(John Collins Writing Approach)

Some of you may have heard your children talking about doing a "Type 1" or "Type 2" writing assignment at school. These brief, informal assignments are two of the five writing types students will be learning as part of our LEF funded Writing Across the Curriculum approach. Types 1 and 2 writing are brief, informal pieces of writing that can be done in any curriculum area. The emphasis is on thinking--generating ideas, exploring, and recalling.

Type 1 writing develops fluency in writing, because students don’t worry about being right or wrong. They learn "if I can say it, I can write it." Type 1 writing gets everyone engaged in the topic (not just the few who might raise their hands quickly). It helps teachers understand students and their thinking. Only one draft is done. Evaluation takes only a few seconds and is based on whether the child wrote . It is not meant to be polished writing. It is thinking on paper.