Information About the Florida Writes

The Florida Writes (FCAT Writing) test is administered in February for 45 minutes where students write to a narrative (story) or expository (explaining) prompt. Students are rated from a 0 (Unscorable)- 6.0. Jasztalville has seen one 6.0 in four years. Students can also receive a halfway score like a 5.5 if one rater gives him or her a 5 and the other feels the writing is a 6.

Stories can either be fictional or personal accounts (memoirs). Expository writing is generally written in five paragraphs- the introduction, three main ideas, and conclusion. It is important to write a strong lead for both narrative and expository writing to catch the attention of your reader. Besides that, grammar and spelling are important but do not have a huge part in determining a score. If you write a million-dollar word like chandelier but spell it incorrectly, that will not lower your score in any way. Remember to be experimental and creative...

  • View the FCAT Writing Rubric
  • Writing Raters: Rate Narrative and Expository Writing
  • Twenty Critically Important Writing Target Skills (Melissa Forney)
  • Melissa Forney's Writing Toolbox- You can cut out these resources and decorate a file folder as a writing resource folder.
  • Melissa Forney's Narrative and Expository Storyboard
  • Really Cool Transitional Phrases, Beginnings, and Endings (Melissa Forney)
  • Pages 30-31, 46-47- Transitional Phrases and Onomatopoeia
  • Page 48- Expository Writing and Suggestions on How to Organize

    Word Banks: Open this PDF File...

  • Page 65- Describing characters
  • Page 66- Land features (country)
  • Page 67- Features of a city
  • Pages 68-69- Five Senses Word Bank
  • Page 70- Emotions
  • Page 71- Personalities and styles
  • Page 72- Actions

    VISIT OUR POWER POINT WEBSITE FOR MORE!! Also try to visit Melissa Forney, as her resources are first-rate.

    Writing Guidelines
    by Jonathan Mooney (FamilyEducation.com)

    Once your child has gone through the process of finding a topic, brainstorming, and developing an outline, you are now on to what is often the most difficult part of the writing process -- the actual act of writing! I honestly wish there was some easy way around this, but the bottom line is your child now has to sit down and get those ideas on the page. The following are some suggestions on how to empower your child to start writing and stay writing:

    How to Start Writing:

  • Be open to dictating and typing: I spent my high-school career dictating my papers to my mom. If this works for your child, go for it. Try dictating or voice-activated software. Also, there is absolutely no reason why kids should not be allowed to use a computer for their writing regardless of age.
  • Remind your child of the process: It is tremendously important that when your child starts writing the first draft that you remind him of all the work he has already done. Tell him that he has done the hard stuff, and now it is time to get the words out. Also, remind him that this is just a first draft, and that it is OK to make mistakes.
  • Censor the self-critic: We all at times have a voice that comes up and criticizes everything we write. You need to help your child prepare for this voice. Help her understand how this voice might manifest itself. It could be a feeling of dread; it could actually be a voice that says "your writing stinks." Once you have identified how this voice comes up, help your child develop a response. In my life, I have had to literally tape a sign above my desk that says, "Dump the voice."
  • Free-write: One of the best ways to help your child start writing is to have him sit down and start free-writing about anything that comes to mind.

    How to Keep Writing:

  • Create a "to-do" list: Writing is best approached in incremental pieces, not as a huge whole. Help your child create a small and manageable to-do list, no more than a few paragraphs at a time. Tell her that when she finishes each list, she can take a break. Often you'll find that she keeps right on writing after she finishes her to-do list.
  • Turn off spell and grammar check: Often computers underline misspelled words, an obvious distraction for anyone driven to distraction. Turn this automatic spell checker off.
  • Let your child keep moving and talking: Many kids need to move and mouth words to themselves as they write as a way to access a motor memory. If that is the case, buy yourself some earplugs and let him make as much noise as he needs.
  • Encourage your child not to correct: Too many kids spend way too much time writing and then crossing stuff out. Remind your child that rewriting is for the rewriting stage. All you care about right now is getting it out.
  • Skip writing transitions, introductions and conclusions: Often kids get hung up on the superficial aspects of a paper. Transitions, conclusions, and introductions are often things that are better left to the rewriting process.
  • Take breaks or switch gears: One of the worst things your child can do is sit, trying to write for an hour straight with nothing coming out. If the words are not flowing, help your child take a break or switch gears. Have her keep a writing pad near her desk that she can doodle on -- often doodling helps the brain switch gears and have a new perspective on the writing. Lastly, a five-minute break never hurts anyone, unless it turns into fifty.

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