Northwest Evaluation Association Learning Continuum Release 1.0

Composing and Writing Process - Students use skills needed to begin writing, drafting, and revising and using editing and proofreading skills.

Skills and Concepts

RIT Scores between 161 and 170

Prewriting Skills
· Use short complete sentences
· Identify a brainstormed single word list about a given topic
Use Drafting and Revising Skills
· Identify correct word order in 4-6 word sentences
· Choose correct word to complete a sentence
· Form question order of simple sentences
· Choose a simple 2-4 word main topic
· Add simple details to topic
· Describe a given picture in a simple sentence
· Identify gerund phrases
· Add details as appropriate to a given topic
Use Editing and Proofreading Processes
· Use imperatives
· Use capitals at the beginning of the sentence
· Use present participles
· Use verb phrases
· Categorize words
· Write letters to a specific audience
· Use capitals for title of names
· Use periods
· Use superlatives correctly
· Use exclamations for emphasis
· Use third person pronouns
· Spell irregular verbs correctly
· Align subjects and direct objects
· Align subject-verb agreement
· Use nominative case
· Use capitals for holidays
· Use rhyming words in poetry
· Use apostrophes for contractions
· Use future tense
New Vocabulary: sentence, letter, picture, period, capital letter, misspelled, proofread, missing word, choose, list, question, correct order

RIT Scores between 171 and 180

Prewriting Skills
· Choose main topic
· Select purpose of writing
· Recognize genre
· Determine audience
Drafting and Revising Skills
· Create 5-8 word sentences with correct syntax
· Revise to stay on topic
· Use vivid descriptors that denote tone and mood
· Draft mood and tone in the detail selection
· Categorize main ideas and supporting details
· Use vivid adjectives and adverbs
· Combine simple sentences to create compound sentences
· Add adverbs to describe action
· Use imaginative language to support topic
· Choose language appropriate for audience
Use Editing and Proofreading Processes
· Capitalize names of countries
· Spell 3-4 syllable words
· Edit out off-topic sentences
· Punctuate correctly
· Use comparative words
· Capitalize professional titles
· Use interrogatives
· Create strong sentence beginnings
· Use verbs correctly (present perfect, future)
· Edit for subject-verb agreement
· Use strong conclusions
· Write directions
· Use dashes correctly
· Edit for pronoun-antecedent agreement
· Proofread for tense agreement
· Use commas in a series
· Use apostrophes for possessives
· Use quotation marks
· Write personal letters
· Use prepositional phrases
· Use capitals with initials
· Use capitals with titles
· Use paragraphing strategies
· Use independent clauses correctly
· Avoid double negatives
New Vocabulary: underlined, phrase, describe, story, question mark, incomplete sentence, topics, main topic, outline, complete sentence

RIT Scores between 181 and 190

Prewriting Skills
· Create a simple outline
· Write in a selected genre (i.e. a simple fairy tale)
· Create starter sentences
· Categorize around a main topic
· Select appropriate sentences for topic
· List sentence details
· Pre-write sentences that convey purpose of topic
Drafting and Revising Skills
· Use compound and complex sentences
· Use a variety of modifiers
· Use infinitive phrases for emphasis
· Use figurative language (simile, metaphor)
· Use vivid descriptor phrases
· Combine simple sentences to form complex sentences
· Vary sentence order
· Vary word order
· Use sentences of 8-10 words to vary language
· Use details for effective sentences
· Vary sentences to show same meaning related to topic
· Use correct word order in interrogative sentences
· Use precise nouns and verbs
· Create word list of strong nouns and verbs
Use Editing and Proofreading Processes
· Capitalize first word of sentence
· Use periods with abbreviations
· Capitalize greetings and personal titles
· Capitalize inside quotations
· Use comparative phrases
· Use commas for introductory words (i.e. well, no)
· Use commas between two main clauses
· Use descriptive writing mode
· Write business letters
· Use commas in adverbial clauses
· Identify subject from predicate
· Use past participial phrases
· Use correct compass points
· Use compound personal pronouns
· Use correct indentation
· Use auxiliary verbs correctly
· Capitalize literary titles
New Vocabulary: comma, initials, compound sentence, main headings, punctuation mark, exclamation point, poem, book report, fairy tale, directions, advertisement, mood, catalog

