Just as literacy is a part of every classroom at every grade level, writing is a powerful component of the curriculum. Writing is generative in nature and helps students uncover thoughts bubbling in their heads that haven’t reached the surface yet. Writing also allows students time and space to think critically, wrestle with explanations of their understanding, and helps to vocalize their learning in coherent ways. Writing, like reading, is not only important in a student’s school years, but is essential in their personal, professional, and civic lives.
Adoption of the Common Core Literacy Standards emphasizes the equal importance between reading and writing (10 Anchor Standards each) and also the need for all educators, no matter the discipline, to take an active role in teaching reading and writing. This call to action has school leaders exploring options to support their staff members in this endeavor and while there are curriculums, professional books, and learning opportunities in reading; there are much fewer choices for staff development in the teaching of writing.
Fortunately for educators everywhere, ThinkCERCA has developed a set of Writing Across the Curriculum Guides that are free to download and include support for administration and content area teachers. Focusing on argumentative writing using the CERCA framework, educators can develop a common language to help students succeed in Writing Across the Curriculum. Again, this is free to download and a great place to start. (For those districts looking for additional resources and supports, ThinkCERCA offers a paid platform which can reinforce the district’s writing focus and includes standards aligned- rubrics for feedback from teachers or peers.)
The ThinkCERCA Writing Across the Curriculum Guides comes in a set of 5 to support the following areas:
- Administrators
- Math Teachers
- Science Teachers
- Social Studies Teachers
- ELA Teachers
The Guide for Administrators clarifies the Why and helps provide beginning steps for the How. Citing research on the current reality of student writing across the nation, as well as the need for support to ensure students are college and career ready, these guides go a step further posing suggestions on how to best support their staff members during widespread adoption.
In the Math, Science, and Social Studies Guides; educators will find a short section on the What when writing across the curriculum specific to their discipline. The guides are interactive, providing videos and links to further resources for clarification and demonstration examples. Along with a brief introduction, each guide contains ideas and prompts specific to each discipline all while developing a shared understanding and using the CERCA Framework. The prompts and ideas, while anchored in Argumentative writing, provide multiple sub-genres which would fall under this type, to provide choice.
In the ELA Teachers Guide, ThinkCERCA provides advice and support for those educators who find themselves as the resident expert when implementing a writing across the curriculum initiative. Along with focus areas and how best to support colleagues in student growth, there is a list of resources for narrative and informative writing. Finally, there is a long list of prompts divided by discipline area in which the ELA teachers can use to launch a cross-discipline writing project with colleagues.
Writing happens (and should happen) in every classroom. So take some time and explore the Writing Across The Curriculum Guides that ThinkCERCA has to offer!
Download the Argumentative Writing Poster HERE