Writing Skills 2 nd Edition

PROGRAM OVERVIEW
Grades 2–12

Comprehensive instruction
for struggling writers
What is Writing Skills?
Writing Skills, by Diana Hanbury King, is a comprehensive writing program for beginning, struggling, at-risk,
or reluctant writers. For these writers, this structured program provides an essential foundation in thinking
and writing skills. For proficient and advanced writers, it offers strategies, techniques, and opportunities to
apply them.
Writing Skills provides special instruction in spelling, handwriting, and keyboarding, and addresses
important skills that many writing curricula take for granted. The series comprises:

• Four student books (A, 1, 2 and 3) providing detailed, step-by-step instruction in grammar, composition,
mechanics, usage, and editing
• A comprehensive Teacher’s Handbook with strategies for direct instruction
• Two cursive handwriting student books specially designed for both right- and left-handed students
• A keyboarding student book, utilizing a multisensory and kinesthetic approach that is especially
effective for students with learning differences

Writing Skills Grade Levels

• Writing Skills Book A — Grades 2–4
• Writing Skills Book 1 — Grades 5–6
Go to epsbooks.com/WritingSkills to find:
• Writing Skills Book 2 — Grades 7–8 • Research paper • Sample lessons
• Writing Skills Book 3 — Grades 9–12
• Cursive Writing Skills for Right-Handed Students — ungraded
• Cursive Writing Skills for Left-Handed Students — ungraded
• Keyboarding Skills — ungraded
• Teacher's Handbook — ungraded

Research-Based Writing Instruction

Research shows that explicit instruction benefits both struggling and proficient writers. The Writing Skills series
is based on the idea that students should not be so inhibited by grammar, spelling, or handwriting skills that
they neglect the larger goal of self-expression. The program does not require that students master skills that
were previously thought of as “fundamental” before progressing on to the “advanced” task of composition.

To view the research document for this series, visit epsbooks.com/WritingSkills

How can I fit Writing Skills into my curriculum?

Writing Skills is designed as a structured, comprehensive program for teaching the composition, grammar, and
transcription skills necessary for effective writing. The series spans grades 2–12 and can be used in a variety
of classroom settings. As a beginning writing program, Writing Skills provides step-by-step instruction in the
foundational skills needed by students to become good writers, including grammar, sentence structure,
paragraph composition, mechanics and usage, and transcription. For students with learning differences,
reluctant writers, or at-risk students, Writing Skills helps build fluency and confidence and provides a variety
of strategies and opportunities to apply them. Writing Skills is ideal for differentiated instruction and can serve
as a comprehensive writing program in general classrooms, inclusion classrooms, and specialized settings.

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 Writing Skills student books include
• A variety of strategies for organizing and prewriting, allowing students to record their thoughts and
ideas before they begin writing
• Grammar and usage exercises integrated into writing instruction to help students write more
efficiently and effectively
• Writing concepts illustrated by rules, examples, and model sentences, paragraphs, and essays to
enhance understanding
• Carefully structured lessons that move students from simpler tasks such as sentence and paragraph
writing to more complex essays
• High-utility writing forms and genres including letters, expository essays, outlining, summaries, and more
• Instruction closely aligned with state and national standards, giving struggling and reluctant writers
the strategies they need to be successful in the general classroom

Writing Skills Teacher’s Handbook includes

• Explanations of how to teach writing through explicit instruction, models, and samples of student
writing at various stages
• Detailed explanation of the proofreading and revising process and tips on how to help students
revise their writing
• Writing prompts and activities organized by grade and genre, allowing for differentiated instruction
• Discussion of state and national standards and how to help students meet those standards in the
general classroom
• Instructional guidelines for teaching spelling, spelling generalizations, and how to address spelling
within the larger context of writing instruction
• Detailed instructions for transcription including proper cursive letter formation with verbal cues,
proper grip and positioning, and keyboarding
• Reproducible assignment sheets, reference information, and planning tools for enhanced practice
and instruction

Writing Skills handwriting and keyboarding books include

• A kinesthetic, multisensory approach that is particularly effective for students with language-based
learning differences
• Verbal cues to help students internalize letter formation and increase “motor memory”
• Instructions on proper pencil grip, paper position, and posture to help students transcribe more
efficiently, individualized for both right- and left-handed students
• Keyboarding instruction that moves students quickly from individual letters to whole words, phrases,
and connected text

