What's Included

Grade-level Packages  |  Supplemental Writing Units

Being a Writer materials are provided in grade-level
packages—one for each classroom.

The Being a Writer program provides a teacher’s manual,
14–33 trade books, and additional grade-level specific materials in each grade-level package.

Each classroom package contains:

Teacher's Manual (2 volumes)

The Teacher’s Manual contains all the Being a Writer lessons for each grade. It is broken into two volumes. Detailed, easy-to-follow lesson plans include suggestions for managing the writing process, facilitating discussions, assessing the class, and conferring with individual students. There is a weekly section called “Teacher as Writer,” in which teachers are guided to cultivate their own writing voice while deepening their appreciation for what students are asked to do in the program.

Student Writing Handbooks (grades 2–6; 25–30 per package)

The handbook is an interactive, dynamic student tool that supports each week’s lesson with genre excerpts that are used for the development of writing conventions and skills. Each handbook also contains a word bank and a chart for recording proofreading notes and examples. Consumable.

14–33 Read-aloud Trade Books

Trade books are used as examples to inspire and model good writing. Each grade level includes 14–33 books that stimulate students’ imaginations and fuel their motivation to write. In grades 3–6, the program immerses students in a variety of genres by having them hear, read, and discuss multiple good examples of each genre being studied.

Assessment Resource Book (grades 1–6)

In the Being a Writer program, all students are developing their own voice as strong, capable writers and principled, responsible people with effective interpersonal skills. The Assessment Resource Book is designed to help teachers track students’ writing and social development over time and make informed instructional decisions. There are three types of assessment in the program: Class Assessments, Social Skills Assessment, and Individual Writing Assessments. Consumable.

Skill Practice Teaching Guide (grades 2–6)

This guide provides 17–21 mini-lessons that serve several purposes: reteaching skills taught at previous grades, reviewing skills taught earlier in the year, and teaching skills required by state standards. Each mini-lesson is accompanied by a blackline master to support the interactive skill activity with the class.

Student Skill Practice Books (grades 2–6; 25–30 per package)

This book provides students with four additional one-page practice activities for each of the mini-lessons. These 68–84 practice activities are modeled after and are similar to the blackline master activities used by the teacher in the mini-lessons. Consumable.

Dry-erase Markers and Wipe-off Boards (grades K–1; 25 per package)

The dry-erase markers and sturdy wipe-off boards are included for students to practice writing during teacher-led activities. Consumable.

ALSO AVAILABLE

• Student Composition Books: Composition notebooks for students to record and keep their notes, topic selections, prewriting, and drafts.
• Being a Writer CD-ROM: For subsequent years of instruction, grade-level specific
  CD-ROMs allow you to print all the reproducible materials needed for teachers and students.
• Supplemental Writing Units (grades 3–6): Grades 3–6 each have two new, 3-week genre units that were created to meet state standards that are currently not met in the program. A writing test preparation unit is available for teachers who are using the program at grades 3–5.