WRITING CURRICULUM

While this curriculum indicates the areas of emphasis for writing at each grade level, students should be involved in writing experiences in all of the strands.  It is the intent of this curriculum format to focus on the strands that are emphasized during each year.

Writing

Writing is a difficult and complex skill.  It is the skill most widely required by students as a demonstration of their learning.  At the same time, it is one of the most difficult to master because it requires thinking about and doing many different tasks at once.  It is the process of selecting, developing, and arranging ideas effectively.  Writing requires students to use a variety of forms, for a variety of purposes, and for a variety of audiences.  Each form, purpose, and audience demands different styles, approaches, and word choices.

Students in Augusta schools will develop skills in the following writing strands:

Narrative – Narrative writing tells a story using a plot, characters, and setting.  The purpose is to move the reader from an initial problem to a solution.

Descriptive – Descriptive writing creates a vivid image of a person, place, or object by drawing on a variety of senses.  The purpose is to enable the reader to share the writer’s sensory experience of the subject.

Expository – Expository writing explains a concept or procedure. Its purpose is to convey information to the reader in such a way as to effect understanding.

Persuasive – Persuasive writing states an opinion and supports it convincingly.  The purpose is coax the audience into believing or acting a certain way.

WRITING CURRICULUM