Creating a Year-Long Writing Plan for a First Grade Classroom

Abstract

The purpose of this project was to create a research-based writing plan for teachers to use in a first grade classroom. The criteria guiding the development of this plan was chosen based on the writing skills first graders need to acquire, the current best strategies used in writing instruction, and the leading method for assessing and communicating with students about writing. State and national standards were addressed along with the five domains of writing. The use of writer's workshop, graphic organizers, and mentor texts is discussed along with the use of the 6+1 Traits of Writing assessment model to assess student writing and communicate with students about their writing. The writing plan spans one academic school year and offers a comprehensive approach to teaching writing using current best practices. Graphic organizers, scoring rubrics, and indexes of lessons by trait and domain are included.