We all know that being a 4th grade teacher is tough! Preparing our students for the math, reading and STAAR Writing test can be overwhelming! Check out these tips to reduce the stress of the STAAR Writing Test:
1. Know the Facts
It is important for you as the teacher to know the facts about the STAAR Writing Test because it will help you know where to focus your time and how to prepare your students for the STAAAR Writing Test.
Here’s the basics:
-The highest score a student can receive is a 32 that would be getting all 16 editing questions and 8 revising questions right and scoring an 8 on the expository composition (meaning 2 scorers each give it a 4)
-The passing score is an 18, so there are different variations of how a students can pass. One year I had a student refuse to write a composition (he scored a 0 of course), BUT he still passed the test because he got 19 of the 24 revise and edit questions right!
-For the last several years, only 1% of 4th graders in Texas received an 8 on their composition, so you should only expect at most 1 to 2 students in your class to score an 8 and maybe 3-4 students to score a 7
2. Make a Plan
Depending on when you’re starting, you need to create a plan of action based on how much time you have left until the test. I created a STAAR Writing plan from the beginning of the year until April that will fully prepare students for the STAAR Writing Test. Here’s a look-
My Beginning of the Year Timeline
First 6 weeks- STAAR released assessment baseline, introduce grammar rules
October- introduce expository writing slowly
November- introduce revise and edit questions
December- STAAR released middle of the year assessment
January- daily recursive review, individual conference with students, new expository composition every 3 weeks
February- March- last year’s STAAR released test, make small groups and tutoring groups based on results, continue daily practice in both revise/edit and expository
End of March- April- Writing Bootcamp
-If you’re starting late in the year, don’t worry! Just prioritize because you can’t fit it all in! I would focus on grammar rules and editing questions since this makes up 50% of your students’ score.
*Remember to adjust your plan as you go! Every year you have a different set of students, who have different needs.
3. Teach Grammar Rules
It’s important that your students understand grammar rules. They must be able to write grammatically correct on their compositions. Additionally, on the Writing STAAR test there are double the amount of editing questions (16) than revising (8). It is imperative that students understand and recognize these rules in action. The rules that show up the most are compound sentences (FANBOYS), word usage (past tense verb, plural nouns, pronouns, and subject/verb agreement, and spelling. Students can use a dictionary on both parts of the test! Be sure to review how to use a dictionary, so they are fully prepared when they get to the STAAR Writing Test!
*New to the 2020 STAAR Writing Test, students can use a dictionary app on an Ipad! This will definitely be a time saver.
I have all the grammar rules, revising strategies, and expository writing tips I teach in my STAAR Writing Notebook.
4. Hold Individual Writing Conferences with each student.
Sure it’s time consuming, but it doesn’t have to be done all in one day. My goal is in January, I hold a conference with every student while writing every expository composition we write until the STAAR test. It is necessary because each student is in a different place with their writing. In order to be prepared for the expository portion of the STAAR Writing Test students must know how to improve their expository writing. For example, some students are needing fine tuning advice because they are pushing their 2 to a 3 or 3 to a 4. I would help these students using details or improving their word choice. On the other hand, some students are still not understanding the expository format. At this point, I give them a formula to follow. Formulaic writing will only earn the student a 2, but it’s better than a 1.
5. Repetitive Practice on Revise/Edit Questions
Practice makes perfect? Right! Students need to practice revise and edit questions weekly (if not daily) to really understand the question stems. They have never seen (most likely) these types of questions before 4th grade, so the more practice they get the better they will do on the multiple choice questions on their STAAR Writing Test. Starting in November, I give students 2 revise/edit passages a week for homework. I start with old TAKS passages and build up to STAAR passages. Also, for a quick daily review, I have STAAR warm ups similar to a math recursive review. As we get closer to STAAR, I give passages from STAAR released tests.
I use these 12 STAAR Revise and Edit Passages and these daily warm ups Grammar Warm Ups BUNDLE
6. Students Score STAAR Released Compositions
The highest form of learning come from teaching. Students love being the teacher! Give them reigns and let them “score” the numerous student written composition released on the TEA website. They are already scored with comments. I always start by guiding my students through the process of reading and scoring a composition. I give them a student friendly rubric to reference. Then students can work in small groups to read, score, and comment on the released compositions. Just cut off the score and comments at the bottom of the page. Give them that information at the end, so they can compare it to what they came up with!
*Remind students it’s ok to use ideas they like, for example if they see onomatopoeia or a transition word they could use it in their own writing. But, of course you can’t take another student’s idea and copy the whole thing!
7. Make it FUN!
There are several ways to make preparing students for the STAAR Writing Test fun. Small group activities are great for interaction, and students can learn from one another. For example, students love grammar games (see my Grammar Games Blog Post), Revise and Edit task cards and using novels to find example of grammar rules.
*Keep a positive attitude because your students definitely feed off of you! It’s overwhelming for all of us, but we can do it!
If you are looking for a fun FREE way to practice Revise and Edit skills, check out my Revise and Edit Challenge Freebie, just sign up below:
After eleven years as a fourth grade writing teacher, these tips have helped me get students prepared for the STAAR Writing test. If you have a tip that you love, please share it in the comments below!
