1. Understanding the FCAT
Writing Test
Spanish Lake Elementary
Parent Writing Workshop
November 14, 2011

2. Purpose
As a result of attending this presentation, participants will:
Understand what is tested in the FCAT
Writing Test
Understand the State’s Rubric so that
they can work with their children
Learn about strategies they can use at
home to help their children be more
effective writers

3. What is FCAT Writing?
A test where students are
required to write a response to
an assigned topic.
Students receive a score for the
written response.

4. Types of Writing
Expository – Writing to explain or inform
Narrative – Writing to tell a story
Persuasive – Writing to persuade

5. Student scores are based on the following:
 FOCUS:
◦ Know how to read the prompt.
◦ Stay on topic throughout the paper.
 ORGANIZATION:
◦ Plan before writing.
◦ Have a clear beginning, middle, and end.
◦ Include a topic sentence in the beginning and a concluding sentence in the end.
◦ Use transitions
 SUPPORT:
◦ Remove information that is not about the topic.
◦ Develop “magnified moments.”
◦ Turn “telling” sentences into “showing” sentences.
◦ Use similes, metaphors, and figurative language.
◦ Use vivid verbs, concrete nouns, powerful adjectives, and adverbs
 CONVENTIONS: (Sentence Variety)
◦ Practice rearranging sentence parts.
◦ Use appropriate punctuation in sentences.

6. Supporting Details
Bare-simple listing or events or reason
"I like to go to school because it is fun.”
Extension-information that begins to clarify
meaning
"I like to go to school because it is fun when the
teacher allows us to do experiments with
frogs.”

7. Techniques for Innovative Beginnings
Grab the Reader
 A command to the reader
◦ Never try to outsmart a skunk.
 A question
◦ What possessed me to try and catch a skunk?
 A quotation
◦ “What on earth is that wretched smell?” my sister said
as she gagged.
 An action
◦ I had never run so fast in my life. Unfortunately, it
wasn’t fast enough!

8. More Techniques for Innovative
Beginnings…
A sound effect
◦ PSFST!” I smelled the skunk’s spray almost
as soon as I heard it.
A theme statement
◦ It was a battle with nature. Nature won.
A thought
◦ As I walked through the woods, I imagined
how a skunk might be forced to protect
itself.

9. Transitions
Ideas have to flow with smooth transitions…
Order Words
◦ First, then, finally, and furthermore may not be
enough…
◦ gradually, eventually, briefly, in the future, in a
short time, promptly, meanwhile, later, on the
other hand, inevitably, for this reason, in a split
second, nevertheless, as a result, in a flash,
suddenly, in any event, as a consequence, all of a
sudden, at once, at last, afterwards, after a while,
soon…

10. Narrative Transitions
at that very moment meanwhile for this reason
to my surprise unexpectedly nevertheless
in a split second afterwards gradually
eventually in any event at the speed of light
in two seconds flat inevitably briefly
in the future promptly later
on the other hand as a result in a flash
suddenly at last soon
at once all of a sudden cautiously
This story really begins
And in less than an instant
Once, not too long ago
This adventurous story really begins
Night followed day and day followed night over and over again.

11. You need to provoke some kind of emotion
or reaction in the reader through voice…
Voice is accomplished through precise
word choice
Lets the reader know the mood, the tone
Lets the reader be “in the moment” with
the writer

12. The ideas should be well developed
through magnified moments…
The baby was upset. (Telling)
The baby held his breath and screamed.
(Showing)
I was really mad. (Telling)
I ran to the door, threw it open with a
loud bang against the wall, and yelled,
Get in this house right this minute!”
(Showing)

13. Show Don’t Tell
Use sensory details, figurative language,
vivid verbs and descriptions to help the
reader create a mental picture of what is
going on in the text.
Show me how it looks, feels, smells,
tastes or sounds.

14. Substitute boring general words for
precise words
Focus: Active Verbs – Sensory Words
Sound Sight Taste Touch Smell
laughing, squinting, licking, slurping, grab, clutch, sniffing, get a
clapping, staring, gobbling, yank, hug, whiff of
shrieking, observing, sucking, gulping, pushing, pulling,
screaming, peeking, smacking, poking
crying, whining, browsing, smiling salivating
splashing,
whoosh of the
roller coaster,
chomping,
crunching ,
pounding on the
pavement,
blowing whistle,
singing, humming

15. Vocabulary
Use a Thesaurus to change simple words
into more intelligent complex words.
Examples
Big - Enormous
Pretty- Stunning
Difficult- Intricate
Blue- Sapphire
Important- Significant

16. Figurative Language
Hyperbole- an extreme exaggeration
I am so hungry, I could eat a horse
Metaphor- comparing two unlike things
The snow was a soft blanket that
covered the yard.
Simile- comparing two things using like or as
He is as mean as a angry gorilla.
Onomatopoeia- sound words make
POW, BOOM, Zoom

17. Endings
Circular ending – when beginning with an
impacting line, repeat the line at end of the
writing. (e.g.,. . .because I see it through
Grandpa’s eyes.
Emotional statement – end by making statement
that sums up a feeling described in a narrative,
expository or persuasive paper (e.g., “You must
change your life.” Or “And that was always
enough.”)
Surprise ending – A surprise ending does not
have to be shocking. It can be anything unusual or
a new way of looking at something.

18. Other Endings Continued
Offer the reader advice: “Don’t forget
to always be nice to your mother.”
Make a prediction: “ I predict that I will
travel the world in my time machine.”

19. Thank you for coming!
This PowerPoint presentation will be available on
the following website:
www.explorereadingandmath.org
www.sle.dadeschools.net
(in the parent information section)