Standard 2: Reading and Writing Process

Students will use a variety of recursive reading and writing processes.

• Students will use components of a recursive writing process. 
• Students will identify the purpose and the audience of the current writing task.
• Students will create a direct, well organized and easy to understand piece of writing.
• Students will use the writing process to improve word choice, sentences, paragraphs, grammar, usage, and mechanics.
• Students will repeat steps of the writing process as necessary. 

•  Teachers model prewriting, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing, revisiting each stage as needed.

• Teachers continually provide opportunities for students to engage in the writing process.

• Teachers use exemplar texts to show how authors write for a specific purpose and a specific audience.
• Teachers provide students opportunities to write for multiple purposes and audiences.
• Teachers provide a variety of organizational materials, such as graphic organizers, rubrics, templates, etc.
• Teachers provide students with opportunities to edit and revise in order to create to writing that is clear and concise.
• Teachers provide opportunities for students to engage in each stage of the writing process, multiple times, if needed.

Supporting Resources 

Teacher Insights 

smekenseducation.com: 6 Traits in the Writing Process (website with videos)

smekenseducation.com:how to teach writing all year long using 6 Trait Writing (website with videos)

sde.ok.gov: writing rubric 8th grade aligned with ELA OAS (pdf)

• The writing process is not and should never be linear. While teachers should scaffold appropriate practices and troubleshoot for each part of the recursive writing process, it is, as its name states, recursive and can be repeated and repealed as necessary for the writer.

• The fifth stage of the writing process is publishing. Students should present their final draft in the best way possible and have the opportunity to share and celebrate their writing with others.

• Purpose and audience vary from writing task to writing task; students should not be writing “for their teacher” or “for the grade.”

• Purpose of a text can be singular or multifaceted.

• Purpose ranges from entertainment, information, and persuasion.

• Because purpose differs, format and language will be different depending on which purpose is chosen.

• The audience of a written text refers to the people or platform for/on which the writing will be.

• The audience determines the formality of language used as well as the length and content.

• Audience and purpose drive the focus and organization of a composition. The example below involves two pieces on the same topic texting and driving for different audiences and purposes.

• Written for legislature

• Purpose: to persuade legislators to take action

• Audience: legislators, so a formal and organized tone, as well as specific and concrete evidence, will be needed

• Written for teenage drivers

• Purpose: to inform of the pain and suffering of victims of distracted driving accidents

• Audience: peers, so informal tone and perhaps even a shorter length with more appeals to emotion may be necessary

• All writing tasks should be coherent through the use of logical organization (cause/effect, problem solutions, description, compare/contrast, etc.).

• Varying sentence structure is an effective way to improve clarity and coherence. Not only will it be more interesting to read, students will be able to express their ideas in different ways. Short sentences will help drive a point home while longer sentences will give more information.

• Publishing can be done simply and informally through sharing and posting work within the classroom, to elaborately and globally online or to other schools. Publishing is important because it showcases a student’s writing not only to the teacher but to the intended audience as well.

• Characteristics of an organized essay should include a thesis statement, topic sentences, and transitions between ideas and paragraphs.

• A thesis statement is not the same as topic sentences. A thesis statement is a driving statement, usually at the beginning of an essay, that gives a goal for topics and evidence to be elaborated upon within a text.

• OWL Purdue breaks down the differences between analytical, expository, and argumentative thesis statements.

• A focused essay has a clear thesis (stated or implied) and remains on topic throughout the entire piece.

• Coherence involves organizing writing in a logical order that is easy for readers to understand.

• Graphic organizers provide students with guidance and support as they plan longer writing pieces with greater expectations on clarity.

Due to recursive nature of the standards, it is essential that teachers are aware of how all objectives within and between strands work together for optimal instruction.