Language Arts

Grade 1: Writing	Planning: Term # Tracking: Ach. Level
Overall Expectations	1	2	3	4
1. generate, gather, and organize ideas and information to write for an intended purpose and audience;
2. draft and revise their writing, using a variety of informational, literary, and graphic forms and stylistic elements appropriate for the purpose and audience;
3. use editing, proofreading, and publishing skills and strategies, and knowledge of language conventions, to correct errors, refine expression, and present their work effectively;
4. reflect on and identify their strengths as writers, areas for improvement, and the strategies they found most helpful at different stages in the writing process.
Specific Expectations
1. Developing and Organizing Content
Purpose and Audience: 1.1 identify the topic, purpose, audience, and form for writing, initially with support and direction (e.g., a personal recount of a past experience, including pictures, to share with family or friends; an "All About the Seasons"book for the class library; labels and captions for a pictograph to share findings with a group after a math investigation). Teacher prompts: "What is your writing about?" "Why are you writing?" "Whom are you writing for?"
Developing Ideas: 1.2 generate ideas about a potential topic, using a variety of strategies and resources (e.g., ask questions to identify personal experiences, prior knowledge, and information needs; brainstorm ideas with the class)
Research: 1.3 gather information to support ideas for writing in a variety of ways and/or from a variety of sources (e.g., from listening to stories told by family members; from paired sharing with a peer; from observations; from various texts, including teacher read-alouds, mentor texts, and shared-, guided-, and independent-reading texts)
Classifying Ideas: 1.4 sort ideas and information for their writing in a variety of ways, with support and direction (e.g., by using pictures, labels, key words, hand-drawn or computer graphics, or simple graphic organizers such as a web, a list, or a five-W's framework: who, what, when, where, why)
Organizing Ideas: 1.5 identify and order main ideas and supporting details, initially with support and direction, using simple graphic organizers (e.g., a story ladder, sequence chart) and simple organizational patterns (e.g., time order: first, then, next, finally; order of importance; beginning, middle, and end)
Review: 1.6 determine, after consultation with the teacher and peers, whether the ideas and information they have gathered are suitable for the purpose (e.g., use pictures and words to explain their material to a classmate and ask for feedback)
2. Using Knowledge of Form and Style in Writing
Form: 2.1 write short texts using a few simple forms (e.g., a recount of personally significant experiences; a simple report on topics of interest to the writer and identified in non-fiction reading; "How to"books identifying the steps in a procedure such as "How to Make Applesauce", including pictures, symbols, and words; a story modelled on characters and events from stories read; their own variation on a familiar poem, chant, or song; a poster for the classroom)
Voice: 2.2 begin to establish a personal voice in their writing by using pictures and words that convey their attitude or feeling towards the subject or audience (e.g., use pictures and words that project interest or enthusiasm)
Word Choice: 2.3 use familiar words and phrases to convey a clear meaning (e.g., some simple, familiar descriptive adjectives of size, feeling, or colour: The black dog was happy.)
Sentence Fluency: 2.4 write simple but complete sentences that make sense
Point of View: 2.5 begin to identify, with support and direction, their point of view and one possible different point of view about the topic. Teacher prompts: "How do you feel about this topic?" "How do you think your friend feels about this topic?" "How can you convey your feelings to your audience?"
Preparing for Revision: 2.6 identify elements of their writing that need improvement, including content, organization, and style, using feedback from the teacher and peers. Teacher prompts: "Does this writing make sense to you?" "Does it say what you wanted to say?"
Revision: 2.7 make simple revisions to improve the content, clarity, and interest of their written work, using a few simple strategies (e.g., cut out words or sentences and reorder them to improve clarity; insert words from oral vocabulary and the class word wall or word webs to clarify meaning and/or add interest)
Producing Drafts: 2.8 produce revised draft pieces of writing to meet criteria identified by the teacher, based on the expectations
3. Applying Knowledge of Language Conventions and Presenting Written Work Effectively
Spelling Familiar Words: 3.1 spell some high-frequency words correctly (e.g., words from their oral vocabulary, the class word wall, and shared-, guided-, and independent-reading texts)
Spelling Unfamiliar Words: 3.2 spell unfamiliar words using a variety of strategies that involve understanding sound-symbol relationships, word structures, and word meanings (e.g., segment words to identify and record individual sound-symbol correspondences, including short vowels and simple long-vowel patterns; listen for rhyming patterns; look for common letter sequences and onset and rime in frequently used words; make analogies between words that look similar; illustrate words to link meaning to spelling)
Vocabulary: 3.3 confirm spellings and word meanings or word choice using one or two resources (e.g., find pictures or words in a picture dictionary; locate words on an alphabetical word wall using first letter; refer to class-created word webs posted in the classroom)
Punctuation: 3.4 use punctuation to help communicate their intended meaning, with a focus on the use of: a capital letter at the beginning of a sentence; a period, question mark, or exclamation mark at the end
Grammar: 3.5 use parts of speech appropriately to communicate their meaning clearly, with a focus on the use of: nouns for names of people, places, and things; the personal subject pronouns I, you, he, she, it, we, they; verbs to tell what they do and feel; some adjectives; and simple prepositions of place (e.g., in, on, at, to)
Proofreading: 3.6 proofread and correct their writing using a simple checklist or a few guiding questions posted by the teacher for reference (e.g., Can I read it? Does it "sound right"? Does it make sense? Are my word wall words spelled correctly?)
Publishing: 3.7 use some appropriate elements of effective presentation in the finished product, such as print, different fonts, graphics, and layout (e.g., use drawings, photographs, or simple labels to clarify text; print legibly; leave spaces between words)
Producing Finished Works: 3.8 produce pieces of published work to meet criteria identified by the teacher, based on the expectations
4. Reflecting on Writing Skills and Strategies
Metacognition: 4.1 identify some strategies they found helpful before, during, and after writing (e.g., during a regular writing conference, respond to teacher prompts about what strategies helped at a specific phase in the writing process; identify strategies used before, during, and after writing on a class anchor chart; identify a strategy for future use on a strategy bookmark or chart). Teacher prompts: "What strategy helped you organize your ideas?" "How did you know what words were missing?" "What helped you know what to do when you finished your first draft?"
Interconnected Skills: 4.2 describe, with prompting by the teacher, how some of their skills in listening, speaking, reading, viewing, and representing help in their development as writers. Teacher prompts: "How does what you know about reading and different kinds of books help you when you are writing?" "In what way do you think listening to someone else's ideas might help you with your writing?"
Portfolio: 4.3 select pieces of writing they think show their best work and explain the reasons for their selection
Student Name:

Expectations: Copyright The Queen's Printer for Ontario, 2006.  Format: Copyright B.Phillips, 1998.