Writing

리딩타운의 롸이팅 프로그램의 목적은 학생들에게 최대한 글을 잘 쓸 수 있도록 만들어주는 기회를 제공하는 것이며, 계속되는 교육 과정에서 성공적으로 학업을 성취할 수 있는 견고한 토대를 세우는 것입니다.

ReadingTown Approach
  • 리딩타운에서는 기존의 Writing Master 프로그램을 Common Core 기준에 맞추어 개정했습니다. 개정된 프로그램은 에세이 쓰기의 기본적 과정을 빨리 습득한 후 실제 에세이 쓰기를 효과적으로 적용할 수 있도록 개선되었습니다.
  • 리딩타운에서는 Common Core에 맞추어 논설문과 설명문의 비율을 높혔습니다. 4학년까지는 논설문:설명문:서술문의 비율이 30:35:35이고, 8학년까지는 35:35:30, 그리고 12학년까지는 40:40:20의 비율로 구성되어 있습니다.
  • 리딩타운에서는 웹기반으로 첨삭지도를 도와주는 프로그램인 W2 프로그램을 업그레이드하였습니다. 선생님들은 학생들이 쓴 에세이를 실시간으로 첨삭지도해 줄 수 있고 학부모님들은 학생들의 학습진행상황을 실시간으로 모니터할 수 있습니다.
  • 리딩타운에서는 기존의 Grammar 프로그램을 Writing 프로그램으로 가져오면서 문법 실력이 에세이 쓰기에 효과적으로 반영될 수 있도록 개정했습니다.
  • 리딩타운에서는 북리포트 양식에 변화를 줌으로 Reading과 Writing이 둘 다 효과적으로 향상될 수 있도록 개정했습니다.
  • 리딩타운에서는 Common Core 기준에 맞추어 아래와 같은 새로운 커리큘럼을 추가했습니다.
    • (1)Research Writing: 저학년부터 다양한 주제에 대해 스스로 자료를 모아서 글로 정리하는 수업
    • (2)Essay Writing: 다양한 주제를 서술문, 설명문, 논설문의 형식에 맞추어 작문하는 훈련을 위한 수업
Introduction
To build a foundation for college and career readiness, students need to learn to use writing as a way of offering and supporting opinions, demonstrating understanding of the subjects they are studying, and conveying real and imagined experiences and events. They learn to appreciate that a key purpose of writing is to communicate clearly to an external, sometimes unfamiliar audience, and they begin to adapt the form and content of their writing to accomplish a particular task and purpose. They develop the capacity to build knowledge on a subject through research projects and to respond analytically to literary and informational sources. To meet these goals, students must devote significant time and effort to writing, producing numerous pieces over short and extended time frames throughout the year.

Besides, to build a foundation for college and career readiness in language, students must gain control over many conventions of standard English grammar, usage, and mechanics as well as learn other ways to use language to convey meaning effectively.
Standards
The ability to write logical arguments based on substantive claims, sound reasoning, and relevant evidence is a cornerstone of the writing standards, with opinion writing?a basic form of argument?extending down into the earliest grades.

Research?both short, focused projects (such as those commonly required in the workplace) and longer term in-depth research?is emphasized throughout the standards but most prominently in the writing strand since a written analysis and presentation of findings is so often critical.

The standards help prepare students for real life experience at college and in 21st century careers. The standards recognize that students must be able to use formal English in their writing and speaking but that they must also be able to make informed, skillful choices among the many ways to express themselves through language. The Language standards include the essential “rules” of standard written and spoken English, but they also approach language as a matter of craft and informed choice among alternatives.

The standards acknowledge the fact that whereas some writing skills, such as the ability to plan, revise, edit, and publish, are applicable to many types of writing, other skills are more properly defined in terms of specific writing types: arguments, informative/explanatory texts, and narratives. Standard 9 stresses the importance of the writing-reading connection by requiring students to draw upon and write about evidence from literary and informational texts. Because of the centrality of writing to most forms of inquiry, research standards are prominently included in this strand, though skills important to research are infused throughout the document.
Text Types and Purposes
  • Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.
  • Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.
  • Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences.
Production and Distribution of Writing
  • Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
  • Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach.
  • Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and to interact and collaborate with others.
Research to Build and Present Knowledge
  • Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects based on focused questions, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.
  • Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, assess the credibility and accuracy of each source, and integrate the information while avoiding plagiarism.
  • Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
Range of Writing
  • Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences.
Conventions of Standard English
  • Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
  • Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
Knowledge of Language
  • Apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in different contexts, to make effective choices for meaning or style, and to comprehend more fully when reading or listening.