If you’ve been trained in The Write Tools method and have one or more of our binders, you will find a coupon code on the back page of your binder along with instructions for obtaining the online version of our software. Each coupon code provides 1 login on 1 device. Learn more or login >
If you haven’t already done so, consider purchasing additional copies of the software for your students. We offer volume discounts that make the price of each module reasonable and there are no annual subscription fees. Imagine the benefits that a classroom copy of the software would provide!
- 1 to 9 for $24.99 each
- 10 to 29 for $19.99 each
- 30 to 49 for $14.99 each
- 50 or more for $9.99 each
Discounts available for 10 or more copies.
The software is for use on both tablets and personal computers with internet access in the United States.
On our first day with your group we provide a history of the Academic Standards and the process of development. We include a document which lists ALL the ELA standards arranged by grade level and content areas. Our introduction helps teachers learn to read the standards numbers, and see the relationship between grade level standards and Anchor Standards for Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening, and Language.
Each day of training begins with a look at the Academic Standards that will be addressed during that particular day of training.
The pages in our binder also provide a code for the specific standard or standards being addressed if using that strategy.
Participants have told us they leave with a better understanding of Academic Standards through our overview then anything else they have attended.
The Write Tools trainers are eager to point out connections between the strategies being presented and the 6+1 Traits of Writing. The 6+1 Traits in the common language we use to discuss writing with our students and the assessment model we use in our rubrics. A concerted effort was made during the creation of these materials to clearly connect the strategies, the Traits, and solid literacy instruction.
Here’s how a few workshop participants responded when asked, “Were the 6+1 Trait connections helpful?”
“Yes. I have had four workshops on 6 Traits in two years. It was nice to see some practical ways to work with the Traits.”
“Absolutely helpful! Just last week we had a 6 Traits workshop, and this program provides a follow-up ‘next step’ to go beyond the 6 Traits!”
“The connections to 6 Traits were helpful to me because our school emphasizes the Traits. I can easily share ideas with others at my school, and it aligns with what we’re doing.”
“Very helpful! I feel like I’ve had 6 Traits shoved down my throat, and now I know what to do with them. I also liked the links to reading and our state standards.”
The Academic Standards make explicit the expectation that writing is based on text students have read. Writing instruction has a direct connection to improved reading comprehension. Teaching students to write teaches them to think. When students discover that the way they’ve learned to write is frequently the same way their textbook is organized, the science text or the history text doesn’t seem quite so formidable. The Write Tools materials include deliberate connections to reading in each of our binders.
- Informative/Explanatory Binder includes Responding to Informational Text
- Opinion/Argumentation Binder includes Research Papers and Projects
- Narrative Binder includes Responding to Literature
Our trainers do their homework before they visit your school/district. We make a special effort to reference your state standards in the workshop. Our materials will be a strong match for your own state standards and assessments.
The Write Tools work for the full range of learners. The three-tiered approach to instruction and implementation allows teachers to differentiate instruction. The strategies help high-achieving students, English-language learners, special-needs students, and kids who just don’t like to write! The Write Tools materials and training provide teachers with the knowledge and resources to implement effective writing instruction the very next day. We also address the rigor that is expected to help students successfully meet College and Career Readiness (Anchor Standards) goals by the time they complete high school.
Yes. This is our special passion. We work with many underperforming and program-improvement schools, and have produced results that they would be glad to share with you.
In our trainings we show adaptations and samples from kindergarten on up. Because we want all teachers in a building to be “on the same page,” we feel strongly that all teachers should experience the introductory training together. We can substitue a day of Primary training for your K-2 teachers following the first day of Informative/Explanatory training. This will replace the Multiparagraph training for those teachers. Our other two binders include material specifically developed to meet the standards for young writers. Our office staff will be happy to discuss specifics with you and help build a plan that is most sensible for your primary teachers.
