It is now crunch time to prepare for the 8th grade writing assessment. The writing assessment, which will take place on Wednesday, January 20th, 2010, is scored in four focus areas or "domains". Below is a brief explanation of these domains:
- Ideas: This area assesses how well a student explains and elaborates their thoughts on the given topic. This domain counts twice on the writing exam.
- Style: This area assesses the way a student states their ideas. Style is the domain where a student adds their own writing flair.
- Organization: This area assesses how well the paper is organized. A well-organized paper is one that is easy for the reader to follow, therefore, the ideas are better understood.
- Conventions: This domain focuses on grammar and mechanics (punctuation, sentence structure, etc.). Grammatical errors can make it difficult for a reader to understand what was written.
Now how can one prepare for the writing assessment?
- Re-read everything you write.
- Think, "do I find this interesting?"
- Remember to use Power Writing. This will strengthen both idea development and organization.
- Use higher-level words (instead of "said" use "yelled").
- Remember that you will write a strong, effective paper.
