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    		•
     
    WRITING SKILLS IN THE REEP CURRICULUM

    The REEP Adult ESL Curriculum provides 9 instructional levels (Levels 100-550). These instructional units overlap with regard to writing skill level. The nine instructional levels represent 6 writing levels as depicted below.
     
    REEP
    Instructional Level
    REEP
    Writing Language Level

    REEP
    Writing     Rubric Score

    100
    1
    0
    150
    2
    1
    200
    250
    3
    2
    300
    350
    4
    3
    400
    450
    5
    4
    550
    6
    5
    Exit
    Exit
    6

    WRITING OBJECTIVES

    The development of writing skills is integral to the successful implementation of the REEP Curriculum and to learners successfully moving through the REEP Instructional Levels.

    Lifeskills writing objectives have been incorporated into appropriate Lifeskills Units. For example, "complete a medical history form" is an objective in the health units. However, developmental writing objectives are not tied to a particular lifeskill unit since learners negotiate the topics they will study for a particular cycle. Theachers should work on the development objectives over the span of the instructional cycle.

    The Writing Development Units for each level provide guidance for incorporating writing instruction and assessment. Each Writing Development Unit provides:

    • The objective for the level
    • Evaluation criteria
    • Skills needed to achieve the level objective
    • Suggested resources
    Click on the Writing Development Unit for the level you teach:


     
    WRITING DEVELOPMENT - 100
    Level Objective: To generate simple sentences given the following variables:
    • given a model
    • based on personal experience
    • level appropriate
    The goal level 150/200. Go to REEP Writing Descriptions.
    EVALUATION CRITERIA: Writer can:
    • convey ideas to readers,
    • use correct word order for simple sentence, and
    • use capitalization for sentences and proper nouns.
    Evaluation criteria indicate how to evaluate the level objective. These criteria should be used to evaluate writing throughout the cycle and to determine achievement of the level objective at the end of the cycle.
    WRITING SKILLS DEVELOPMENT
    Skills students need to achieve the level objective. These skills should be practiced throughout the cycle.
    RESOURCES
    Resources suggested for this level. Also, see the Resource page for individual units for suggested integration with topics.
    • Brainstorm using visuals or personal experience.
    • Participate in generating language experience stories by brainstorming, copying sentences, and sequencing sentences.
    • Use capitalization in initial word in sentence, names, and addresses

    Texts
    Basic Oxford Picture Dictionary
    Collaborations Literacy
    Drawing Out
    First Words
    Here to Stay in the USA
    Look Again Pictures
    Oxford Picture Dictionary
    Personal Stories 1
    Picture Stories
    Starting to Read
    Voices of Freedom 1

    Activities
    Field trips and follow-up writing
    Language Experience Stories
    Mind mapping
    Timelines

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    WRITING DEVELOPMENT - 150
    Level Objective: To generate simple sentences given the following variables:
    • given a level appropriate model
    • based on personal experiences
    The goal  is to reach level 250. Go to REEP Writing Descriptions.
    EVALUATION CRITERIA: Writer can:
    • convey ideas to readers,
    • use correct word order for simple sentences, and
    • capitalize sentences and proper nouns.
    Evaluation criteria indicate how to evaluate the level objective. These criteria should be used to evaluate writing throughout the cycle and to determine achievement of the level objective at the end of the cycle.
    WRITING SKILLS DEVELOPMENT
    Skills students need to achieve the level objective. These skills should be practiced throughout the cycle.
    RESOURCES
    Resources suggested for this level. Also, see the Resource page for individual units for suggested integration with topics.
    • Brainstorm using visuals or experiences.
    • Order sentences chronologically.
    • Use basic paragraph format.
    • Use and edit for basic capitalization.
    • Use and edit for basic end punctuation,
    • apostrophes in contractions, commas in
    • addresses and dates.
    • Edit for basic grammar: suffixes (-s, -ing), subject pronouns, possessive adjectives.
    		 Texts
    Beginning Stories from the Heart
    Collaborations Beginning 1
    Drawing Out
    ESL Teacher's Holiday Kit
    Look Again Pictures
    Personal Stories 2
    Picture Stories
    Survival English 2
    Voices of Freedom 1

    Activities
    Field trips and follow-up writing
    Language experience stories
    Mind mapping
    Timelines


