Beginning in grade one, extended
instruction using the writing process occurs in heterogeneous
homerooms. Students work together with classmates to
generate ideas in response to writing prompts, and then
they record those ideas in an organized way through
writing stories, essays, poems, letters, and other formats
for a variety of purposes to different audiences.
Developed for grades one and two, Writing from the Heart
is a two-part writing program that uses a simplified
version of the writing process to introduce young students
to the world of writing. The idea behind the program
is to tap students’ innate energy and enthusiasm
for communication and direct it toward writing. Before
students can master spelling and mechanics, they need
to see writing as a personal expression of their thoughts
and observations, not just as a school task. They need
to develop pleasure and fluency in putting their thoughts
on paper.
Writing from the Heart teaches students that they are
authors and have something important to say, that writing
is a process, and that writing is fun. It sets the stage
for further exploration of the craft of writing with
the more formal instruction provided in Writing Wings.
Used in grades three through six, Writing Wings builds
upon the skills taught in Writing from the Heart. Using
a more formal writing-process model, Writing  Wings
incorporates the planning, drafting, revising, responding,
editing, and publishing steps of the writing process.
The program consists of two major instructional components—writing-process
concept lessons and language arts instruction.
Direct instruction in language mechanics and composition
is provided by the teacher during language arts instruction.
Students then work in their teams to master the skills
that they are taught, and successful teams are recognized.
Once a new skill is mastered, it is added to an editing
checklist so students can incorporate the new skill
into their writing. Students work through the editing
checklist with their partners to check spelling, mechanics,
and grammar. Once editing is complete, a final draft
is created, shared, published, and celebrated.
 Writing
from the Heart and Writing Wings include detailed teacher’s
guides that provide writing prompts, graphic organizers,
and modeling activities. Writing Wings also includes
a language mechanics lesson manual.
Use the following link(s) to browse sample lessons from
Writing Wings.
Writing
Wings - sample lesson (expository) from Grade 3
Writing
Wings - sample lesson (narrative) from Grade 3
Writing
Wings - sample lesson (expository) from Grade 4
Writing
Wings - sample lesson (narrative) from Grade 4
Writing
Wings - sample lesson (expository) from Grade 5
Writing
Wings - sample lesson (narrative) from Grade 5
The training and support for Writing from the Heart
and Writing Wings include:
- Initial training to prepare teachers
to implement the program
- On-site visits and consultations
- Unlimited informal telephone support
Do you want to learn more about our Writing curriculum?
Please call and talk to one of our staff members at
1-800-548-4998, ext.2372, or fill out the information
request form online.
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