A Very Different Type of Writing

The Common Core State Standards and their related tests are going to call for a very different type of writing from our students. Students will be required to produce nonfiction writing based on information from two or more texts. In the past, students have been expected to write a narrative or opinion in response to an open ended prompt. This is not going to be what is required on the Common Core aligned assessments.

I am concerned that I am seeing a lot of old style writing prompts be relabeled as "aligned to the new Common Core Standards". Remember, if the writing does not require citing a text, it is not going to be similar to what your students will be required to do on the Common Core tests. For your students to do well on the new tests, you will need to focus on two types of writing: writing summaries of a text and writing about a subject citing information from two or more texts.