Teaching the Traits — This useful tool defines each trait and gives ideas for how to teach each one, followed by a sample lesson.

    Sample Parent Letter — Use this parent letter when introducing the software to your students' parents and explaining the importance of writing.

    Modes of Writing — This helpful graphic organizer helps explain the four major modes of writing taught in the software. It can be enlarged and used as a reference in any writing classroom.

    Tips for Using the Software — These are some of our best tips for introducing and using the software with your students.

    Writing Prompt Tips — I Can Write Online gives students' choice throughout the program. Periodically, however, it is critical that you use an assigned writing prompt in order to assess your students' progress. This download provides you with helpful tips on creating your own writing prompts.

    My Writing Record Sheet — This download is an organizational tool for your students. Students keep a chart of the types of writing they have completed. A space is provided for teacher comments.

    Writing Process Posters — These posters may be displayed in the classroom to provide students with a visual of the writing process.

    Mini Lesson Suggestions — This helpful handout will provide you with weeks of mini lessons for your writer's workshop. The mini lessons are organized by genres.

    Revision Tools — These helpful revision tips will help student's make a "splash" with their writing. These helpful tips may be kept in a student's writer's notebook for handy reference.

    Teacher's Comments Record— This form allows you to keep track of the students to whom you've written Teacher Comments in I Can Write Online without having to check each student's file.

    Writing Conference Record — Conferencing in Writer's Workshop is a must and this conferencing form helps teachers keep up with those weekly conference notes in order to monitor growth.

    Tips for Teacher Conference — This download may offer helpful tips to keep your conferences focused and running smoothly.

    Peer Conference Sign-Up Form — When peer conferencing has been modeled it can greatly enhance your writer's workshop. This form will help with the organization of the task.

    Teacher Conference Sign-Up Form — This download helps with the organization of conferencing with students. Students sign up for conferences as needed with their teacher.

    Editor's Conventions Checklist — This helpful download is useful when students are ready for the publishing stage. Student's first must edit their work themselves, with a peer and with the teacher before publishing their work. This list of editor's conventions can easily be modified to meet the requirements of your classroom needs.

    Tips for Editing — This download consist of basic editing strategies. We recommend that each of these editing tips be modeled in a mini lesson before expecting students to practice them in their own writing.

    Writing Process Chart — This is a picture of a Writing Process Chart. Students have tongue depressors with their names written on them. At the end or beginning of each writing period, they place their depressors in the envelope on the right that corresponds to their stage of writing.

  Word Choice Activity — Draw a tombstone on chart paper. Write a common vague verb on the tombstone. Explain that today this word will be made to "rest in peace". Have students brainstorm “vivid verbs” that tell more specifically what they mean when they say they “like” someone or something.

  Word Choice Activity 2 — Using chart paper and a marker, you can guide the students in thinking of words to replace “overused” words in their writing. This is also a chance to have them use their thesauruses to find those words. At another time, you can have them play a Word Choice game in which groups of four try to find the most number of alternative specific words for the words on the left. As you read students' writing, look for words your students seem to overuse the most to make the activity more meaningful.