Charting the Course - How the Curriculum Shapes Writers

According to Sabbott (2015) the term “curriculum refers to the lessons and academic content taught in a school or in a specific course or program”. In class as we explored the different pieces needed for students to be able to write at the different grades, I have come to understand that the writing curriculum serves as a roadmap for teachers. As students move from grade to grade, the curriculum helps teachers build on what was taught before and it also guides students from simple sentence construction to complete a variety of writing pieces.

For example, the writing curriculum for grade four (4) focuses on helping students move beyond basic sentence construction to writing more advanced pieces. It outlines the different content areas students should cover and/or be able to execute on their own.

In this grade’s writing curriculum, students work on:

-        sentence building: sentence construction and vocabulary building

-        sentence expansion: (teaching aspects of s1-s29)

-        review paragraph structure: topic sentence, supporting details, closing sentence

-        introduce essay structure: introduction, body and conclusion

-        review description – add the description of events, places (still scenes)

emphasize dominant expression, chronology, spatial order

-        narration: oral and written – (trimming/tailoring description as relevant)

development of character (based on role), dialogue: use of said, asked and other more vivid ‘telling’ verbs

-        developing setting: time, place, atmosphere, culture, dress, behaviours

-        developing plot: beginning – middle – end

                           problem – actions (2 attempts) – resolution

-        exposition (written) process explanation: following directions/instructions, give commands (not using the word ‘you’ as a subject)

-        topic sentences: question, proverb, startling comment etc. as attention getter, thematic statement, supporting details, number of sentences; number of paragraphs (at least use of connectives/transitional words, no numbering/no recipe format; continuous prose.

-        letter writing:

invitation: review letter format

content: date, time (start, end), place, dress code; expectations/accommodations, instructions/guidelines, RSVP, contact details

 

The outline above shows how carefully writing instruction is planned. Each grade builds on the one before, helping students to become confident, independent writers. As a future teacher, I see the curriculum not just as a list of topics, but as a tool that helps me to guide my students’ growth step by step. 

References

           Sabbott. (2015, August 12). Curriculum definition. The Glossary of Education Reform. https://www.edglossary.org/curriculum/