop from their earliest stages with phonetic spelling; to limiting understanding of certain genre; to the ability to produce conventional, coherent, unified documents. Their ideas are expressed in various forms such as, lists, letters, stories, essays and reports.

The teaching and learning of writing should not be fragmented or compartmentalized. Effective instruction incorporates multiple performance objectives into an integrated experience of learning for the student. A balanced approach to implementing the writing standards recognizes that not all skills and knowledge receive equal emphasis at all times. As students progress as maturing writers, emphasis of concepts or performance objectives will vary to meet their changing needs. Concepts are not taught in just one lesson but flow out of exposure and use of multiple skills that students are exposed to throughout their learning. Teachers decide how best to organize the content to fit the needs of their students.

Overview:

The Morris School District’s K-5 Writing Curriculum is based on the New Jersey Core Curriculum Standards for Language Arts Literacy which identify the skills and strategies that students should develop as they become effective and independent writers.

The outcomes identified for each grade level will allow students to acquire the skills and strategies necessary to effectively express their ideas and thoughts and to address various topics for intended audiences and purposes. As K-5 students engage in the process of writing they will:

• draw upon literature as a source of inspiration connected to writing
• write voluntarily and often in various genres
• develop their ability to sustain writing for long periods of time
• learn to appreciate writing is part of effective communication
• develop prewriting strategies to organize and plan for writing
• learn to perceive the world through the eyes of a writer
• develop strategies for revising and editing work
• accept, via conferencing, guidance from teachers and peers
• have opportunities to publish and share their work
• reflect on their growth as writers

Instructional Planning:

Writing workshop is a place where students are to be engaged in the work of writers, and as it’s the work of writers to read, then it makes sense that reading belongs connected to the writing workshop. After all as Ted Kooser, a National Poet Laureate states, “Before you write one poem you need to read at least 100.”

When planning for instruction teachers ensure that students will have opportunities to write across a variety of genres, affording them the time necessary to use the writing process and develop skills as a writer.

The instructional technique employed revolves around the tenets of the Writing Workshop as developed, notably, by Lucy Calkins, Ralph Fletcher and Katie Wood Ray with lessons and units clearly built around a concept of workshop as an instructional time not simply a time for writing.

In general the Writing Workshop approach includes a direct link to literature via the use of mentor texts, teacher modeling, focused mini lessons, time for shared, guided and independent writing, conferencing and celebrations of publishing.