Second Grade Writing - Illinois Literacy in Action

Second Grade Writing

Guidance for Scope and Sequence Development

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Writing in Second Grade

The 3 Types of Writing

Second graders should build on the three kinds of writing they have been improving on since kindergarten: opinion, informative, and narrative writing. Opinion and informative writing could begin with students reading one or more books and responding to what they've learned. In an opinion piece, students should introduce the topic clearly, state an opinion about that topic, give a few reasons to support the opinion using linking words (e.g. because, and, also) to connect evidence to the opinion, and then write a full sentence or a few sentences to conclude their opinion. In informative writing, students should introduce their topic clearly, use facts and other information -- such as definitions -- to write a few clear, well thought-out points about the topic, and then write one or more sentences in conclusion. Writing a narrative is essentially telling a story, and a story may be inspired by books, experiences, or pure imagination. A second grader's story should describe an event -- or a series of events -- using details to describe the characters' actions, thoughts, and feelings. In addition to careful use of descriptive verbs, adjectives, and adverbs, second graders should use sentence order, verb tense, and temporal words (e.g. after, following, later) to clearly put the events in order. At the end of a second grader's narrative writing, there should be some sense of the story coming to a close. (Hint: not just by tacking on "The End.")

The Writing Process

Strong writing means not rushing into writing -- and not stopping after the first draft. Second graders will be spending more time on a single piece of writing -- prewriting, creating a first draft, revising, and editing. Writing begins with learning. Collectively called prewriting, this first step involves reading and processing new information and ideas, taking notes, organizing thoughts, discussing what they've learned, and, often, rereading and looking for additional sources. Once a first draft is complete, questions about the work is asked to elicit details or facts that could be added or clarified and prompt the student to find more information, and to make sure the word choices convey what is meant, make sure there's an introduction and a conclusion, and help organize the order of events in the story. Using all these questions and suggestions as guidance, students will then work to revise -- adding, reordering, and refining the draft. After one or more revisions, students will be ready for the final edit -- focusing on spelling and grammar, capitalizing proper nouns, making sure nouns and verbs are in agreement, and checking that periods and question marks are used correctly. These steps -- prewriting, doing a first draft, revising one or more drafts, and editing the final piece -- help second graders learn that gathering and recalling information, organizing their thoughts, strengthening and clarifying their ideas, and improving grammar and presentation are all essential to the writing process. Working with peers is a skill emphasized in the writing standards, so working with a group on a writing task is encouraged. Students should give other students feedback to improve their writing drafts by adding details or facts and making sure information is presented in the correct order. The standards also call for students to work together and with the teacher to "use a variety of digital tools to produce and publish writing." In some cases this may mean typing and printing a report -- but it could have students work be published as part of a class blog or other digital tool.

Research

Students will learn to research with the careful guidance and support of their teacher and peers. Together, second graders will learn to gather information and draw on what has been completed in class to answer questions and deepen their understanding of a topic. In writing, this means that students will learn to pull information from provided books, websites, class presentations, and other sources to form their opinions, arguments, and narratives.

Adapted from

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Second Grade Writing Guidance for Scope and Sequence Development

Second grade classrooms can meet the writing standards by implementing the three types of writing listed 1-3 below. In addition to those 3 types, students should be practicing writing to learn activities in the classroom based on what they have listened to or learned. These tasks "show listening and reading comprehension". Writing to what you listen to (or read) in future grades is the type of writing students will be doing on the PARCC Assessment in third grade. The last three types of writing are reflective of the types of writing that students perform to help comprehend what they listen to or read. They are also the types of writing students will perform on the PARCC Assessment in third grade. As many opportunities as second grade teachers can give students to experience all of the following writing tasks, the more proficient students will become as writers.

Writing Task

Description

#1 Opinion Writing Students will write opinions on topics or texts.

(Standard #1)

#2

Informative Students will write informative/explanatory texts to

Explanatory examine a topic.

Writing

(Standard #2)

#3 Narrative Writing Students will write narratives to develop real or

(Standard #3) imagined experiences.

#4 Writing to Learn Students will read one or more literature selections and Literacy Task write to a prompt.

#5 Writing to Learn Students will read one or more informational text(s) and Research Task write to a prompt.

#6 Writing to Learn Students will read a portion of a narrative text and write

Narrative Task to a prompt to retell or finish the story.

Plan a scope and sequence to include all writing necessary in the

second grade school year. For example:

Quarter 1

Quarter 2

Quarter 3

Quarter 4

Place the number of the above tasks that will be performed by students in each quarter.

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Suggested Writing Strategies for Second Grade Students

Strategy Shared Writing

Description

Shared writing lessons allow teachers to both model and actively engage students in the writing processes that are needed in order to improve their writing. Shared writing lessons allow for modeling and actively engaging students in the writing processes that are needed in order to improve their writing.

Resource Link

professionaldevelopment/strategyguides/shared-writing30686.html

Guided Writing

Guided writing is taught to small groups in briskly paced lessons. These groupings should be flexible, based on observation of students' current needs, and might be implemented following a whole-class writing lesson. Guided writing lessons are temporary, smallgroup lessons teaching those strategies that a group of students most need to practice with immediate guidance from the teacher. Guided writing lessons can be taught after a whole-class lesson once other students are actively engaged in independent writing.

professionaldevelopment/strategyguides/guided-writing30685.html

Implementing the above strategies in the second grade classroom provides writing support for students. Read-alouds and discussion based on text

dependent questions is not only meeting the standards, but preparing students for PARCC assessments in 3rd grade.

3rd Grade Writing Tasks on PARCC

1. Literacy Analysis Task: Students will read 2 literary segments from books, answer questions about each text and then write to a question prompt (all questions and prompt tie back to the reading standards)

2. Research Simulation Task: Students will read 2 informational text pieces, answer questions about each text and then write to a question prompt (all questions and prompt tie back to the reading standards)

3. Narrative Task: Students will read 1 narrative piece, answer questions about it and then write to the question prompt (all questions and prompt tie back to the reading standards)

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Steps for Designing Classroom Writing to Learn Tasks

1. Determine anchor text for students to read that introduces the topic. Use the content you are currently teaching.

2. Find coordinating texts/multimedia to accompany the anchor text. For example

Literary Analysis Task (LAT) Anchor Text

Coordinating Text

#4 Type of Writing

Chapter Book Literary Analysis Task (LAT) Anchor Text

#4 Type of Writing

Poem

OR

Coordinating Text

Story

Story

Research Simutation Task (RST)

#5 Type of Writing

Anchor Text

Coordinating Text

Coordinating Text

Book

Research Simutation Task (RST)

#5 Type of Writing

Anchor Text Book

Book

OR

Coordinating Text

Book

Special Speaker Coordinating Text

Video

Narrative Task (NT)

Anchor Text

#5 Type of Writing

Novel Segment

3. Develop questions for each text using the reading standards. Question Guidance:

4. Create a culminating writing prompt. The reading standards should be used to develop the prompt.

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