Timing for the State Writing Assessment

If timing is everything, then it is of great importance to know how much time to allot for the different components involved in the state writing assessment. What skills are involved in each part of the process? How can you pinpoint specific skills? Read on for a few simple suggestions for tackling some of the sub-skills of prompt writing.

Piece of the Process

As we’re preparing students for state assessments, it’s important to remember all the different pieces involved in the process of the test. Try practicing the timed components of prompt writing. Spread these practice days out. Use them between units to allow practice throughout the year.

• Practice pre-writing to different prompts. Have students pre-write with one condition: they have to pre-write to each prompt for 10 minutes—no more time, no less. Collect the pre-writes to use for another day’s practice.
• Spend concentrated time on the meaty part of the process. Using the pre-writes you picked up previously, ask students to write a rough draft for one. Have students write for at least 20-30 minutes. Younger grades should try for 10-15 minutes. Increase this amount on additional days of practice. Pick up rough drafts.
• Hand out one rough draft per student and ask them to spend 5-10 minutes revising and proofreading. Before or after trying this, you’ll want to provide mini-lessons on acceptable revision and proofreading strategies for the test-writing genre…but that’s another day’s posting!

For more information and resources to help you prepare students for standardized tests...

• Kristina offers a powerful one-day workshop in the fall and winter that focuses on prompt writing and preparing students for the state assessment.
• Want to help your kids “picture” the Test Lady™? Wear her to work. Sport this Smekens original Test Lady™ T-shirt with authentic anchor pictures from students just like yours.