STANDARD 3.2 (WRITING) Grade Six
Strands with Cumulative Progress IndicatorsA. Writing as a Process (prewriting, drafting, revising, editing, postwriting)
- Write informational compositions of several paragraphs that engage the interest of the reader, state a clear purpose, develop the topic, and conclude with a detailed summary.
- Generate ideas for writing through reading and making connections across the curriculum and with current events.
- Expand knowledge about form, structure, and voice in a variety of genres.
- Use strategies such as graphic organizers and outlines to elaborate and organize ideas for writing.
- Draft writing in a selected genre with supporting structure and appropriate voice according to the intended message, audience, and purpose for writing.
- Make decisions about the use of precise language, including adjectives, adverbs, verbs, and specific details, and justify the choices made.
- Revise drafts by rereading for meaning, narrowing focus, elaborating and deleting, as well as reworking organization, openings, closings, word choice, and consistency of voice.
- Review own writing with others to understand the reader’s perspective and to consider and incorporate ideas for revision.
- Review and edit work for spelling, usage, clarity, organization, and fluency.
- Use a variety of reference materials to revise work.
- Use computer writing applications during the writing process.
- Understand and apply the elements of a scoring rubric to improve and evaluate writing.
- Reflect on own writing, noting strengths and setting goals for improvement.
B. Writing as a Product (resulting in a formal product or publication)
- Expand knowledge of characteristics, structures, and tone of selected genres.
- Write a range of grade appropriate essays across curricula (e.g., persuasive, personal, descriptive, issue- based)
- Write grade appropriate, multi-paragraph expository pieces across curricula (e.g., problem/solution, cause/effect, hypothesis/results, feature articles, critique, research reports).
- Write various types of prose, such as short stories, biography, autobiography, or memoir that contain narrative elements.
- Support main idea, topic, or theme with facts, examples, or explanations, including information from multiple sources.
- Sharpen focus and improve coherence by considering the relevancy of included details, and adding, deleting, and rearranging appropriately.
- Write sentences of varying length and complexity, using specific nouns, verbs, and descriptive words.
- Prepare a works consulted page for reports or research papers.
- Provide logical sequence throughout multi-paragraph works by refining organizational structure and developing transitions between ideas
- Engage the reader from beginning to end with an interesting opening, logical sequence, and satisfying conclusion.
C. Mechanics, Spelling, and Handwriting
- Use Standard English conventions in all writing, such as sentence structure, grammar and usage, punctuation, capitalization, spelling, handwriting.
- Use a variety of sentence types and syntax, including independent and dependent clauses and prepositional and adverbial phrases, to connect ideas and craft writing in an interesting and grammatically correct way.
- Use knowledge of English grammar and usage to express ideas effectively.
- Use correct capitalization and punctuation, including commas and colons, throughout writing.
- Use quotation marks and related punctuation correctly in passages of dialogue.
- Use knowledge of roots, prefixes, suffixes, and English spelling patterns to spell words correctly in writing.
- Demonstrate understanding of reasons for paragraphs in narrative and expository writing and indent appropriately in own writing.
- Edit writing for correct grammar usage, capitalization, punctuation, and spelling.
- Use a variety of materials, such as a dictionary, grammar reference, and/or internet/software resources to edit written work.
- Write legibly in manuscript or cursive to meet district standards.
D. Writing Forms, Audiences, and Purposes (exploring a variety of forms)
- Write for different purposes (e.g., to express ideas, inform, entertain, respond to literature, persuade, question, reflect, clarify, share) and a variety of audiences (e.g., self, peers, community).
- Gather, select, and organize information appropriate to a topic, task, and audience.
- Develop and use knowledge of a variety of genres, including expository, narrative, persuasive, poetry, critiques, and everyday/ workplace writing.
- Organize a response that develops insight into literature by exploring personal reactions, connecting to personal experiences, and referring to the text through sustained use of examples.
- Write narratives, establishing a plot or conflict, setting, characters, point of view, and resolution.
- Use narrative techniques (e.g., dialogue, specific actions of characters, sensory description, and expression of thoughts and feelings of characters).
- Write reports based on research with a scope narrow enough to be thoroughly covered, supporting the main ideas or topic with facts, examples, and explanations from authoritative sources, and including a works consulted page.
- Write persuasive essays with clearly stated positions or opinions supported by organized and relevant evidence to validate arguments and conclusions, and sources cited when needed.
- Demonstrate the ability to write business letters in correct format and coherent style.
- Use a variety of strategies to organize writing, including sequence, chronology, cause/effect, problem/solution, and order of importance.
- Demonstrate higher-order thinking skills and writing clarity when answering open-ended and essay questions in content areas or as responses to literature.
- Use relevant graphics in writing (e.g., maps, charts, illustrations, graphs, photographs).
- Demonstrate the development of a personal style and voice in writing.
- Review scoring criteria of relevant rubrics.
- Develop a collection of writings (e.g., a literacy folder or a literacy portfolio).