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    WRITING DEVELOPMENT - 200
    LEVEL OBJECTIVE: To write a series of simple sentences given the following variables:
    • given a level appropriate model, and
    • based on familiar or personal experiences. 
    The goal is to reach level 250/300. Go to REEP Writing Descriptions.
    EVALUATION CRITERIA: Writer can:
    • convey ideas to readers,
    • organize writing chronologically, and
    • use correct punctuation and capitalization.
    Evaluation criteria indicate how to evaluate the level objective. These criteria should be used to evaluate writing throughout the cycle and to determine achievement of the level objective at the end of the cycle.
    WRITING SKILLS DEVELOPMENT
    Skills students need to achieve the level objective. These skills should be practiced throughout the cycle.
    RESOURCES
  • Resources suggested for this level. Also see the Resource page for individual units for suggested integration with topics.
    		•
    • Brainstorm using visuals or experiences.
    • Order sentences chronologically.
    • Use basic paragraph format.
    • Use and edit for basic capitalization: beginning of sentence, names, months, days, streets, cities, countries.
    • Use and edit for punctuation: periods, question marks, apostrophes in contractions, commas in addresses, dates.
    • Edit for basic grammar: subject pronouns, possessive adjectives, verb suffixes (-s, -ing)
    		 Texts
    Collaborations Beginning 1 and 2
    Drawing Out

    Easy True Stories
    More Picture Stories
    Purple Cows and Potato Chips
    Personal Stories 2
    Personal Stories 3
    Picture Stories
    Write From the Start

    Activities
    Field trips and follow-up writing
    Language Experience Stories
    Mind mapping
    Timelines


     
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    WRITING DEVELOPMENT- 250
    LEVEL OBJECTIVE: To write a simple paragraph given the following variables:
    • given a level appropriate model, and
    • using familiar, relevant topics.
    The goal is to reach level 350. Go to REEP Writing Descriptions
    EVALUATION CRITERIA: The writer can:
    • use paragraph format,
    • convey ideas to readers,
    • organize logically,
    • use correct word order for simple sentences, and
    • use end punctuation and capitalization.
    Evaluation criteria indicate how to evaluate the level objective. These criteria should be used to evaluate writing throughout the cycle and to determine achievement of the level objective at the end of the cycle.
    WRITING SKILLS DEVELOPMENT
    Skills students need to achieve the level objective. These skills should be practiced throughout the cycle.    		 RESOURCES
    Resources suggested for this level. Also see the Resource Page for individual units for suggested integration with topics.
    • Brainstorm using visuals or familiar topics.
    • Separate information into lists or categories.
    • Order sentences using time sequence markers for cohesion.
    • Use and edit for basic end punctuation, commas, and capitalization.
    • Edit for basic grammar: conjunction 'and' subject pronouns, possessive adjectives, word order (subject/verb/object), verb suffixes (-s, -ing, -ed).

    Texts
    Beginning Stories from the Heart
    Collaborations Beginning 1 and 2
    Drawing Out
    Easy True Stories
    Grammar in Action 1
    Look Again Pictures
    More Picture Stories
    Personal Stories 3
    Picture Stories
    Stories from the Heart
    Stories to Tell Our Children
    True Stories in the News
    Write Stuff: Lifeskills Writing
    Write from the Start
    Writing Warm-ups

     Activities
    Mind mapping
    Timelines


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    WRITING DEVELOPMENT - 300 
    At level 300, the writing unit is a required unit. 
    Needs Assessment: The goals of Needs Assessment are to: 1) Determine the kinds of writing to practice (e.g. letters, narrative, reports, summaries). 
    2) Determine which areas of writing they want to self-assess (e.g. how correct was spelling? how clear was meaning?).
    3) Identify strategies for practicing and improving their writing.    Go to Learner Needs Assessment Home Page for more information and suggested activities.
    LEVEL OBJECTIVE: To write a short paragraph given the following variables:
    • given a level appropriate model, and
    • based on a familiar topic.
    The goal is to reach level 350/400. However, it may take a learner more than one cycle to achieve this goal. Go to REEP Writing Descriptions
    EVALUATION CRITERIA: Writer can:
    • communicate ideas to readers,
    • organize writing logically,
    • revise for clear meaning, main idea and details, 
    • use correct word order in simple sentences,
    • use and edit for end punctuation, capitalization and verb suffixes (-s, -ed, -ing).
    Evaluation criteria indicate how to evaluate the level objective. These criteria should be used to evaluate writing throughout the cycle and to determine achievement of the level objective at the end of the cycle. At level 300, writing skills are evaluated at mid-cycle and at the end of the cycle.
    WRITING SKILLS DEVELOPMENT
    Skills students need to achieve the level objective. These skills should be practiced throughout the cycle.
    RESOURCES
    Resources suggested for this level. Also see the Resource Page for individual units for suggested integration with topics.
    • Select ideas for a topic (See individual topic units and suggested topics below).
    • Use pre-writing techniques to gather and organize information for writing (e.g.. brainstorming, lists, mapping).
    • Organize sentences in logical order: chronological sequence, main idea and details.
    • Use and edit for basic end punctuation, capitalization, spelling and verb suffixes (e.g.. -s, -ed, -ing).
    • Use grammar: verb suffixes (-s, -ed, -ing,), subject and object pronouns, possessive adjectives, word order: subject+verb+object and consistency of tenses.
    		 Texts
    Basic Writing
    Drawing Out
    Learning to Learn English
    More Picture Stories
    Purple Cows and Potato Chips
    Put it in Writing
    Share Your Paragraph
    Springboards
    Stories to Tell Our Children
    Stories from the Heart
    Weaving It Together 1
    Write from the Start
    Writing It Down

