Writing to the Prompt
1. Identify the Type of Question
* Recognizing the genre or type of question is the first key to getting started. There are four types of questions that are asked on tests: narrative, expository, persuasive and descriptive. There are certain “clues” attached to each type of genre. For example: tell a story for narrative, explain for expository, convince for persuasive, and describe for descriptive.
2. Figure Out What You Are Being Asked to Do or Accomplish
* You must learn to count the number of parts to a question. Frequ3ently, there are several parts or certain information is required. You should number each part of the test prompt and include a clear plan for addressing each in your planning. You must also muster whatever you know from your own personal experiences for answering writing prompts. Remember, narratives make excellent examples in your paragraphs.
3. Decide What You Already Know About the Topic
* Once you have identified the type of question and what you will write to answer it, you need to make a plan for your writing. Think about the following points:
· What do I know about this topic?
· What past experience do I have with this topic?
· How have I handled similar prompts in the past?
· Which structure should I use for each section of my writing?
· What facts or information will I include?
After you think about this topic and these questions, jot down a few notes. The notes and planning will help keep you on task. Notes should be short.
4. Planning to Write with an Assessment Lens
*In timed writing, there is little chance for revision. There is little time for writers to go back and change the structure of their writing or to rework more than a few words. What timed writing really tests is your ability to think of your feet. Surely most writers do better when given the gift of time to go back and revise your writing from its more basic elements to the most sophisticated ones. You must realize that most readers/graders will be looking for your ability to stay on topic and stay focused in a logical order. In a persuasive setting, you will not be judged/graded on which side of the argument/principle you choose, but rather on how well you make your argument/point. Each of your main points should become a paragraph, and your elaboration for each point should go inside that paragraph. Make sure that you plan appropriately, but DO NOT spend the majority of your time planning. Practice makes perfect. Learn to divide your allotted time between the planning and drafting stages.
5. Revising Before and During Writing
*When writing is timed, you must perform almost intuitively. You do not have the luxury of days to consider words or weeks to change a sentence here or there. Consider this analogy. Let’s imagine a baseball player in spring training who spends hours and hours, perhaps days, practicing sliding into base. That player may not need that skill for every game, though surely he will need it for some games. When he does need it, it must be right there for him to use, and it will be because he’s made it part of his repertoire of baseball playing strategies. Grammar and vocabulary are the same things! Timed writing for students is analogous to a championship game for baseball players. It’s a time when you must strut your best stuff! You must lose yourself in writing as if you were immersed in a game. You must call on all you’ve learned and practiced in this class to make your writing shine! Remember, time changes everything. Therefore, understand that you have a plan when entering the testing facility/room. Learn to compose compound/complex sentences; use correct grammar; remember your punctuation rules.