English Language Arts and Reading.4.11.A

The student is expected to

plan a first draft by selecting a genre for a particular topic, purpose, and audience using a range of strategies such as brainstorming, freewriting, and mapping;

writing process TEKS talk image

Knowledge and Skills Statement

Composition: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking using multiple texts--writing process. The student uses the writing process recursively to compose multiple texts that are legible and uses appropriate conventions.

The following is one example of how to assess proficiency of this student expectation (SE) or a portion of the SE. More examples coming soon.
 

A teacher may wish to pair SE 4.12.D and SE 4.11.A and teach them together. With SE 4.12.D, students compose correspondence that requests information. Task students with writing a letter to an inventor about an invention they are interested in learning about. As students begin the writing activity, instruct them to select a topic and purpose for their inquiry. They should use brainstorming, freewriting, or mapping to organize their thoughts.

Student drafts should include the following:

  • A central idea
  • Clear organization
  • Development of ideas
  • Use of grade-appropriate language and conventions such as purposeful word choice
  • Sentences that are varied and well controlled

 

Further Explanation

This SE requires students to demonstrate their knowledge of the writing process as they plan their work. Students will determine the topic, the reason to discuss that topic, and the audience for whom their message is intended. Once students have made these determinations, they must organize their thoughts using any number of strategies such as brainstorming, freewriting, and mapping to organize their thoughts.

the intended target group for a message, regardless of the medium
the author’s primary goal in a piece of writing, such as to narrate, to argue, to review, to explain, or to examine.
a technique in which many ideas are generated quickly and without judgment or evaluation, usually as part of a problem-solving process or to inspire creative thinking Brainstorming may happen in a classroom, with a small group, or individually.
a prewriting technique in which a person writes continuously for a set period of time without regard to spelling, grammar, or topic Freewriting is similar to brainstorming but written in sentence and paragraph form and produces raw, often unusable material that has the potential to increase the flow of ideas for writers.
the type or class of a work, usually categorized by form, technique, or content Literary genres include tragedy, comedy, poetry, novel, short story, creative/literary nonfiction, etc. and the sub genres of fantasy, science fiction, mystery, horror, satire, etc. Nonfiction genres include biography, essay, memoir, historical text, scientific text, academic reporting, etc.
a structured way to organize thoughts and notes on a topic prior to writing; an organized format for showing important information and relationships among pieces of information by using a series of boxes, circles, or lines (Note: Mapping is different from the unstructured strategy of brainstorming wherein students produce notes in a more random, unrelated manner.)
Designing the rough draft of a piece of writing, often referred to as prewriting, is the first step in the writing process. In this step, students choose their subject (topic), identify the target audience and intended purpose, and begin to organize their thoughts using a variety of strategies such as brainstorming.
the author’s primary goal in a piece of writing, such as to narrate, to argue, to review, to explain, or to examine
Students are expected to know the characteristics of various literary genres and the craft elements common to the construction of texts in those genres. For example, students should know that sound devices are a common characteristic of poetry. Students are expected to synthesize these characteristic structures and techniques for use in their own compositions to achieve specific intended purposes.

Research

1. Miller, M., Berg, H., & Cox, D. (2016). "Basically, you have to teach them to love what they are writing about": Perceptions of fourth grade writing teachers. National Teacher Education Journal, 9(1). Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Donna_Cox3/publication/309600692_Basically_You_Have_to_Teach_Them_to_Love_What_They_Are_Writing_About_Perceptions_of_Fourth_Grade_Writing_Teachers/links/5819311808ae50812f5de66a.pdf

Summary: This paper is based upon focus groups held with fourth grade Texas teachers from classrooms identified as exemplary by the Texas Education Agency. The purpose was to determine the methods of writing instruction that teachers felt were successful with their students, and process writing strategies were identified as central. These strategies were developed in the classroom through the teacher serving as the guide in the writing process, students as authors, and mini-lessons.

2. Cruickshank, B. (2011). Supporting children during the prewriting stage: Developing an author's understanding of purpose and audience using interviews. Practically Primary, 16(3), 25+. Retrieved from https://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A269690189/PROF?u=tea&sid=PROF&xid=96dbbf1b

Summary: Students were challenged to create their own children's literature. As part of the writing process, the students conducted an audience interview for their written stories. That audience was composed of peers. The process enabled students to develop a real sense of what their audience wanted. Students saw that their books had a real purpose and better understood the importance of audience.

3. Grünke, M. (2018). The effects of a peer-delivered writing planning intervention for struggling fifth graders. World Journal of Education, 8(6), 157–164. doi:10.5430/wje.v8n6p157.

Summary: The article is focused on mapping strategies to help students plan their writing. Peer tutors were used to help students brainstorm and organize their thoughts before writing.