Principal,
Do you need to improve your writing program, but lack the tools to make it happen?
Are your teachers in need of user-friendly resources that will help them make writing a core component of their instruction?
Do your students (and teachers) struggle with and, as a result, resent writing, so it gets relegated to the back burner?
If you answered “YES” to one or more of these questions, then the Write It Right Writing Curriculum could be the solution you’ve been searching for.
Seven years ago, I began coaching in schools following more than fifteen years of teaching and school leadership. There were many need areas in these new schools that I was servicing, but perhaps none was greater than writing.
Principals appreciated the value of writing but had no way to make it happen in their buildings.
Teachers felt ill-equipped and disempowered.
Students received limited instruction and struggled to write when given the opportunity.
The situation seemed hopeless.
Enter Write It Right.
Write It Right is a progressive, skills-based program that has been used in schools with great success.
This writing program is filled with approachable, engaging, stand-alone (not tied to other curricula) exercises for elementary grade students in all four core writing styles: descriptive, expository, narrative, and persuasive.
The material progresses systematically and provides guidance, scaffolding and support to ensure that students are empowered to write clearly and effectively.
Write It Right begins in Grade 1 with copying and basic sentence creation. It quickly progresses to single paragraph writing and beyond. Presently, there are 6 levels in the program.
Using graphic organizers and other supports, students will learn how to write 5-paragraph persuasive essays, poetry, formal letters to politicians, letters of recommendation, advertisements, thank you letters, and much more!
Click HERE to view a sample document with more information.
“Write It Right has been a complete game changer for our school. Before it, we offered limited writing instruction, using isolated worksheets that did not progressively develop student skills or generate much interest in the subject. With Write It Right, our students are writing more than ever, and we can see significant progress in their skill development each year.”
And please review the FAQs below to get more information about Write It Right and how it could help your school take its writing program to the next level.
You may be asking yourself, “This sounds too good to be true! How can I get this for my school?”
Since the curriculum is still in the pilot stage, the only way to get it is by reaching out to us directly.
Complete this form to initiate the process.
FAQs
What is the cost of the curriculum? There is a $7.50 USD per student fee for using the program (teacher copies are free.) Schools are given the necessary files and are responsible for producing their own booklets.
How long is each Write It Right booklet? Starting with Grade 2, there are a minimum of 55 pages per booklet. Grade 1 is half that length, to give students time to first become fluent with letters and letter formation.
How much instructional time per week do you recommend I devote to the program? About 30 minutes per week in a single lesson is recommended. Some lessons can be divided into smaller instructional chunks.
How does this curriculum tie into larger writing projects, such as reports? Write It Right is designed to be “in house,” meaning that all work occurs in the booklet. More extensive projects can piggyback off of the skills developed by using the program to further augment student writing and research skills.
What resources are available to teachers to support them in learning how best to use the program? A brief, “How to Use this Booklet” manual is made available to teachers. Schools can also invest in video tutorials and in-person training to deepen teacher knowledge, efficacy, and commitment.
What are some of the unique elements of Write It Right outside of conventional paragraph writing? Write It Right offers much in the way of scaffolding and variety. Graphic organizers are included (together with samples) to help students brainstorm and organize information. Actual lessons include poetry (freestyle, limericks and more,) letter writing, crafting advertisements and many other creative and relevant assignments that promote student learning and engagement.
Can older students begin with the program even if they did not get the foundational training? Yes. In fact, some high schools have elected to use the materials with students who did not develop basic writing skills in elementary school. Schools are able to select grade- and / or student-appropriate materials from previous levels to establish the foundation necessary to assign more advanced writing assignments.
Who can I speak with to learn about their experiences with using Write It Right? We have included testimonials above and are happy to supply references upon request.
“Write it Right is a great resource for yeshivos and chadarim. I found myself spending so much time trying to censor or recreate the mainstream workbooks, so that they would have Yiddishe names, only Jewish holidays, no inappropriate material, etc. Dr. Hoff has done the hard work for you, and created a systematic, easy approach to teaching writing skills in a way you will not need to chas v’shalom compromise our Yiddishe values. ”
“My students loved using Write It Right and looked forward to the days we used it. They were able to follow the clear and comprehensive steps from each section of the book. I was impressed with how the book provided multiple pages for each skill, but done differently so that the students weren’t just doing the same exact thing over and over.”