Writing Beyond the R.A.C.E.

You are halfway through the school year.  Students seem taller and perhaps a bit more mature than when they left only two short weeks ago. Upper grades are likely to focus on testing strategies.  in my state, and maybe everywhere,  that often includes the RACE strategy for writing.  If you aren’t familiar, Restate the question Answer the question, Cite evidence from the text, and Explain how the evidence from the text answers the question.  It isn’t the writing you always dreamed of teaching, but students must learn how to construct text-dependent answers. For the test. .

Good writing instruction becomes good student writing in any form.  Are certain formulas important? I believe so, especially in a testing grade.  Teaching students how to answer those text-dependent questions using a strategy your team and your principal encourage.  Students will feel more capable when faced with tough questions about their reading. 

But outside of the framework of answering questions, all kinds of possibilities await!  You can teach students to use precise language as Cynthia Rylant did in Missing May.  You can teach students different ways to begin a sentence as Codell did.  You can teach students to use strong verbs rather than ‘got’ and 'did’ ,  you can teach students to begin each sentence differently.  (Because OFTEN I’ve seen sentences begin with then…then… or so… so…You can teach students to use specific nouns-I always tell students I can’t imagine stuff or things in a closet or backpack -describe and let me see what’s in there!  Teach them to write compound and complex sentences. 

Online phonics diagnostic @whamphonics.com
Additional elementary resources @ https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Whamphonics