1. e.WRITING SKILLS FOR KIDS
A CRUCIAL NEED
2002
72% of 4th
graders fail to achieve proficiency in the NAEP national writing test.
2003
The National Commission on Writing issues a 44-page cry for help:
American education will never realize its potential as an engine of
opportunity and economic growth until a writing revolution puts language and
communication in their proper place in the classroom.
They conclude with recommendations:

2. 2006
The National Writing Project, the College Board, and the Center on English Learning &
Achievement issue a report:
The State of Writing Instruction in America’s Schools:
What Existing Data Tell Us
It concludes:
We are living in an educational era where . . writing
seems to have evaporated from public concern.
2007
NAEP drops 4th
grade from its writing-skills tests.
2008
NAEP releases assessments of long-term trends in Reading and Mathematics; writing
is not mentioned.
2011
NAEP again tests writing skills in 8th
and 12th
grades; 4th
grade is still excluded.
The urgent appeals to improve writing instruction have not only been ignored, but
instructional resources have been shifted into Reading and Mathematics.
The situation is worst in elementary school, where no NAEP data are available in almost a
decade.
Innovative digital media, including learning games, might have helped, but the story here
is the same—new media are concentrated in Reading, Math, and Science.

3. The core of the problem is well known: too little time, too many children in one class
writing at too many different skill levels. A typical fourth grade teacher may face a class of
30 or more students, only one-third of whom may write at grade-level proficiency.
Charged not only with improving the performance of those fourth graders writing at level,
the teacher also has the persistent challenge of accelerating the achievement of those
writing below grade level—those left behind, who often see failure as inevitable and never
catch up.
Our project aims to begin moving in a new direction—to offer help where it is most
needed.
PROGRAM GOALS
e.WRITING SKILLS FOR KIDS, offered free online, can play a critical role aiding teachers help
children who have fallen behind in writing skills—skills that are essential not only to
college but to most good jobs.
We propose to provide interactive lessons in 20 essential writing skills for Grades 2-5,
supported by rich teachers' guides and support systems. The lessons will be portable—
usable in classrooms, and as after-hours or homework activities.
Our research-based lesson topics all conform to national common core standards:
GRADES 2-3
Writing a Complete Sentence
Combining Sentences
Zapping Run-ons/Fragments
Transitions
Painting with Picture Words
Painting with Verbs and Adverbs
What Is a Paragraph?
Writing Directions
GRADES 4-5
Sensory Description
Cool Phrases
Figures of Speech
Dialogue
Keys to Genres
Persuasive Opinions
Summarizing
Paraphrasing
Taking Notes
Expanding Ideas
Authoring a Story
Multimedia Report

4. This program will give teachers more time for their vital role of coaching creativity and
promoting self-expression. It also has the potential to help vast numbers of inner-city
children, English language learners, and all at-risk students who struggle with below
grade level writing.
BADGE SYSTEM
We aim for students to begin gaining confidence as writers who can not only use correct
language, but who can communicate and express themselves. Each lesson successfully
completed earns the student a badge; students who complete all the badges at their grade
level receive MARK TWAIN SCRIBE certificates, Silver for Grades 2-3 and Gold for Grades 4-5.
The certificates will entitle students to enter their own writing in our annual MARK TWAIN
SCRIBE competition, held on-line. District, regional and national competitions will be
offered in three writing categories: INFORMATIONAL, NARRATIVE, and OPINION. Only
students who have earned at least 3 badges will be eligible to vote.
LESSON DESIGN
Each lesson will have three parts, in which students:
 Are Introduced to core concepts;
 Practice them in an interactive adventure or competition;
 Are invited to Apply them in their own writing as a follow-up activity.
Each lesson will feature a progressive series of puzzles whose solutions advance specific
objectives, such as forming complete sentences.
Our guidelines:
TOOLS, NOT RULES
Students will learn effective usage and proper grammar through their role in
communication, rather than by memorizing arbitrary rules.
INDIVIDUALIZED LEARNING
 Pre-test places lesson at student's level
 Lesson adjusts difficulty based on student's performance
 Student controls pace
SCAFFOLDED INFORMATION
 One key concept at a time;
 Concepts build from the basic and simple to more complex.
BUILT-IN REINFORCEMENT
 Each concept applied several times before progressing to the next;
 Every student error triggers at least 2 levels of feedback: Hint,
Example.

