It is unnecessary to collect every one or to grade them at all. Spot checking is all that is needed.

1. Quick Writes Plus activities are short, focused stories written by the students to apply and practice skills taught by the teacher. Students respond for 2-10 minutes to an open-ended question, prompt, or picture.

2. Students share their writing with the class. The teacher looks for specific, positive comments to make about the writing: “I like the choice of the word devoured you used to describe how the lion ate its prey.”“I could hear the sounds on the beach as if I were really there.”

3. These writing activities may be used throughout the day. For example “Quick Writes” can be written on the board each morning for a writing warm-up, placed at a class writing station, or sent home for homework. • The more often you use them, the more regular the practice and the faster you will see improvement in student writing. If possible, begin or end each class session with a Quick Write. • It is unnecessary to collect every one or to grade them at all.  Spot checking is all that is needed. • Not only do students become more confident writers because of daily quick writes, but they become confident readers as well.  At the beginning of the semester, typically only a few students volunteer to read from their writing.  But by the middle of the term, there is often insufficient time to hear from everyone who would like to share.

4. Quick Writes can be… • Used to develop writing fluency. • Used as a motivational strategy. • Used to reflect learning experiences such as vocabulary, strong word choice, strong verb choice, sentence variety, sensory details (what did you see, hear, smell, taste, feel), show and don’t tell, style of composition (narrative, expository, letter, poetry, etc.) mood, figurative language (simile, onomatopoeia), one or two lines of dialogue, story grabbers and take away endings. • Used as an informal assessment. • Used to summarize what was learned. • Used to reinforce reading skills, such as summarizing. • Used to predict what might happen in a piece of literature or in an experiment.

5. Show and Don’t Just Tell Quick Writes: • The party was fun. • The bedroom was messy. • The drive in the car was uncomfortable. • The old man is lonely. • I was very embarrassed. • The snow is pretty. • A good caring person • An old house • A plant that needs water • My dad’s old car • The dog was vicious • The girl was surprised • My mother was not happy with what she saw when she walked in the house. • My little brother was acting funny. • It was a hot day • Johnny was a messy eater. • The child was clumsy. • The fireworks were colorful. • The house was dark. • A storm was coming. • A strange lady was walking down the street.

6. The Drive in the Car was Uncomfortable. I fidgeted in the sticky leather seat, trying to amuse myself with the passing landscape of endless trees. My leg started to tingle and painfully “fell asleep”. I gasped at the pain. I tried to change my position and discovered I could not in the space I was given. My head throbbed from the ear splitting sound of my grandfather’s snoring. I only wished I could sleep like him, so peaceful, but the incessant buzzing of the air conditioner was too disturbing. (Wow, I’m a Writer: M. Grossman)

7. Sensory Quick Write: • A beautiful day • Rain at night • Examples of autumn • A train whistle in the distance • A grandfather clock ticking • The purr of a kitten • Cold winter air on your face • Smell of the ocean • Sounds of crackling fire • Warm apple pie • A trip to your favorite restaurant • A delicious ice cream cone • A ride on a rollercoaster • A camping trip • A trip to the beach • The band concert was loud. • The puppy feels soft. • I was feeling nervous. • A hike in the woods

8. A Trip to Your Favorite RestaurantSensory Quick Write: A green linen tablecloth with snowflake designs covers the table. In the center of the table sits a Pizza Hut pizza box not yet opened, but filled with pepperoni pizza. Beside it is a tray of hot buffalo wings with blue cheese. On top of the box a basket of cheese bread is covered in foil. “Let’s eat!” a man calls out as he grabs a fork. The lady besides him calls out, “Pass me the hot wings.” (Wow! I’m a Writer: S. Allen)

9. Mood Quick Write: • Taking a test • Holiday season • A strange noise • A new toy • A mystery box • The team won the game. • He was mad about missing the bus. • Winning a race

10. Winning a Race Mode Quick Write: Sweat dripped from Sandy’s forehead. A cool breeze swept against her as she sprinted hard for the finish line. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Emma, her biggest rival, straining right along beside her. She had to win! She just had to!

11. Quick Writes by Specific Skills: • 1. Revise this sentence, changing dialogue into action and continue: “I think I’ll head upstairs to bed,” I said. Ex.  I headed upstairs to bed… • 2. Revise this sentence, changing dialogue into action and continue I said, “What should I do during my week off?” Ex.  I wondered what I should do during my week off... • 3. Change this dialogue into action: and continue  “Hey, let’s head out to the barn,” Mark said to Anthony. Ex.  Mark and Anthony headed out to the barn… • 4. Revise this sentence using specific detail and continue:  A beautiful tree grew in the yard. Ex.  A tall, thick-trunked oak tree covered in olive green leaves and small green acorns shaded the backyard… • 5. Write an elaborative description this setting: The forest was a wonderland of snow and ice. Ex.  The branches of the trees glistened like glass in the sunlight.  Snow clung to the tree trunks and blanketed the forest floor like white velvet.  • 6. Revise this sentence from a narrative story in first person past tense: and continue:  Erica goes to the door, grasps the knob and hesitates. Ex.  I went to the door, grasped the knob and hesitated.

