Teaching Writing With Rubrics: Practical Strategies and Lesson Plans for Grades 2-8

"What a gift! I used your book from the first day. Using your guidelines, I am now developing my own units and rubrics."
Rebecca Kennerly, Student, Resident Teacher Program
University of New Mexico

Take the guesswork out of writing instruction and assessment!

The step-by-step instructions, scheduling guidelines, lesson plans, rubric assessments, and reproducible forms in this guide are the result of years of research, planning, and fine-tuning in the classroom. Inspiring student creativity while addressing standards and meeting the needs of every student has never been so easy!

Special features include:

• Step-by-step instructions on how to set up a classroom writing program
• Eleven comprehensive, classroom-tested lesson plans
• Methods for adapting rubrics for high school students, gifted students, English Language Learners, and students with learning disabilities
• Strategies for evaluating every step of the writing process, from pre-writing to final draft
• How to incorporate Six Trait Writing

Discover the excellent writing your students can produce when provided with a rubric and challenged to do their best! Once you have used the strategies and materials in this guide, you may wonder how you ever got along without them!

Laura Flynn received her Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education in 1992, and followed with her Master of Arts in Elementary Education in 1994, from the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque.

She has over eleven years of experience in education, working with students from grades 1-12. She has served as a consultant with UNM′s Resident Teacher Program on teaching writing, using rubrics, and teaching thematically. She currently works as an Instructional Coach at Chelwood Elementary School in the Albuquerque Public School District and teaches summer school for the Albuquerque Academy′s Summer Enrichment Program.

Ellen Flynn received her Bachelor ′s degree in Elementary Education in 1994, followed by her Master′s in 1995, from the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque.

She has been a classroom teacher since 1994 at Chelwood Elementary School in the Albuquerque Public School District.  She has served as a consultant with both the University of New Mexico and the College of Santa Fe regarding teaching with rubrics, Gardner′s Multiple Intelligences, and teaching thematically.