As you are probably aware, there are now specific standards in ELA for teachers of history, social studies, science and technical subjects. Our trainers always offer implementation ideas across a wide range of content area and content teachers are welcome in our trainings. We know how important content-area teachers are in the implementation of these tools! Often initial instruction occurs in the language arts classroom, but thereafter, systematic use has to occur in content-area classrooms. We strongly suggest that all teachers experience the Informative/Explanatory training together. Our staff will be happy to discuss specifics with you.
We offer a three day introductory workshop in Informative/Explanatory writing that lays the groundwork for writing process, and comprehension of informational text. This training provides teachers with tools and strategies to immediately implement effective instruction in their classrooms. This three-day training can be scheduled on consecutive days, or spread out, depending on your needs. After completing the initial training, you’ll have two other binders to consider—Opinion/Argumentation and Narrative: Real and Imagined. To thoroughly cover ALL of the ELA standards for literacy, it will be most helpful if your teachers can eventually have all nine of our exceptional training days.
In addition to training, we strongly recommend adding coaching days to your professional development plan. Grade-level meetings, demonstration lessons and coaching lessons will guarantee that strategies are being delivered with fidelity as well as build teacher confidence and accelerate student performance.
Yes. We understand that sometimes you have only one staff development day available. However, we strongly encourage you to schedule the additional days as soon as possible. Beginning with two days gives participants a complete picture of the writing process. Some schools like to start with our Paragraph training day, follow up with Responding to Informational text, and then have us return to do Multiparagraph and Compare/Contrast writing once teachers and students have some time to implement the strategies learned the first two days.
We are happy to continue to support your teachers so that the training they received becomes a natural part of their instruction and they are able to continue to develop their skills. We offer three forms of follow-up training:
Grade-level meetings give teachers who have completed a TWT workshop the opportunity to ask questions, share student samples, and review a particular strategy. These meetings are also chances to discuss and share “homework” that the coach has assigned during a workshop. This initial on-site experience gives the trainers an opportunity to provide differentiation grade level by grade level.
Demonstration lessons offer the teacher a chance to observe a strategy being taught in his or her own classroom by one of our professional trainers. Other teachers at the same grade level also observe the lesson. Teachers sit with students rather than as a group at the back of the room so that they can interact with children during the lesson. Just as important as the demonstration lesson is the dialogue time that follows each lesson. Grade-level teachers discuss the sequence of the lesson and decide what the next steps should be.
Teacher-led lessons encourage teachers to conduct TWT lessons with their own class while the TWT coach and grade-level colleagues observe. Before the observation lesson, teachers are urged to meet as a grade level and work together to create a lesson. They are also encouraged to have one or more teachers “test-drive” the lesson and make adjustments to improve it. Finally, the new and improved lesson is delivered while the coach is on site.
This model encourages planning and working together as a grade-level team. Teachers become comfortable in front of their colleagues, thus laying the groundwork for peer coaching. All of these support days can be scheduled during student contact days. These on-site support days cement the concepts learned in the workshops. One school administrator commented that they were “what made staff development stick.”
The Write Tools training workshops are led by enthusiastic, experienced trainers who have been or currently are teachers on the front lines with students just like yours. Our trainers have also held positions as literacy coaches, resource teachers, reading specialists, and content-area specialists. Because they know these materials inside and out, they are able to customize the training to address your specific needs and interests. To view biographies of our training staff, click here.
Our trainers have many years of experience using these strategies with students. After several years of working with our company, we occasionally will customize a “train-the-trainer” workshop for your district. Our success is based on our experience, which we can’t ethically replicate until teachers have had thorough training and plenty of time to use the strategies in their classrooms.
Yes. We work with groups as small as 20 and groups as large as 200. We are especially skillful at making a large group feel like a small group. We believe the sharing of ideas across chools is energizing. We especially encourage feeder schools to work together. It is common for two or more staffs to work together to provide training for their teachers and share in the costs.
Yes. Please contact our offices for information on which conferences we will be attending. We also offer a one or two-day training through hotel workshops in major cities throughout the United States.
Yes! Numerous grants are available for educators to assist with The Write Tools’ training and curriculum. Click here to learn more.
We’d love to hear from you. Call 303-221-5301, email your questions to training@thewritetools.net or submit a question online here.