    Suggested Topics
    A Family Tradition
    Leaving My Country
    My First Day in the USA
    What Surprised Me When I first Arrived
    Keepsake 

    Activities
    Mind mapping
    Pen pal dialogue journals
    Timelines


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    WRITING DEVELOPMENT - 350
    LEVEL OBJECTIVE: To write a paragraph given the following variables:
    • a familiar topic,
    • chronological and/or descriptive,
    • level appropriate.
    The goal is to reach level 450. Go to REEP Writing Descriptions.
    EVALUATION CRITERIA: Writer can:
    • communicate ideas to readers,
    • elaborate ideas,
    • use correct word order,
    • use correct punctuation and capitalization, and
    • use correct verb tenses (simple present, simple past).
    Evaluation criteria indicate how to evaluate the level objective. These criteria should be used to evaluate writing throughout the cycle and to determine achievement of the level objective at the end of the cycle.
    WRITING SKILLS DEVELOPMENT
    Skills students need to achieve the level objective. These skills should be practiced throughout the cycle.    		 RESOURCES
    Resources suggested for this level. Also see the Resource Page for individual units for suggested integration with topics.
    • Brainstorm on a variety of topics.
    • Select and organize ideas for a topic.
    • Write a topic sentence.
    • Organize topic in logical sequence.
    • Write supporting sentences.
    • Elaborate on ideas.
    • Use and edit for basic internal and end punctuation as well as capitalization.
    • Edit for grammar: affixes (-s, -ed, -er, -est, -ing, -ment), pronouns (subject and object), possessive adjectives and quantifiers, verb tenses (simple present, simple past), word order (subject+verb+object).

    Texts
    Basic Writing
    Composition Practice: Book 2
    Lifeskills Writing Exercise Book
    NorthStar Reading and Writing: Introductory
    Our Own Stories
    The Writing Challenge
    Weaving it Together 2 and 3
    Write from the Start

    Activities
    Mind mapping
    Pen pal dialogue journals

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    WRITING DEVELOPMENT - 450
    LEVEL OBJECTIVE: To write one or more paragraphs given the following variables:
    • familiar or unfamiliar topics,
    • narrative, descriptive and/or opinion,
    • with main idea and supporting details, and
    • level appropriate.
    The goal is to reach level 550. Go to REEP Writing Descriptions.
    EVALUATION CRITERIA: Writer can:
    • communicate ideas to readers,
    • elaborate ideas,
    • use compound and complex sentences,
    • include main idea and supporting details,
    • use correct punctuation and capitalization
    • correct verb tenses (simple present, simple past, present continuous, future)
    Evaluation criteria indicate how to evaluate the level objective. These criteria should be used to evaluate writing throughout the cycle and to determine achievement of the level objective at the end of the cycle.
    WRITING SKILLS DEVELOPMENT
    Skills students need to achieve the level objective. These skills should be practiced throughout the cycle.    		 RESOURCES
    Resources suggested for this level. Also see the Resource Page for individual units for suggested integration with topics.
    • Brainstorm ideas on a variety of topics: familiar and unfamiliar.
    • Narrow and expand topic.
    • Select and organize ideas for a topic.
    • Include main idea and supporting details.
    • Elaborate on ideas.
    • Use/edit internal and end punctuation as well as capitalization and spelling.
    • Edit for grammar: compound and complex sentence (using but and because)., affixes (-s, -ed, -er, -est, -ing, -ment), subject, object, and possessive pronouns, possessive adjectives and quantifiers, verb tenses (simple present, present continuous, simple past, future).

    Texts
    Basic Writing
    Collaborations Intermediate 2
    It's Up To You
    Lifeskills Writing
    Multicultural Workshop 2
    North Star Reading and Writing: Basic and Intermediate
    Ready to Write
    Rethinking America 2
    Skills for Success
    Start Writing
    The Writing Challenge
    Weaving It Together 3
    Write from the Start

    Activities
    Mind mapping

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    Arlington Education and Employment Program
    2801 Clarendon Blvd., Room 218, Arlington, VA 22201

    Contact REEP:reep@arlington.k12.va.us