Improving Grade 3 Persuasive Writing: A PLC Collaboration

Our problem of practice:  How can we teach grade 3 students to write effective persuasive paragraphs?

What did the data reveal? The students needed more practice forming clear reasons in their persuasive writing paragraphs. 

Our Professional Learning Community:  The grade 3 teachers of St. Teresa of Avila School c0-planned and implemented a persuasive writing learning cycle, structured around the gradual release of responsibility model. We hoped to increase the consistency of instructional practice around writing persuasively through shared anchor charts, models, organizers and rubrics.

Together we developed a diagnostic task, formative tasks, and a culminating task aimed at addressing these Ontario Curriculum Expectations for Writing: 

1.2 generate ideas about a potential topic, using a variety of strategies and resources

1.3 gather information to support ideas for writing in a variety of ways and/or from a variety of sources

1.4 sort ideas and information for their writing in a variety of ways, with support and direction (

1.6 determine whether the ideas and information they have gathered are suitable for the purpose,

2.5 identify, initially with support and direction, their point of view and one or more possible different points of view about the topic

2.6 identify elements of their writing that need improvement, using feedback from the teacher and peers, with a focus on content and word choice

2.7 make simple revisions to improve the content, clarity, and interest of their written work, using several types of strategies

(Ontario Ministry of Education, 2006)

Diagnostic Task: Students wrote a paragraph to convince people to reduce consumption/production of either water, electricity or waste/pollution. The success criteria included a topic sentence, 3 persuasive reasons, and a closing sentence.

Formative Task 1, Modelled Writing: Teachers shared the big book, Three Easy Steps To Getting a Dog (Scholastic, Literacy Place) and lead a discussion about the role of counter-arguments in persuasive writing. The class co-created an anchor chart with these steps: 

1. Gather information

2. Identify counter-arguments

3. Address counter-arguments

Formative Task 1, Shared Writing:  Teachers led the students in co-writing a persuasive argument about whether the Elmira Maple Syrup Festival was a good event for the town. (Note: this school is in Elmira, Ontario, home to a very large annual syrup festival). Data was collected on students' opinions about the festival (i.e., Do you thing the festival is good for the town? Yes or No?). Results were discussed. 

Formative Task 2, Shared Writing: Teachers reviewed the concept of counter-arguments. Using the data, a T- chart was completed about the festival with the headings "Counter-Argument" (e.g,, the festival is too crowded, too much walking) and "Addressing Counter Arguments" (strategies for coping with the crowds, interesting activities to do while walking).

Formative Task 3, Interactive Writing: Together the classes brainstormed a topic sentence. Then using the jigsaw method, students were put in 3 groups and assigned one counter argument per group. When completed, all 3 arguments were shared. Groups gave feedback to each other to refine wording of the arguments. Then the 3 arguments were collated.

Formative Task 4, Interactive Writing: Teachers reviewed the importance of a strong closing sentence and revisited the example from the big book. Students worked in 3 groups to brainstorm a possible closing sentence on a whiteboard.  Students viewed all the closing sentences and voted on the strongest. All parts of the paragraph are collated and displayed on the performance wall as a model.

Culminating Task 1, Independent Writing: Students chose their own persuasive topics from a brainstormed list of suggestions. They creates their own survey to collect data. Theyd complete the Counter-Argument/Addressing Counter-Arguments T-Chart. Then they produce a persuasive paragraph with a topic sentence, counter-arguments and a closing sentence. 

Culminating Task 1, Guided Writing/Conferencing: While students worked independently, teachers worked with students 1;1 and/or in small groups to monitor progress and support students in using the T-Chart organizer or models. Scribing was used for IEP students who have scribing as an accommodation.

Impact of this PLC Collaboration on Persuasive Writing:  This collaboration took a lot of time initially. The team met several times to narrow down our focus, select the curriculum expectations, brainstorm the order of teaching and practice, gather resources and create the organizer and rubrics. Everything was written up on a Learning Cycle-Planning Placement. Once the plan was complete, it was a dream to implement!  I felt very confident following the flow of activities because everything was so well organized. The gradual release structure was easier to accomplish because we had thought it through so carefully together. It was comforting to know the same activities were going on in the classrooms next to me and it was nice to check in with each other teachers daily to monitor our progress and tweak the plan as the learning cycle went on. The students gravitated to the engaging topic in the modelled writing (i.e., how to get a dog) and could readily connect to the maple syrup festival prompt for the interactive writing. They enjoyed the data collecting activities, too, and that was a good cross-curricular connection. We noted a significant increase overall in students' persuasive vocabulary and improvement in paragraph form from diagnostic to culminating work. 

Summary:  Though working as a PLC involves a considerable time commitment, the planning that evolves through teamwork and collaboration is much more thorough and strategic. Drawing in the expertise of the Spec. Ed Team also helped us to plan appropriate accommodations and ensure that EAs were aware of the learning plan and could support the goals when they were present in our classrooms. It is easier to plan for multiple entry points and differentiation when many creative minds are generating ideas together. Students are better served by the thorough and high quality planning that a PLC generates together. By working together to address a problem of practice, our professional relationship as colleagues was strengthened and trust increased as we enjoyed the success of seeing improvement in learning together. This was a positive influence on students' well-being and learning.