Meet Strand 6: Composition

A recognizable strand with some key word changes

Most teachers will recognize the writing process standards in this strand. It includes the usual suspects: drafting, revising, editing, and publishing.

What’s new:

Oral and written conventions fall under composition and are not separate. This further reinforces the idea that grammar should not be taught in isolation. Included, of course, are elements of grammar, punctuation, spelling, sentence structure, etc.

The genres of writing a student needs to compose are also included in this strand. The genres include: literary texts (including personal narratives and poems), informational texts (including procedural texts and reports), correspondence, argumentative texts, and literary and rhetorical analysis. One key point here is that analytical writing is not in the TEKS until 11th grade.

Considerations:

· For teachers with Pre-AP classes, there will need to be consideration into how you could potentially introduce elements of analysis earlier to better prepare students for dual credit and advanced placement classes that ask students to write analytically at a college level.

· Notice the term persuasive has been replaced by argumentative. How will that change your approach?

· Also notice, there is no expository writing. The word “expository” doesn’t even show up. Informational is broken down into texts that include “brief compositions that convey information about a topic” at the third-grade level, to “multi-paragraph essays” at the sixth grade level, to “explanatory essays, reports, resumes, and personal essays using genre characteristics and craft” at the high school level. How will this change your instruction? How will it change assessment?

Strand 6 is linked to Strands 4 & 5. Remember, whatever the students analyze they will need to also apply. Hence the use of genre characteristics and craft. Students will learn genre characteristics and craft based on the standards in Strands 4 & 5. They will use those in their compositions in Strand 6. This again reinforces the concept of reading and writing being connected and lends itself best to the workshop model. How will you plan your instruction to connect these different elements?

Please share your ideas! I would love to hear your ideas about the new TEKS!