Shift 5: Writing from Sources
This was something new for me. Especially in first grade. Students are required to write for three different purposes: sharing their opinions; sharing information or an explanation; or writing a story.
Students should have support from adults to focus on a topic and edit their work. They should also use digital tools to publish their writing independently, or with peers. Another addition to the first grade standards that was news to me, was that even as first graders, they should participate in shared research and writing projects. In addition, they need guidance and support from adults to recall information from experiences and gather information from provided sources to answer a question.
Especially with first graders, this is a tough task. Since the common core standards are written with the idea of mastery in mind, we have all year to do mini-activities on this shift before the students should actually have it mastered.
What are resources that you’ve used to help you meet the expectations of this shift? What does this look like in your classroom?
