When REWARDS® authors Anita Archer and Mary Gleason decided to create a program to improve the writing performance of intermediate and secondary students, they analyzed state standards across the country to determine the most common writing genres in fifth through eighth grade.

In the process of studying students' work in these genres—expository, persuasive, and personal narrative—the authors realized that the students' problems were often at the sentence, not the paragraph, level.

"They could learn the structure of a paragraph, but the sentences were so low-quality that we decided to back up and do this module first," Archer says, referring to the new REWARDS Writing: Sentence Refinement program from Sopris West.

Each 20- to 30-minute lesson in REWARDS Writing follows the same instructional routine of introducing, teaching, practicing, and providing feedback. "Sharpening Your Word Choices" teaches students to select precise nouns, active verbs, and meaningful adjectives and adverbs.

In "Polishing Your Sentences (Sentence Combining)," students are given two or more related sentences to combine into a more sophisticated sentence. They may be asked to expand a sentence by answering questions such as when, where, why, and how. For a sample lesson, click here.

To write the program, Archer and Gleason teamed up with Steve Isaacson of Portland State University, whose research on writing instruction for students with learning disabilities included early studies on sentence combining, one of the 11 elements of effective adolescent writing instruction identified in the recently published Writing Next: Effective Strategies to Improve Writing of Adolescents in Middle and High Schools.

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Anita Archer's fifth grade teacher, Mrs. Finkle, inspired her to enter the teaching profession. Today the recipient of 10 Outstanding Educator awards, Archer combines Mrs. Finkle's heartfelt enthusiasm with nearly four decades of her own instructional development, field studies, and consulting and training experience.

"My primary vision has always been the delivery of effective instruction," Archer says. "Lately, a movement toward evidence-based interventions and instruction is making a significant difference in practice as well as curriculum design and development. People are really concerned about making a difference for the whole range of children, including students with disabilities and English language learners. ... You don't just accommodate; you liberate."

While earning her master's and Ph.D. in special education from the University of Washington, Archer was fortunate to work with a team that was ahead of its time in research-validated instructional techniques and student progress monitoring. After teaching elementary and middle school language arts, Archer was asked to return to the university to teach college classes and establish some of the first resource rooms.

Tom Lovitt, a renowned scholar in behaviorally based special education, remembers serving on Archer's doctoral committee at the University of Washington. His recollection supports Archer's belief that delivery is the foundation of good teaching.

"She's a real vital person and captivates her audience," Lovitt says. "She's very popular for her nuts-and-bolts classes and has a lot of credibility because she has done a lot of teaching herself."

Lovitt and Archer agree that staying connected to the classroom is key to staying relevant to teachers.

"Throughout my whole career, I've done direct work and demonstrations in schools," Archer says. "So I've never been too far from teaching, which, to me, is really important because it directs both my staff development and curriculum development."

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"I am an 'old dog,' and I need 'new tricks.' The conference has helped me change my old way of thinking about special education and move to a better place with my attitude and job execution."

—Dianne Croom
Principal, Central Elementary School
Pollok, Texas

"I can't wait to come back next year! This is just the boost I needed after a tough school year. Thank you for the positive reinforcement!"

—Barbara Hashagen
Special Education Teacher, Wickenburg Unified School District
Wickenburg, Arizona

"The strategies presented were very user-friendly, and I quickly identified measures that I could adapt to my instructional setting to enhance instruction and positively impact student achievement."

—Jacqueline Turner
Principal, Wacona Elementary School
Waycross, Georgia

It's testimonials like these that inspire us all! Please send your success stories involving Sopris West products or professional services to
e-newsletter@sopriswest.com.

We hope to see you next summer! Please save these dates for 2008:
June 1–4: Desert Canyon Institute, Tucson, AZ
June 15–18: Galveston Island Institute, Galveston, TX
June 15–18: Mountain State Institute, TBA, WV
June 22–25: Rocky Mountain Institute, Keystone, CO
June 25–27: Park City Institute, TBA, UT
June 29–July 2: Teton Institute, Jackson, WY
July 6–9: Laguna Cliffs Institute, Dana Point, CA
July 7–10: Myrtle Beach Best Practices Institute, Myrtle Beach, SC
July 7–10: Beach Administrators' Institute, Virginia Beach, VA
July 8–11: Smoky Mountain Institute, Gatlinburg, TN

Fall NCTM Regional Conferences
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics
Presenters include: Larry Bradsby, Shirley Bradsby, Beth Glenn, Pat Lawler, and Lynda McKelvey

• October 11–12; Richmond, Virginia
  Visit Sopris West at booth #314
• October 25–26; Kansas City, Missouri
  Visit Sopris West at booth #708
• November 29–30; Houston, Texas
  Sopris West booth TBA

NASDSE Annual Conference: Focus on the Possibilities
National Association of State Directors of Special Education
October 20–23, 2007
Scottsdale, Arizona

IDA Annual Conference
International Dyslexia Association
October 31–November 3, 2007
Dallas, Texas
Visit Sopris West at booth #711 and enter to win a Sopris West gift certificate!

NAEYC Annual Conference
National Association for the Education of Young Children
November 7–10, 2007
Chicago, Illinois
Visit Sopris West at booth #1131

NMSA Annual Conference
National Middle School Association
November 8–10, 2007
Houston, Texas
Visit Sopris West at booths #953–955

ASHA Annual Conference
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
November 15–17, 2007
Boston, Massachusetts
Visit Sopris West at booth #324