Year in Review, Pt. 2: Most Popular NoRedInk Activities of 2022
Before 2022 comes to a close, let’s take a quick look back at some of the most commonly assigned NoRedInk activities of the year.
As schools in the United States approach winter break and people the world over prepare to ring in a new calendar year, we wanted to take a moment to reflect on some of the ways teachers and students used NoRedInk to develop key writing and grammar skills in 2022.
While educators use NoRedInk in a wide variety of contexts to achieve a wide variety of outcomes, we’ve compiled lists of the most commonly assigned Guided Drafts, Quick Writes, and Practice exercises of 2022 below. How many of them did you assign this year?
Most commonly assigned Guided Drafts of 2022
Guided Drafts provide scaffolding to students throughout the writing cycle. As students work on their essays, they’re reminded of important concepts and have access to genre-specific lessons, tutorials, and exemplars that help them grow as writers. Here are the five most popular Guided Draft prompts of 2022:
Have you ever visited a zoo or an aquarium and wondered if the animals were happy? Read these texts:
- “Zoo Complicated”
- “Zoos: Fighting to Save Endangered Species”
- “Beastly Blahs”
- “Wild Ones”
As you read, consider: Should wild animals ever be kept in captivity? Write an essay arguing your position, using evidence from the texts for support.
Think about the apps you use regularly. What do you think is the most useful app for people your age, and why? Write an essay arguing for your choice. To make your essay convincing, be sure to include 2-4 body paragraphs and 2-4 pieces of evidence per body paragraph.
3. The Secret
Write a story about a time you learned a secret. What did you do with this information? Make sure your story has a clear beginning, middle, and end.
4. Rule Breaker
Write a narrative about a time when you broke the rules. Show readers what you learned from the experience. (Maybe you regretted it. Or, maybe you made the right choice!) Make sure your story has a clear beginning, middle, and end.
Recall a time when your first impression turned out to be wrong. Write a narrative about what changed your mind. Make sure your story has a clear beginning, middle, and end.
Most commonly assigned Quick Writes of 2022
Quick Writes provide a lightweight way to get students writing frequently. They help teachers achieve a range of objectives, including developing specific writing skills, building writing fluency and stamina, and assessing understanding of course content. Here are the five most popular Quick Write prompts of 2022:
1. Picture Prompt: What’s Going On?
Choose one of the images (Image 1, Image 2, Image 3) and make a claim about what you think is going on in the unusual scene. Then, write a paragraph explaining your claim. Point out at least two details from the image that support your opinion.
If you could make one thing in the world (an item or a service) free of charge to everyone, what would you choose, and why? How would this change the world?
If you could create a soundtrack for your life, what songs would you include and why? Discuss at least two songs and explain why you picked them.
4. Picture Prompt: Dog of the Day
Dogs have a way of reflecting humans’ emotions. Take a look at the dogs in these images (Image 1, Image 2, Image 3, Image 4). Which one are you today? Explain.
5. “Their,” “There,” and “They’re”
Write a short story that begins with this sentence: “There was a knock at their door.” Continue the story, but here’s the catch! Use the words “their,” “there,” and “they’re” at least twice each. Make your story as silly as you’d like.
Most commonly assigned Practice exercises of 2022
Practice exercises help students target and master key writing and grammar skills. These hands-on exercises use a variety of question types to guide students from the sentence level to the paragraph level to the passage level. Here are the five most popular Practice topics of 2022:
- Identifying Coordinating Conjunctions (FANBOYS)
- Commas with Introductory Phrases and Clauses
- Identifying the Verb in a Sentence
- Evaluating Commas with FANBOYS (Coordinating Conjunctions)
- Is the Thought Complete or Incomplete?
Cheers to a new year!
As the year draws to a close, we’re feeling grateful to have had the opportunity to work alongside so many incredible teachers as they’ve helped students harness the power of the written word.
If you want to join our community of teachers and encourage your young writers to find their voices and realize their full potential in 2023, sign up for NoRedInk for free today!
Be sure to check out Part 1 of our “Year in Review” series!