12. 7. Rewrite this sentence in first person point of view and continue: She gazed across the meadow of wildflowers. Ex.  I gazed across… • 8. Rewrite this sentence in third person point of view, selecting a character name you like and continue: I was eager to head to the beach. Ex.  Vivian was eager to… • 9. Revise this sentence by “flipping the sentence subject”, adding a vivid verb and some specific detail and continue:  Cara had a big brown bag. Ex.  A large brown leather pouch with silver buckles hung from Cara’s shoulder. • 10: Combine these sentences so that they flow more fluently and continue: Dominic headed to the garage.  He strapped on his helmet. Dominic hopped on his bike. Ex.  Dominic headed into the garage, strapped on his helmet, and hopped on his bike. • 11. Revise this run-on sentence:  Carlota tiptoed up the stairs to the attic where she began to rummage through the collection of old cardboard boxes that looked as though no one had opened them in about a decade which was probably true since that was when her grandmother had moved into the old house. Ex.  Carlota tiptoed up the stairs to the attic.  Once upstairs she began to rummage through the collection of old cardboard boxes.  It looked as though they hadn’t been opened in the decade since her grandmother had moved into the old place. • 12: Revise this sentence, showing and not telling:  After the race Emma was hot. Ex.  Sweat poured down Emma’s back soaking her shirt.  Her face was red and her wet, limp  hair was stuck to her forehead.  She fanned herself with her hand and breathed heavily

13. 13. Revise this sentence showing, rather than telling: I felt a chill. Ex.  I shivered and ran my hands together in order to warm up. • 14. Revise this overly general sentence, showing rather than telling: This weather has been awful! Ex.  This snowy, wet weather chills me to the bones… • 15. Revise this sentence, showing rather than telling:  Ms. Elliott was excited! Ex.  Ms. Elliott clasped her hands together and jumped up and down.  • 16. Revise this sentence, showing rather than telling:  Jack’s clothes were dirty. Ex.  Jack’s coat was covered in mud.  The bottoms of his jeans were soaked and smelled of swamp water. • 17. Revise this sentence using specific details:  A beautiful tree grew in the yard. Ex.  A tall, thick-trunked oak tree covered in olive green leaves and small green acorns shaded the backyard. • 18. Revise this sentence, showing rather than telling through the use of an anecdote: You shouldn’t leave personal belongings where a new puppy can get at them. Ex.  My friend Sean left his new baseball mitt on the floor beside his bed.  His golden retriever puppy confused it with a rawhide toy and chewed it up!  If Sean had put his glove away he and his puppy would be happier.

14. 19. Revise this sentence using an anecdote that shows, rather than tells:  I remember how much fun it was to go swimming. Ex.  Last summer my best friend Luke and I played water basketball in his built-in pool.  We’d follow that up with a game of Marco Polo. • 20. Write an anecdote to illustrate this sentence:  Playing with a dog can be fun. Ex.  Whenever I go to my friend Lisa’s house we play tug-of-war with her dog Jasper.  Not only is it great exercise, but we laugh until we cry watching him growl and pull with all his might! • 21. Your mom is going grocery shopping after school.  Write her a polite note asking her to buy you a few items from the grocery store. Ex.  Dear Mom,         Would you please buy me a few things I’d like from the store?  I’d really like:                   •  popsicles                    •  carrot sticks                    •  Snapple    Thanks Mom!                  Love,                 Jake

15. Additional Quick Writes: • Everyone else was laughing • On the other side of that door • Late again • Something I’ve always wanted was • A sound I'd never heard before • What if . . . • The last time I saw him • At that moment I should have left • I briefly encountered a • I knew how it felt to be an outsider. • Hidden away in the back of a drawer • What I should have said was • Waking up in a strange room, I • There were signs of trouble all around • Keeping a secret is difficult. • All I have left is this photo. • It wasn't really stealing… • A place I pass by every day • Nobody could explain what happened next. • Staring at my reflection… • I should have lied. • When the lights went out, I… • Some might say it's a weakness. • Not again! • Where I'd go to hide out from everyone is… • But that's not my real name.

16. Her side of the story • Nobody believed us. • It was time to change schools again. • We climbed to the top. • The one thing I'll never forget • Follow these rules and we'll get along fine. • It may not be worth anything. • Never again! • On the other side of the street • My father used to tell me • When nobody was looking • If I could do it over again • It wasn't my idea. • Everyone was staring at me. • It was a stupid thing to say. • Hiding under my bed • If I tell you the truth • My secret collection • I heard footsteps in the dark • The first cut is the deepest. • Trouble, big trouble, always seems to follow me. • Laughing uncontrollably, I • It was just a game to them, but not to me

17. A best friend is…. • If I were the teacher, I would … • I wish … • I love the way… • If I could travel to any city in the world, I would go to… • In twenty years I will… • If I had a million dollars… • I can’t understand … • I felt so sad… • If I were the president of the United States…. • I like how… • One of these days…. • The most memorable time in my life… • My favorite thing to do is…. • The funniest thing that ever happened… • Something I’ve never done but would like to do… • My worst vacation started… • What I really hate… • What I really enjoy… • I like how