5. STRONG ENGAGEMENT
 Fun—entertaining characters, situations, visuals and sounds
 Powerful story—puzzles are embedded in and advance story
 Immediate rewards for successful choices
SCENARIOS
The scenario for each lesson will fit its objectives. Two examples: the lesson on Complete
Sentences for Grades 2-3 will be a WHISPERERS' ADVENTURE, while the lesson on Persuasive
Letter for Grades 4-5 will be TV GAME-SHOW STAR.
WHISPERERS' ADVENTURE
A “Horse Whisperer” is a human who can communicate and make friends
with horses.
In WHISPERERS' ADVENTURES games, you will team up with animal
friends. who cannot speak, but can read what you write.
Of course, for them to understand, you must use good English—that's the
only kind they know.
Part One will contain puzzles guiding students to discover core concepts. The puzzles will
progress from (1) pictures to (2) pictures and words, to (3) words.
Once the student succeeds in recognizing complete sentences, the monkey and student
will go on an adventure, such as rescuing a lost baby monkey. At each decision point, the
student must choose among sentences, some of which are fragments. Errors will trigger
hints, and may move the lesson to an easier level. Correct choices will trigger rewards.
TV GAME-SHOW STAR
Persuasive Letter, a lesson for Grades 4-5, will use a television game format, such as
American Idol, where a diverse panel of peers helps students recognize and apply core
standards. A lively host, appealing panelists, and a wildly enthusiastic crowd set a happy
tone. Our prototype script can be seen at watermanfoundation.org
ASSESSMENT AND TRANSPARENCY
Using control groups, each lesson will be statistically tested to verify that it produces a
student success rate of at least 75%.
Learning Management System – A simple, but full-featured management system will serve
students, teachers, and administrators in accessing lessons, recording results, and
supporting use of the program. The program will provide the teacher with a profile for

6. every student, showing the score for each topic, as well as topic-by-topic totals for the
class.
PARTNERS AND ORGANIZATIONS
During Stage One, we will connect with partners in four key areas:
CURRICULUM CONTENT
Ideally this will be a school-district which will provide guidance in translating the core
standards into classroom-level learning, validating our interactive scenarios, and testing
student engagement and learning outcomes.
LEARNING GAME DESIGN & PRODUCTION
We will identify a company which shares our values and goals. They should also be
capable of designing and programming badges and certificates.
ASSESSMENT
We will arrange testing by a credible professional agent to compare the performance of
students in a traditional class with those who have used our lessons.
ADMINISTRATION
We will seek an institutional partner who can provide nationwide access to our program,
administer the issuing of badges and certificates, and collaborate with us in updating the
website.

7. every student, showing the score for each topic, as well as topic-by-topic totals for the
class.
PARTNERS AND ORGANIZATIONS
During Stage One, we will connect with partners in four key areas:
CURRICULUM CONTENT
Ideally this will be a school-district which will provide guidance in translating the core
standards into classroom-level learning, validating our interactive scenarios, and testing
student engagement and learning outcomes.
LEARNING GAME DESIGN & PRODUCTION
We will identify a company which shares our values and goals. They should also be
capable of designing and programming badges and certificates.
ASSESSMENT
We will arrange testing by a credible professional agent to compare the performance of
students in a traditional class with those who have used our lessons.
ADMINISTRATION
We will seek an institutional partner who can provide nationwide access to our program,
administer the issuing of badges and certificates, and collaborate with us in updating the
website.