The Write Way!:
Effective Core Writing
Instruction for Students in
Grades K-12
MTSS Implementer’s Forum
October 18-20
William Van Cleave
Lana Edwards Santoro, Ph.D.
Waynesboro School District
Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) for “WRITING”
Special appreciation is extended to each of the following committee members who made
significant contributions to the development of the MTSS WRITING training and technical
assistance materials, in an effort to support dedicated educators across the
Commonwealth in the advancement of systems, grade and student level writing
outcomes.
Karen Brady, Dr. Wendy Farone, Dr. Cindy Goldsworthy, Marianne Dudek, Deb Fulton,
Mary Beth Glover, Dr. Jennifer Lillenstein, Nichole Kopco, Dr. Joseph Kovaleski, Dr. Tim
Runge, Ana Sainz de la Pena, Dr. Lana Edwards Santoro, and William Van Cleave
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Agenda
October 18
October 19
October 20
• Framework for Meeting
the PA Core Writing
Standards and Scope and
Sequence
• The Relationship Between
Language and Writing
Break
• Microstructure/
Foundational Skills: Part I
• Microstructure/
Foundational Skills: Part 2
Lunch
• Macrostructure/
Writing Process: Part I
• Macrostructure/
Writing Process: Part 2
Break
• Pulling it All Together:
Examples from Practice
3
Outcomes
• Understand the importance of handwriting, keyboarding, spelling,
and sentence construction to the writing process
• Study the elements of sentences and how they interact to build
meaning
• Practice with effective strategies for instructing students in the
classroom in handwriting, keyboarding, spelling, and sentence
construction
• Identify the components of the writing process
• Use explicit instruction to teach all components of the writing process
• Apply the writing process to genre-specific writing instruction
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Levels of Instructional Support
Continuum of
Time, Intensity
and Data
Increases
Tier 3:
Interventions
for a Few
Students
Tier 2:
Percentage of
Students Requiring
5% Intensive Supports
Decreases
15%
Interventions for Some
Students
Tier 1:
Foundation
Standards Aligned Instruction for All Students
80%
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What Does the Research Say?
• K-3: Teaching Elementary School
Students to be Effective Writers (IES
Educators Practice Guide June 2012)
http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/PracticeGuide.aspx?sid=17
• 4-12: Writing Next - Effective
Strategies to Improve Writing of
Adolescents In Middle and High
Schools (Carnegie Corporation,
2007)
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Framework for Meeting the PA Core Writing Standards
Microstructure/Foundational skills
• Handwriting- accuracy and fluency
• Keyboarding (fluency– transition)
• Spelling- accuracy and fluency
• Vocabulary
• Sentences: structure
• Mechanics
Macrostructure/Processing skills
• Sentences: combining and
complexity
• Writing process: plan,
write/transcribe, edit, revise and
provide feedback (collaboration)
– Requires central executive function
– Higher level reasoning
– Synthesizing
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