Whole Brain Teaching Writing Program

I have found a writing system from WBT that I will be using this year and I wanted to share it with you. I can't help but reflect on all of the changes that have taken place in my classroom last year. I know it must have been some kind of divine intervention that led me to whole brain teaching, and I am forever grateful for the wonderful things it has done to my classroom.

 I am amazed at how this program actually works and the growth I have seen in students critical thinking, communication, leadership, reading, and writing skills. My only regret is that I didn't do the program in the year when I first found out about it!

This year, here's the order that I would like to introduce writing.

1. What is a sentence - Program 549- These are the basics of what a sentence needs to have in it. Even in sixth-grade, students continue to write fragments and run-on sentences.

2. Oral Writing -Program 502 - This builds off of the complete sentence lesson above, and gives daily and constant practice in starting with a capital letter, giving a complete thought, and ending with punctuation. Brain toys, such as the because clapper, example popper, and detail adder are also introduced as frames for writing different types of sentences that convey clear ideas.

3. Genius Ladder - Program 841 - This program works to add depth to sentences by adding adjectives, adverbs, and "extenders".

4. Red/Green Marker Writing - Program 531- The beauty of this program is that it allows the teacher and peer editors to focus on one specific concept and mark wherein a student's writing it was done well, and where it needs improvement.

5. What is the main idea- Program 550 - Building on the idea of writing a complete sentence, this program works, obviously, on understanding the main idea.

6. Triple Gold sentence - Program 542 - This program takes the main idea and works to add detail - building towards a topic sentence for a paragraph.

7. What is a topic sentence- Program 551  - Continuing the program above, the triple gold sentence is used to show the main idea of a paragraph.

8. What is a paragraph- Program 552 - Finally, a Triple Whammy paragraph gives a basic paragraph structure of topic sentence, detail adder, detail adder, detail adder, and concluder. This basic paragraph frame can then be enhanced through complex sentences and depth in detail.

I think the power of the WBT writing program comes from its simplicity, and its ability to be used to write college level essays. It's a starting place, with specific steps to follow and concepts to master, that can then be expanded to every grade level!