For detailed product information, visit epsbooks.com/WritingSkills. 3­

 Skills Addressed
Writing Skills Book A (Grades 2–4) • Basic paragraph structure
• Types of writing
• Sentences • Answering short-answer and test questions
• Nouns and verbs • Friendly and formal letters
• Adjectives and adverbs • Revising and editing
• Kinds of sentences • Writing from prompts
• Prewriting

Writing Skills Book 1 (Grades 5–6)

• Audience and purpose
• Planning and prewriting • Types of writing
• Sentence structure and variety • Essays
• Grammar for writing • Editing and revising
• Basic paragraph structure • Writing from prompts
• Expanding paragraphs

Writing Skills Book 2 (Grades 7–8)

• Audience and purpose
• Planning and prewriting • Types of writing
• Sentence structure and variety • Summarizing
• Grammar for writing • Essays
• Basic paragraph structure • Editing and revising
• Expanding paragraphs • Writing from prompts

Writing Skills Book 3 (Grades 9–12)

• Sentence structure • Expanding paragraphs
• Expanding sentences • Types of writing
• Advanced grammar for writing • Outlining
• Prewriting and making lists • Essays
• Basic paragraph structure • Editing and Revising

Cursive Writing for Right-Handed Students

• Correct paper position, posture, and pencil grip for • Numerals
right-handed students • Uppercase letters
• Prewriting exercises • Joining uppercase to lowercase letters
• Lowercase letters • Writing practice and applications
• Joining lowercase letters

Cursive Writing for Left-Handed Students

• Correct paper position, posture, and pencil grip for • Numerals
left-handed students • Uppercase letters
• Prewriting exercises • Joining uppercase to lowercase letters
• Lowercase letters • Writing practice and applications
• Joining lowercase letters

Keyboarding Skills
• Home row keys • Numbers
• Lowercase letters • Symbols and punctuation
• Uppercase letters • Writing applications

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 Writing Skills, Book A, p. 4

Grammar exercises are integrated

throughout the series.

For detailed product information, visit epsbooks.com/WritingSkills. 5­

Writing Skills, Book A, p. 87

Step-by-step instruction breaks the writing

process down into manageable steps and
provides students with strategies to apply
to their own writing.

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 Writing Skills, Book 1, p. 14

Aligned with state and national standards

for language arts, the Writing Skills series
teaches strategies and techniques for
learning challenging concepts.

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Writing Skills, Book 1, p. 23

Prewriting, including brainstorming,

making lists, and organizing ideas, is an
important part of the writing process.

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 Writing Skills, Book 1, p. 129

Reflecting best practices in writing

instruction, each stage in the process
is clearly and thoroughly modeled.

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Writing Skills, Book 3, p.105

Direct instruction and modeling helps

students master the types of writing
required by standardized assessments.

Writing Skills, Book 3, p. 103

The series presents grammar

­concepts for each stage of
writing development,
addressing common errors
and editing strategies.

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Writing Skills, Teacher’s Handbook, p. 66

Strategies for direct instruction cover a

variety of writing forms and give special
consideration to diverse student needs.

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Writing Skills, Teacher’s Handbook, p. 83

Writing prompts span a wide range

of grades and abilities and are
organized by genre for easy reference.

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Writing Skills, Teacher’s Handbook, p.152

Reproducible planning templates, assessment

tools, and word lists supplement instruction in
the handbook and student books.

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 Cursive Writing Skills, Left-Handed and Right-Handed Editions, p. v

Left– and right–handed students learn

how posture, paper position and pen
grip improve handwriting.

Cursive Writing Skills, Left-Handed

To the Student
✹ and Right-Handed Editions, p. 47
Before you can begin to improve your handwriting skills, check three important details:
your posture, the position of your paper, and your grip on your pen or pencil.

