Writing to the Standards

This is a resource for teaching writing to English-language learners. It is correlated to the Arizona Department of Education standards for Adult Educators. These resources are meant to complement classroom instruction.

Beginning Literacy

Beginning #1&2: “traces letters and numbers.”
Tracing
Alphabuddies
Bogglesworld
You can print them for use in class.

This website gives free tracing paper:
Moondrops

Met #4: “Fills out simple forms with complete personal info.”
Simple form

Or print one from the Literacy test.

Met #5: “Often applies letter-sound relationships to spell simple (CVC) words.” Use the keyboard printout for letters and spelling easy words, like dad and sad, glad, had, etc.
Keyboard printout

Level 1:

Approaching #1: “Creates simple sentences with guidance. Click on Self-introduction
Computer assisted sentence production: self-introduction. Also food and drink, writing a quick letter, favorites, daily schedule, frequency.

Build a story. Multiple choice exercise based on a picture. Students can print of their completed story.

Met #1: “Writes simple phrases and sentences, 3 to 5 words long, on familiar topics eg. Describing people, places, routines.”
Go to FBI’s Most Wanted:
Print off one. Vital statistics are in note form. Together make simple sentences eg. He is
6ft.4ins tall. He has brown eyes. Then give other Most Wanted printouts to groups and have them do same thing.

Met #2: “Writes notes of one or two sentences long to convey a personal message.” Use Literacy test even though you have to write more sentences for test.

Met #4: “Fills out simple applications up to 15 items.” Simple application
Print this one off. You can begin to fill out applications for employment; you don’t have to do all of it. There’s also one you can do online.

Met #5: “Writes checks.” Practice online Writing checks
Also addressing envelopes:
Addressing envelopes

If no access to computers, use the literacy test and an OHP.

Met #6: “Spelling rules eg. Capitalization” Go to: Capitalization for capitalization practice.Click on 'Terrible Teacher' then 'capitalization.' You can do online or print. There are lots of punctuation exercises here.

Level 2

Met #1: “Writes texts comprised of several simple sentences…” For some great ideas for writing fun click on writing activities - poems, writing generators, chain letters, ice breakers, etc.

For a clear, simple explanation of how sentences are constructed click on sentence construction.

Step-by-step guide to building sentences.

Met #2: “Appropriately uses graphic organizers to organize writings, with some guidance eg. Mind maps. This website gives the steps for creating a mind map.

More graphic organisers graphic organisers

Met #3: Independently uses an illustrated dictionary….”
Enchanted Learning has lots of stuff that students could use online or you could print out, cut up and have students match pictures with words and then put them in alphabetical order.

Met #4 : “Writes a short, friendly letter or note to convey a personal message.”
You can practice the notes for the literacy test here. Maybe do a progressive cloze exercise where, after writing a note together, you delete certain words in the first exercise, then more words, then more words, until there are only a few words to cue the writer. Students hide the note each time and only peek if they get desperate. As they work through the progressive cloze, students are writing the same information repeatedly, and thus hopefully retaining it, but in a way that doesn’t bore them to tears!

Another possible activity is to write a sample of each of the four notes and then make note soup by mixing them all together. Groups are assigned one of the notes to unravel from the soup and put the sentences in a logical sequence. They then become the experts on their note and dictate it to the rest of the class.

Yet another activity is to stick an example of each of the four notes in the four corners of the classroom. Pair students – a runner and a writer – and assign them a note. The runner has to first find his/her note then dictate it to his/her writer by running back and forth between the note and the writer. Students love doing this! Then a volunteer writes his/her note on the board for the rest of the class who didn’t have this note to copy.
Make up a crossword using vocabulary from the notes.

Make up a concentration game by splitting up phrases like: Thank you……very much; I’m very sorry....but, etc. concentration game

Met #4: “Write a short, friendly note.” Send an electronic postcard!

Or create postcards from students’ hometowns and send them to other students in the class.

Met #5: “Takes phone messages with detailed info.”
Click on Bogglesworld. Great taking messages activities.

Or borrow the forms that the front desk uses to take phone messages and practice.

Met #6: “Fills out applications forms” You can complete the employment application from Level 1 #4. (scroll down to the bottom.)

Met #7: “Applies spelling and punctuation rules related to the grammar and mechanics of this level eg. comparative and superlative.”
Read about sharks (scroll down to shark extremes) and do a worksheet from the Splendid Web. You can do this online or print it off.

Spelling practice. Comparative and superlative.

Met #8: “Writes multi-step directions.”
Take something like a blender to class in bits and show and tell students how to put it together, using "must, have to" and "should." Then have groups write the instructions you have told them and then read these instructions to a volunteer, who puts the blender back together again. You could also do this with tying shoe laces. You may have a student who is willing to show the class how to jump start a car or change a tire. You could also have students describe the registration and testing process to get into classes.

Level 3

Met #1: “Writes texts of up to 2 paragraphs.” Get help online, writing paragraphs step by step: Paragraph punch

inventions See some really weird inventions and print off a few for students to write paragraphs summarizing them.

Met #4: “Writes short, detailed letters………asking for assistance.” The letter asking your landlord to fix a problem in your apartment fits in here ( green literacy test.) but make it longer and more detailed.

More help writing detailed letters:
Over 500 sample business letters!

Met #5: “Takes detailed messages.” Memo writing

Read about memo writing and do the exercise – can print off.

Met #7: “Spells irregular verb forms correctly.” Irregular verbs. Printable irreg. Verb drills and flash cards.

Level 4

Met #1: “Writes texts of up to 4 paragraphs……”

Guided essay writing – 3 paragraphs and a conclusion.
Essay punch.

Scroll down to "Common errors from student compositions" for some practice.

Met #5: “Summarizes and conveys info. from chart.” Click on graphs and charts There are pie, bar graphs etc. on fairly interesting topics that students can give written summaries of. Then students could create a graph with info. from students in the class and write a summary.

Level 5

Met. #2: “Writes 5 paragraph essays…” Disgruntled zone This website is loaded with controversial stuff. Students could write essays, giving their opinions. Also click on Robert Frost This a study of The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost and how it might apply to students. The students are supposed to write a skit but they could write an essay as well about how the poem might apply to their lives.

Also go to Dilemmas These are ESL student dilemmas that your students can respond to in essay form.

Met #3. Writes chronological and functional resumes. Click on Resume Writing. Use the info. and tips to write your own resume, or a fictional resume.
Here are many more Writing Links.