The Ohio Fourth Grade
Proficiency Test for Writing
Students are given one topic, with a story or poem to use as a prompt. The test administrator will read this prompt aloud to the student. The students are then asked to write two pieces based on the given topic. The pieces may be a summary, a retelling, a fictional narrative, a personal experience narrative, an informational piece Of some type of communication, which may be a letter, an invitation, a thank-you note, directions or a journal entry. Students are given directions to lead them through the writing process of prewriting, writing, revising, and editing.
The prewriting activity serves as a organizational tool for both writing pieces. Students may be asked to fill in a list, a web, or another type of graphic organizer. This prewriting activity is encouraged, but is not scored. As students begin the actual writing pieces, the prompt and the prewriting work can be referred to as often as needed.
When students are completing the last stage of the process, editing and revising, they are encouraged to use the checklists provided in the test booklet. The checklists tell specific details that must be included in each piece. The checklists also remind the students to proofread their work for errors in spelling, mechanics and work usage.
The writing assignments are scored holistically, meaning the scorers look at the writing piece as a whole. The scorers look to see if the student has:
- stayed on topic
- used details to support the topic
- organized his thoughts, with a definite beginning, middle and end
- used a variety of words
- used a variety of sentence patterns
- correctly spelled commonly used words
- has written legibly - cursive or print is acceptable
- used correct capitalization and punctuation
With holistic scoring, weaknesses in one area may be balanced by strengths in other areas. High scoring papers are usually strong in all areas. The scores from the two writing samples are combined for a total writing score.
- Students work in response journals, or literature logs, when reading novels in class. Teachers model - and encourage - extended responses that include details from the assigned chapters.
- By 4th grade, all writing assignments are expected to have a topic sentence and detail sentences. Many students also include closing sentences. The beginning-middle-end organization is also required.
- Students are very familiar with a variety of prewriting formats, called graphic organizers. Third and fourth graders routinely complete Venn diagrams, outlines, lists, charts and webs before writing.
- DOL, or Daily Oral Language, provided instruction in punctuation, capitalization and grammar rules as well as daily practice in proofreading.
- Students are given instruction and practice in many different types of writing. Our lessons include journal and letter writing, personal and fictional narratives, summaries, retellings, and in writing directions and informational pieces.
-Encourage you child to add detail and elaboration to his Lit Log responses. Check to see if he has added information from the chapter to support his ideas and if he has a topic sentence introducing that idea.
-If your child consistently misspells a few commonly used words, have him make a chart to hang on the wall of the room where he does his homework. Have him refer to this chart when proofreading all writing.
- If your child asks you to check his work for spelling, make pencil marks in the margin of any line that has an error. Make your child find the work that is misspelled. Try to make your child an independent speller.
- Have your child make up his own editing checklist to use at home. He should list spelling, capitalization, punctuation, work usage and word variety as items to check for.
- Do not write for your child unless you have discussed this previously with his teacher. Students need to develop fluency and stamina in writing. Taking short breaks during homework time may help. Asking the teacher for extended time is also an option if the child has been putting forth effort but needs more time to finish.
Kid News - students can submit stories they have written
Kid Pub - a site for students to use to publish their work
My Hero - students submit a story about a hero in their lives