jot notes in their science journal. They also write a single piece over multiple days, taking time to
research a topic, reflect on their ideas and their work, and plan for and revise their writing.
In grade two, teachers do the following to support children’s writing development:- As in earlier grades, they read aloud daily from a broad range of literary and information
texts, highlighting their varied purposes (such as to share an opinion, inform or explain, or
tell a story), structures or organizations (such as narrative, description, cause and effect), and
features (such as tables of contents). Some texts serve as mentor texts, that is, those that are
excellent examples of a particular organization or language use that students may emulate for a
specific task. - They model writing, and they write with children using a variety of text types for a variety of
purposes. - They explicitly teach children how to organize different types of writing and provide
opportunities for students to engage in collaborative writing tasks. (W.2.4) - They model and engage children in revision and editing of sample texts and their own writing.
(W.2.5) - They ensure that children write daily.
- They ensure that children write for a variety of purposes. (W.2.1–3)
- They provide multiple opportunities for brief writing experiences. (W.2.10)
- They engage children in writing experiences that span several days and that undergo revision
and refinement. (W.2.10) - They ensure that children witness the value of writing in their teacher’s life and their own lives.
- They teach children to write in every curricular area.
- They teach grade-level language conventions explicitly, including spelling, grammar, and
punctuation. (See the discussions of language conventions throughout this chapter.)
In grade two, children learn more about writing as a process (W.2.5). They obtain feedback from
others through individual conferences with the teacher and
through peer sharing. Second graders use that feedback to
guide revision and editing of their writing. When children
share their writing with others and reflect on the feedback,
they learn that the organization and language choices in
their writing impact meaning. They also learn that writing
effectively takes time, attention to feedback, and more than
one draft.
An example of a second-grade student’s narrative
and an annotated analysis of the student’s writing are
presented in figure 4.14. The example and annotation
are drawn from Appendix C (http://www.corestandards.
org/assets/Appendix_C.pdf) of the CCSS where examples
of other types of writing at this grade level also may be
found. The student’s work in this example was produced in class, likely with teacher support. The
author demonstrates progress toward achieving W.2.3: Write narratives in which they recount a
well-elaborated event or short sequence of events, include details to describe actions, thoughts, and
feelings, use temporal words to signal event order, and provide a sense of closure.
When children share their
writing with others and reflect
on the feedback, they learn
that the organization and
language choices in their
writing impact meaning.
They also learn that writing
effectively takes time, attention
to feedback, and more than
one draft.322 | Chapter 4 Grade 2