Working With the Writing Component by Dana Caywood

Essential resources 

Twelve learning levels of writing composition assignments that span the spectrum of writing genres is just what you have before you as you explore each of the Tapestry Year-Plans.  To implement the Writing program well, you will need access to a composition handbook and a good English grammar handbook.  

• Classic Tapestry year-plans recommend the ones published by Write Source, or you can use our new digitally delivered product, Writing Aids.  Classic users will 
  find a chart on page 3 of your purple, Writing Scope and Sequence Introduction, 
  that tells which handbook to buy for each learning level.  (However, any handbook that teaches you to teach and/or gives students instructions and examples of finished products at their levels will do.)  Note that we only recommend the Write Source handbooks, not the accompanying teacher’s guides or workbooks offered by their publisher.  

• Redesigned Tapestry plans refer consistently to the use of either Writing Aids or the handbook of your choice.  If you own Write Source handbooks from previous Tapestry years, feel free to continue to use them!  If you are new to the program, Writing Aids is a better deal.  It is a one-time purchase for your entire family, and serves you for all four year-plans (Classic or Redesigned).

Into which level will you put each of your students? 

• Classic users: Your Writing Component is found in your BASE Unit, and starts with a long, purple section called the Scope and Sequence Introduction.  This is a valuable section to which you can refer time and again as you teach your children to write.  

  • Browse through it (refusing to get bogged down in the details) on your way to the end pages of the section, where you will find page colors alternating between purple and white.  

  • Begin by looking at the purple, one-page Overview (there is one per writing level) and white 2-page summaries of writing genres for your child's current grade level.   

  • Read over the 36-weekly assignments (on coral-colored paper) for that level and see if you think he is ready for them, or if they are repetitive of work he's done in the past. The genre overviews repeat the information in the left column of these assignment charts in a two-page-per-level format, copied one-sided on white paper, and have a purpose: you can remove them from the notebook, spread them out on your rug, and look them over all at once.  

    • For example, Level 6 has a six-week research paper assigned.  If your student has adequately written shorter reports in past years, he will likely be ready for this task.  However, if constructing a paragraph is still beyond his grasp, you’ll want to drop down to a different level.  

    • Level 5 has a long biography, so you might want to back up even further.  

    • There is also no reason why you can’t combine levels over the course of the year, since writing assignments are self-contained within units.  

    • Thus, you could do, for instance, Unit 1 at Level 5, Unit 2 at Level 6, Unit 3 back at Level 5, and Unit 4 at Level 7, if you wished. 

• Redesigned users:  Your Writing Component is found in a few different places.  The actual weekly writing assignments for your students are arranged by week, then by level, within each week-plan.  This means that currently you can only plan Writing for the unit(s) that you have, in terms of actual assignments.

  • On The Loom, however, you will find copies of the white 2-page summaries of writing genres from Classic Tapestry.  Except for finer details, very little is changing.  You can print the ones that apply to your children's levels from The Loom.

  • There is also an updated copy of the Classic Scope & Sequence Introduction presented on The Loom as "Writing Teacher's Guide."  You can browse this online for now, but be sure to remember that this help is always available for you!

  • Peruse the assignments you have, and look at the genre summaries. Your goal is to place your student on a level where he will be comfortable, but still grow.

    • For example, Level 6 has a six-week research paper assigned.  If your student has adequately written shorter reports in past years, he will likely be ready for this task.  However, if constructing a paragraph is still beyond his grasp, you’ll want to drop down to a different level.  

    • Level 5 has a long biography, so you might want to back up even further.  

    • There is also no reason why you can’t combine levels over the course of the year, since writing assignments are self-contained within units.  

    • Thus, you could do, for instance, Unit 1 at Level 5, Unit 2 at Level 6, Unit 3 back at Level 5, and Unit 4 at Level 7, if you wished. 

Well-written compositions compile a number of skills that are built up, year after year.  Getting the basics learned adequately is far more important that being able to say that a 20-page paper was completed.  Remember that drop-by-drop the bucket is full!  Writing weekly, and getting feedback on that writing, are the key steps to progress!  And, it is easy to catch up to grade-level once these basic skills are mastered.  Here’s a general chart that might can help you in determining your child’s starting point, if you need to back up to hone skills.  Please note that this chart is not inclusive of every assignment in your year-plan.

Now, every Writing level, except 12, begins with a review of the steps in the writing process.  This fact can confuse newcomers to Tapestry.  We do this review on purpose for two reasons.  

1. First, the review reminds even advanced students of important, basic steps upon which all good writing rests. Confident students can forget the importance of the steps of the writing process. 

2. Second, starting school with any new program can be an intense and difficult task.  Tapestry writing assignments are given weekly for 36 weeks, so any child using our program will be thoroughly instructed!  By taking it easier in the area of composition at the beginning of each year, we allow families (especially new ones) to get solid in other important areas: new schedule, extended reading lists, new disciplines like geography or time line work, and fitting in hands-on projects, math, and science classes as well.  Newcomers to Tapestry most appreciate this “ramp up” approach once they understand its purpose. 

Into which level will you put each of your students? 

To implement the weekly assignments, get your handbook (or Writing Aids print-outs for this week's topics) and the coral-colored assignment pages for Classic users (or turn in your first week-plan and look for the pages with red bars at the top if you're using the Redesigned format) for your chosen level(s).  

Week by week, simply assign the student(s) to read from their handbook or Writing Aids talking points about the specific aspects of the writing assignment.  

• For instance, in Level 6, the student is to take reading notes.  

• Look in the handbook’s index (or Writing Aids interface) and find “Reading” WriteSource 2000 has the subtopic of “Notes.”  

• In addition, Tapestry’s Classic Scope & Sequence Introductory Notes has sections entitled “Taking Reading Notes” and “Taking Class Notes.”  (This same information is on The Loom in your Writing Teacher's Guide. You, the teacher, read these purple pages.  

• Following the student’s independent reading of the handbook, you’ll review with him the how-to’s of completing the task (using "Talking Points" if you're using Writing Aids).  If you aren’t clear about the assignment, check out the writing links (sample for Year 2 here) for your year-plan at the Tapestry website, or ask your questions at our forum.  We’re here to help!

At the Caywood home, our weekly writing schedule is as follows:

• Monday – read from handbook to understand/plan the week’s assignment

• Tuesday – further instruction, if needed, from mom

• Wednesday – prewriting

• Thursday – rough draft and revisions

• Friday – type up final copy and oral presentation in front of Dad

I hope this brief explanation gives you further guidance as you use our Writing Component.  I think you’ll find it delightfully easy to use and thorough in covering various genres.