Learn how to support your students as they learn this new way of thinking and writing so that they can feel successful and you can be confident that their skills are increasing.
It is completely normal and expected that you will need to provide extra support for your students as you first implement this program and yearly with your 3rd graders as they are exposed to this program for the first time.
If your students have been taught through other curriculums and assessments that there is one right answer, they may be hesitant to express their opinion for fear they may be "wrong". Our program encourages students to think critically and use text evidence to support their answers. It will take time and support for students who are not used to this way of discussion and writing to feel confident.
To help students adjust to this way of thinking and learning, it is important for teachers to spend time in the beginning modeling the expectations for students. Spend some time in the first unit or two writing as a whole class. By the end of the second unit and into the third unit the teacher should be able to step back a little and have students work with a partner or independently, with minimal teacher support.
Once students begin to take ownership in their own writing the teacher can use the assessments in the Assessment and Intervention Guide to assess their progress and identify areas where they continue to need support.
Read more about assessing student work:
- Raising the Standards through Chapter Books, 2nd Edition (pp. 73-75, p. 103, pp. 111-116 & 128-132)
- Assessment and Intervention Guide (pp. 73-113)