Your posture is important. Be

sure to sit up straight with
Uppercase letters are more
both elbows on the desk and
your feet on the floor. If you
difficult because they begin
slouch, you cannot breathe in many different places and
directions. Writing Skills groups
deeply, and your brain thrives
on oxygen. As you write, your
left hand should rest at the top
of the paper and move similar letters and models
upward. It acts like the roller
on a typewriter, allowing your
­simplified versions, which are
right hand to remain in the
same position on the desk.
more likely to maintain their
Both elbows should be on the legibility.
desk all the time.
Correct Posture

Paper position is crucial. The paper must be slanted at a forty-five degree angle—no more
and no less. As your hand swings across the paper, yourFlag elbowLetters
acts as a pivot. If the paper
is slanted too much, the words will fall below the line; if it is not slanted enough, they will
fly up off the line. Strips of tape attached to your desk These
like train tracks can
uppercase helpbegin
letters you main-
with a shape like a flag: b.
tain the correct position. Another trick, invented by a student of mine, is to turn under the
bottom corner of the paper and to keep the resulting edge parallel to the edge of the
table.
BP R
Practice the flag letters. Draw the flag, then write the letter. Do this three times.
Flag Letters
b B||||||||||||| B These uppercase letters begin with a shape like a flag: .

b P||||||||||||| BP R
Practice the flag letters. Draw the flag, then write the letter. Do this three times.

B B|||||||||||||
b R|||||||||||||
Practice these letters by writing the following words. Continue on the next page.
Paper Position: Train Tracks Paper Position: Folded
B P||||||||||||||
õŸÑÙí‡ìÕ||||||||||||| v

B R|||||||||||||
õŸÑ÷ćî‡ì‡òœ||||||||||
õÿã‡îŸÑÕ|||||||||||| Practice these letters by writing the following words. Continue on the next page.

õŸÑÙí‡ìÕ|||||||||||||
õ÷é„ćìÕ||||||||||||
Writing Skills provides
practice in the 3 stages
õŸÑ÷ćî‡ì‡òœ|||||||||||
õ÷é‰ÅŒ||||||||||||
of cursive mastery: õÿã‡îŸÑÕ||||||||||||
ÆŸÑÙí‡ìÕ||||||||||||
õ÷é„ćìÕ||||||||||||
Æ÷éÁî÷ÜÍáÕ|||||||||||
•c
 opying from cursive õ÷é‰ÅŒ||||||||||||
model Ƈî‚çÕ||||||||||||
ÆŸÑÙí‡ìÕ|||||||||||||
Æ÷ÄÿʼnÅÁà‡ìÕ|||||||||||
• copying from print Æ÷éÁî÷ÜÍáÕ|||||||||||
• composition
Ƈà÷É÷ÉÿãŸÑÕ|||||||||||
Ƈî‚çÕ|||||||||||| 47

Æ÷ÄÿʼnÅÁà‡ìÕ|||||||||||
Ƈà÷É÷ÉÿãŸÑÕ||||||||||| 47

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Keyboarding Skills, p. 17

Multisensory method of naming letters

while typing helps students memorize
position of keys.

:
J K L ;
Keyboarding Skills, p. 72

J
,
K
, and
L
are home keys, all in a row. Students practice typing with
punctuation marks, improving
✹ Type two lines of these letters.
keyboarding skills and grammar.
j k l j k l j k l j k l j k l j k l

j k l j k l j k l j k l j k l j k l

✹ Go back and put it all together. Type the letters A though L five times.
Name the letters as you go.
Now you will learn the rest of the punctuation marks. You have already learned the
a b c d e f g h i j k l period, comma, exclamation mark, and question mark.

a b c d e f g h i j k l
Practice the colon (:) and semicolon (;) first. They are on the home key of your right
pinky. You need to shift to type a colon.
a b c d e f g h i j k l

a b c d e f g h i j k l

a b c d e f g h i j k l
✹ Type two rows of colons and semicolons.

; : ; : ; : ; : ; : : ; : ; :

; : ; : ; : ; : ; : : ; : ; :

✹ Type these sentences using colons and semicolons.

1 We m u s t h u r r y ; t h e b u s l e a v e s i n t e n m i n u t e s .
I a m o n t h e f o o t b a l l t e a m ; m y s i s t e r p l a y s s o c c e r.
17
S h e i s n o t h e r e n o w ; c a l l b a c k l a t e r.
To d a y i s S a t u r d a y ; t h e r e i s n o s c h o o l .

2 We n e e d s e v e r a l t h i n g s : p a p e r , p e n c i l s , s c i s s o r s ,
and string.
T h e f o l l o w i n g s t u d e n t s s h o u l d s t a y : Pe t e r , S a r a h ,
and Jorge.
We w i l l l e a v e a t 7 : 3 0 a n d r e t u r n a t 12 : 0 0 .

72

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