In addition, students in grade three learn more
about the writing process as they plan, revise, and edit
their work in response to feedback from adults and
peers and based on their own self-reflection on their
writing. Students are taught that writing is not merely
talk written down. They also learn that writing involves
much more than putting words on a page and moving
on to the next task. They learn to prepare for writing by
gathering information, brainstorming ideas, organizing
their ideas, and writing a draft. They share preliminary
drafts with teachers and peers and use feedback and
suggestions, as well as self-assessment based on
established criteria, to revise their work. They rewrite
their work, perhaps reorganizing, revising, and refining
it, using different word choices or sentence structures,
or including different ideas to strengthen their product.
They edit their work, correcting spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and grammar as necessary. Some
of their work is published in class books, posted on the class Web site, displayed on a classroom or
hallway wall, or included in a digital or paper school newsletter to families. Some writing is performed
aloud.
As they learn about the writing process, grade three students are taught how to review one
another’s work and how to give and receive constructive feedback. First and foremost, the focus of
peer feedback is on the substance of the work, not the proper use of conventions (although students
will notice that use of conventions contributes to communication). For example, teachers may, after
modeling, solicit positive and specific comments from students about a peer’s draft that was read
aloud to the class or displayed using a document camera. Teachers may ask for specific compliments
about the opening, asking the author to reread it to the group. Or, teachers may ask the students to
comment on interesting vocabulary in the work, or how the work made them feel. Engaging students
in partner sharing, teachers may provide a form on which students respond to questions about their
peer’s work: What did you especially like about the work? What sentence was most interesting or
powerful? What did you learn from the work? Eventually, students may be guided to offer constructive
suggestions: What would you like to see added? What might be explained differently? Give one
specific suggestion to the author.
Writing Standard 1 for grade three calls for students to
“Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point
of view with reasons” (italics added). The ability to provide
reasons for opinions in the elementary years contributes
to the achievement of one of the capacities of literate
individuals discussed in the introduction to this framework:
They value evidence. Using evidence to make a point and
following a line of argumentation in texts or other forms of
communication are crucial abilities in college, careers, and
civic participation. Acquisition of this skill—that is, using and
seeking evidence for a position—begins in the elementary
years.
In grade three, students are expected to learn
keyboarding skills. Fluency with keyboarding frees students
to devote more time to their ideas and the effective
expression of those ideas. In fact, word processing makesUsing evidence to make a
point and following a line
of argumentation in texts or
other forms of communication
are crucial abilities in college,
careers, and civic participation.
Acquisition of this skill—that
is, using and seeking evidence
for a position—begins in the
elementary years.As they learn about the writing
process, grade three students
are taught how to review one
another’s work and how to give
and receive constructive feedback.
First and foremost, the focus of
peer feedback is on the substance
of the work, not the proper use of
conventions (although students
will notice that use of conventions
contributes to communication).Grade 3 Chapter 4 | 355