RIT Scores between 191 and 200

Prewriting Skills
· Select point of view (i.e. I, He, You)
· Choose a mode of writing
· Use clear descriptors
· List details in outline form
· Determine tone and mood
· Choose tone by determined audience
· Outline main topic with descriptors
· Organize sentences for paragraphs
· Create a list of possible word choices
· Select main headings for outline
· Choose subject and brainstorm (i.e. word lists, webbing, free writing)
Drafting and Revising Skills
· Revise and replace misplaced modifiers
· Use figurative language to describe
· Use creative figures of speech
· Write to stay on purpose
· Use symbolic language
· Create a variety of sentences, simple, compound, and complex
· Use phrases and multi-word modifiers to enhance details
· Use adjective and infinitive phrases
· Begin topic with strong sentence starters
· Use a variety of genres
Use Editing and Proofreading Processes
· Capitalize royal titles, professional titles, and personal titles
· Use similes for comparison
· Identify suffixes
· Use slang words for a direct purpose
· Proof for spelling errors
· Use commas between city and state
· Edit sentence fragments
· Use correct return address format
· Capitalize government bodies
· Use parallelism between subject and direct object
· Use appositives
New Vocabulary: comparison, point of view, persuasive argument, narrative, description, quotation marks, syntax, title, revising, first draft, editing

RIT Scores between 201 and 210

Prewriting Skills
· Choose formal or informal language
· Select purpose of paragraph
· Choose syntax that illustrates point of view
· Outline expository mode
Drafting and Revising Skills
· Use participial phrases in correct word order
· Use of figurative speech in context
· Select the best title for a piece of work
· Use precise language
· Correct use of transitional expressions
· Use vivid descriptors
· Use adverbial clauses in complex sentences
· Avoid run-on sentences
· Use sentence variety
· Use correct word order when using adjective phrases
Use Editing and Proofreading Processes
· Use capitals in magazine, newspaper, essay and titles
· Use commas in letter closure
· Punctuate introductory dependant clauses
· Capitalize inside addresses
· Punctuate non-essential parenthetical phrases with commas
New Vocabulary: run-on sentence, formal and informal language, composition, simile, subheading, detail, subdetail, style, figure of speech, suffix, capitalization, caret (editing mark), research report, apostrophe

RIT Scores between 211 and 220

Prewriting Skills
· Create comprehensive outlines
· Use compound sentence selection
· Outline verbiage for imaginative stories
· Categorize using main topic as guideline
Drafting and Revising Skills
· Revise syntax for correct order
· Use subject-verb agreement
· Use a variety of sentences from simple to complex
· Use infinitive phrases to denote emphasis
· Use subordinating clauses
· Edit for misplaced modifiers
· Combine sentences to make compound and complex
· Use parts of a news story for complete description of an event
· Write strong conclusions
Use Editing and Proofreading Processes
· Use commas in a series of participial phrases
· Use strong topic sentences with strong verbs
· Use capitals in a letter closure
· Use abbreviations in appropriate places
New Vocabulary: tone, summary, synonym, personification, metaphor, fantasy, complex sentence, rough draft, personal narrative

RIT Scores between 221 and 230

Prewriting Skills
· Select words based on main topic
· Outline a complex topic selection
· Choose appropriate words for a selection
· Evaluate possible point of views (i.e. personification)
· Choose vivid descriptors
· Select method for brainstorming
Drafting and Revising Skills
· Use exaggeration to make statement
· Use adverbial clauses
· Ask leading questions
· Use gerund phrases
Use Editing and Proofreading Processes
· Use complex sentence order in paragraph
· Use verb phrases
· Use exaggerated figures of speech for emphasis
New Vocabulary: nonparallel construction, sentence fragment, faulty tense change, irony, exaggeration, fragment

RIT Scores between 231 and 240

Drafting and Revising Skills
· Use metaphors as a figure of speech
Use Editing and Proofreading Processes
· Identify strong adverbs
· Identify indefinite pronouns
· Use metaphors for emphasis
· Conjugate irregular verbs correctly
New Vocabulary: none