Illinois

Teach grammar, sentence structure, and organization within the context of writing and communication.

Starting in kindergarten, students learn to produce and expand sentences, with explicit instruction on the components and various types of complete sentences. Grammar resources are provided for specific sentence and paragraph-level writing skills such as capitalization, punctuation, sentence construction, parts of speech, figurative language, and more.

Provide varied writing opportunities; focus on planning, editing, revising.

Every Simplify Writing® unit covers the writing process from brainstorming to publishing, with structured mini-lessons that guide students through each step. At the end of each unit, students will have produced a published piece for a specific writing genre.

Write with multiple sources, evidence; support translanguaging for biliterate students.

Throughout the Simplify Writing® units, students will learn research skills, incorporating evidence from outside texts to support their thinking in writing. Reference texts or paired passages related to content areas are provided in many units as a source for building background knowledge, as well as citing evidence through quotes or paraphrasing. These skills are modeled explicitly using a mentor text, with opportunities for the student to apply the skill in their own writing. Supplemental units for teaching the research process are provided, including lessons on quoting and paraphrasing text, finding credible sources, and writing bibliographies.

An ELL modification library is included to support teachers in modifying content for language learners and biliterate students, allowing them to use their first language as a vehicle for accessing academic English.

Conduct peer review and feedback sessions.

Feedback is a cornerstone of the Simplify Writing® program, with multiple opportunities for teachers to provide feedback to students using quick check-ins, peer and group feedback, and one-on-one conferencing. Video training is available to support teachers in effective conferencing, including lessons to train students in providing quality feedback to their peers. 

Assign cross-curricular writing assignments.

Integrate writing across the curriculum to reinforce learning in other subject areas.

The Simplify Writing® curriculum incorporates writing across the content areas, with units at each grade level that focus on science, social studies, and literature-related topics. Students will respond to both literary and informational text, with reference texts or paired passages related to content areas provided in many units as a source for building background knowledge.

Instruct explicitly in handwriting, including cursive.

Explicit lessons on writing posture, pencil grip, paper positioning, and letter formation are included in the Simplify Writing® curriculum starting in kindergarten. Additional letter formation and handwriting practice resources are provided for additional support and practice, including both print and cursive instruction. Students progress from writing on blank paper, to using scaffolded dotted lines, and finally regular lined paper.

Offer opportunities for various writing forms, such as narrative, expository, persuasive, and descriptive.

Every writing genre is covered throughout the Simplify Writing® program, with multiple units on narrative, informational, explanatory, and opinion/argumentative writing. Organizers are provided for students to outline their ideas using various text structures, such as sequencing events or comparing and contrasting.