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DURING READING
Write Now
Look at the Prompt Have students identify and discuss key words and phrases in the prompt. (first time you did something, narrative paragraph, how you felt)
Strategies to Develop Word Choice
Have students
  • replace vague nouns with precise ones.
NO:   on the seat
YES: on the piano bench
  • replace dull adjectives with vivid ones.
NO:   nice music
YES: soft, soothing music
  • use words that appeal to readers' senses.
NO:   I was nervous.
YES: My knees knocked.
For additional suggestions and rubric, see pp. 141g–141h.
Hints for Better Writing
  • Carefully read the prompt.
  • Use a graphic organizer to plan your writing.
  • Support your ideas with information and details.
  • Use words that help readers understand.
  • Proofread and edit your work.
Write Now: Narrative Paragraph
Prompt
In My Rows and Piles of Coins, a boy is proud of learning how to ride a bicycle. Think about the first time you did something.
Now write a narrative paragraph showing how you felt.
Writing Trait
Hints for Word Choice
The words you choose can make the difference between
plain, dull writing and bright, lively stories. These hints will
help.
Provide exact nouns, for example, beagle instead of dog or peach instead of fruit.
Use vibrant verbs, for example, dashed instead of ran or devour instead of eat.
Supply specific details, for example, Rosa placed a
spoonful of sweet chocolate bits mixed with gooey dough on the cookie sheet instead of Rosa baked cookies.
Here is an example of how word choice can change the tone of your writing.
Best: Robert soared so high that he nearly touched the brightly lit scoreboard on the gymnasium wall.
OK: Robert jumped really high.
Better: Robert leaped as high as he could.
Use word choice to
show readers how you
feel instead of telling
them.
Word choice
includes
strong verbs
that describe
actions vividly.
Writer shows
she was
scared.
Writer shows
she was
relieved
to be finished.
Student Model
Student Model
Use the model to help you write your own
narrative paragraph.
 
   
Close  
Scoring Rubric    Narrative Retelling
Rubric 4 3 2 1
Connections
Makes connections and generalizes beyond the text
Makes connections to other events, stories, or experiences
Makes a limited connection to another event, story, or experience
Makes no connection to another event, story, or experience
Author's
Purpose
Elaborates on author's purpose
Tells author's purpose with some clarity
Makes some connection to author's purpose
Makes no connection to author's purpose
Characters
Describes the main character(s) and any character development
Identifies the main character(s) and gives some information about them
Inaccurately identifies some characters or gives little information about them
Inaccurately
identifies the characters or gives no information about them
Setting
Describes the time and location
Identifies the time and location
Omits details of time or location
Is unable to identify time or location
Plot
Describes the problem, goal, events, and ending using rich detail
Tells the problem, goal, events, and ending with some errors that do not affect meaning
Tells parts of the problem, goal, events, and ending with gaps that affect meaning
Retelling has no sense of story
Selection Test To assess with My Rows and Piles of Coins, use Selection Tests, pp. 17–20.
Fresh Reads for Differentiated Test Practice For weekly leveled practice, use pp. 25–30.
Retelling Plan
  • Week 1 Assess Strategic Intervention students.
  • Week 2 Assess Advanced students.
  • Week 3 Assess Strategic Intervention students.
  • Week 4 Assess On-Level students.
  • This week assess any students you have not
    yet checked during this unit.
Use the Retelling Chart on
p. TR16 to record retelling.