Setting writing goals can seem a daunting task.  Perhaps the following suggestions will get you started as you persevere in your writing instruction.

For students who struggle to get anything on the page before asking how much is enough, set a timer.  Don’t tell them how much but tell them how long they need to write. Build some writing  stamina. 

Establish a baseline using writing prompts, fluency probes, conventions and spelling lists. Determine the greatest area of need for each student. Is it conventions? Fluency? Style? Content? Focus?

Once you know the area of needs, set some goals. The ones that follow are suggestions.

Conventions and Editing

Given a prompt, __________ will complete ______ sentences using correct punctuation and capitalization.

Given a writing sample at _____ grade level, _______ will correct spelling, punctuation, and capitalization errors with fewer than _____ errors.

Fluency

Goals may measure letters written, words written, words written correctly, or sentences written.

Given a five-minute timed probe, _________ will increase the number of letters/words/sentences written by ___  percent.

Style

Style is hard to teach.

Students will include ________ descriptive words in a given written assignment.

Students will include one or more examples of figurative language (simile, metaphor, hyperbole, onomatopoeia, personification, alliteration).

Students will begin all sentences in a different way in a given written assignment.

Students will include a combination of simple compound , complex , or compound-complex sentences (depending on the grade level).

Content includes ideas and developing or supporting them.

Given a written assignment, __________ will improve his score based on the common rubric.

Student will write a _______-paragraph essay that includes topic sentences, transition words, and a conclusion.

_________ will write a paragraph with a topic sentence and ______ detail sentences.

Focus: stays on topic, isn’t confusing, or doesn’t give  irrelevant information

Given a written assignment at ______ grade level, ________ will stay on the given topic/stay focused.