Course – The 5-Step Writing Program

Since 2005, Mr Tim’s 5-Step Writing Program has been delivering results for primary school students. The highly skills-based syllabus and NSW Board of Studies linked outcomes make this comprehensive course ideal for young learners seeking to strengthen their literacy skills across all key learning areas. Mr Tim’s flagship 5-Step Writing Program has been used at several colleges and schools including Trinity Grammar School, Y.E.S Education Centre and several schools in South Korea.

The objectives of the 5-Step Writing Program are to provide students with the following:

• quality text type examples on which to model writing
• engaging comprehension questions to highlight the structural, grammatical, and lexical features of different text types
• review and usage of parts of speech, e.g. adjectives, adverbs, conjunctions, prepositions, etc.
• explicit instruction of grammatical rules to enhance composition accuracy
• sentence writing skills to develop variety and cohesiveness
• reading and understanding strategies to consolidate comprehension skills
• vocabulary development

The 5-Step Methodology

As with all learning, modelling is an effective and proven strategy to develop writing skills. Children learn best when they are provided with quality compositions across a variety of genres and guided to ‘notice’ the key features that make the piece ‘hang together’ successfully. With repetition and practice, children begin to replicate these features as they become embedded in their cognition. As a result, students develop their own innate writing ability and confidence. Additionally, comprehension strategies, skills, and vocabulary development are incorporated throughout the program to further fill any literacy gaps.

The 5-Steps

Step 1 – Text Type & Comprehension

Explore a new syllabus text type each module. Understand the difference between informative, imaginative, and persuasive genres. Identify the key grammatical, lexical, and structural features of core syllabus text types. Discover how texts ‘hang together’ via engaging comprehension questions, robust discussion and writing tips.

Step 2 – Grammar Attack

Each module focuses on a new skill or area of grammar relevant to the target text type for the lesson. Master the ‘parts of speech’ (adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, verbs, etc). Improve sentence structure and punctuation skills. Understand the difference between clauses, phrases, and tense. Build skills to encourage variety, cohesion, and creativity on a structural level.

Step 3 – Write Now

Modelling the text type example in Step 1 each week, students write in the target text type, incorporating the unique features of the genre. Strategies and techniques are provided along the way to assist with the flow, cohesiveness, and expression of each composition.

Step 4 – Reading & Understanding

Strong comprehensive skills are essential in the development of great writing skills. Indeed, research shows that good readers, become good writers. Reading just 10 minutes a day will expose young learners to 600,000 words in a year. Reading every day helps activate the brain and imagination. Kids who read succeed! Step 4 rotates through six, critical reading strategies to increase confidence and higher order thinking skills.

Step 5 – Word Power!

Each module provides students with a rich variety of new vocabulary. Learn new, challenging words every lesson to expand and build a deeper, richer word bank. Synonyms, antonyms, homophones, adjectives, one word for a phrase, adverbs and collective nouns are all included to develop a vibrant and comprehensive vocabulary.

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