Improve Writing Skills with Remote Learning

315: Remote Basic Writing Skills

Spelling Rules i before e except after c Double the final consonant The silent e What to do with "y The Pennsylvania Child Welfare Resource Center 315: Remote Basic Writing Skills 2

Forming Plurals Add s o words Add es f words Salmon salmon Guardians-ad-litem y words pronouns The Pennsylvania Child Welfare Resource Center 315: Remote Basic Writing Skills 3

Spelling Game Each person needs a piece of blank paper. Individually, five sentences will be displayed, each containing a spelling error. Using the Basic Writing Skills Resource Manual, identify and correct the spelling error. Write the correct spelling on your blank sheet of paper. When prompted by the instructor, display your sheet on screen. The Pennsylvania Child Welfare Resource Center 315: Remote Basic Writing Skills 4

Spelling Game: Question #1 When I arrived at the house, Mrs. Thomas seemed to be panicing over some milk that Charlie had spilled. The Pennsylvania Child Welfare Resource Center 315: Remote Basic Writing Skills 5

Spelling Game: Question #2 When faced with a difficult case decision, I always consult one of my collegues. The Pennsylvania Child Welfare Resource Center 315: Remote Basic Writing Skills 6

Spelling Game: Question #3 During my conversation with Mr. Moody, I noticed that his speech was slurred and he slipped in and out of conciousness. The Pennsylvania Child Welfare Resource Center 315: Remote Basic Writing Skills 7

Spelling Game: Question #4 Mrs. Jenkins is a fourty year old, single mother of three, who works part time at the grocery store during the week and at a local bar on the weekends. The Pennsylvania Child Welfare Resource Center 315: Remote Basic Writing Skills 8

Spelling Game: Question #5 It can be difficult to gauge the affect of secondary trauma on child welfare professionals. The Pennsylvania Child Welfare Resource Center 315: Remote Basic Writing Skills 9

Fix It Instructions Read assigned sentences Establish the problem and correct the sentence. Create a grammar rule, in your own words, explaining the correction of the sentence. Using blank paper, present your corrected sentence and grammar rule to the group, when asked. The Pennsylvania Child Welfare Resource Center 315: Remote Basic Writing Skills 10

Acronyms/Jargon Do you think everyone knows what SWAN is? Or the CPSL? FSP? PPP? NASW? GPS? Safety Plan? To ensure reader understanding, write out the acronym the first time you use it and put the abbreviation in parenthesis. You can then use the abbreviation throughout the rest of your dictation. If you are using any type of social work jargon, make sure you define the word the first time it is used. The Pennsylvania Child Welfare Resource Center 315: Remote Basic Writing Skills 11

Punctuation Quotation Marks Period Apostrophe Comma Semicolon Hyphens Colon Exclamation Point The Pennsylvania Child Welfare Resource Center 315: Remote Basic Writing Skills 12

Active vs. Passive Voice Active Passive (subject does the acting) (subject is acted upon) Example: Example: The reports were delivered by the case aide. The case aide delivered the reports. The Pennsylvania Child Welfare Resource Center 315: Remote Basic Writing Skills 13

Active Voice Exceptions When the thing acted upon is more important Example: The hearing was cancelled by Att. Martin. In technical writing, where the results are more important Example: The results of the evaluations were divided into four age groups by our psychologist. When anonymity of the person acting is desired Example:It was reported to CYS that The Pennsylvania Child Welfare Resource Center 315: Remote Basic Writing Skills 14

Active vs. Passive Sentence Construction Use a blank sheet of paper. Write one sentence in active voice and one sentence in passive voice. When asked, show your sentences on screen. Participants will decide which is active and which is passive. The Pennsylvania Child Welfare Resource Center 315: Remote Basic Writing Skills 15

Improving Sentence Style Smooth and graceful Complete and mature Correct and appropriate Clear and exact Concise and natural The Pennsylvania Child Welfare Resource Center 315: Remote Basic Writing Skills 16

Improving Paragraph Construction Keep one idea to one paragraph Transition to new idea = new paragraph To be effective, paragraphs should contain the following: Unity Coherence A topic sentence Adequate development The Pennsylvania Child Welfare Resource Center 315: Remote Basic Writing Skills 17

Proofing Exercise Instructions Each person will be assigned one of the four proofing examples. You will have 15 minutes to work on proofing and rewriting the assigned example. Don t forget to use the Resource Guide for help. Be prepared to share changes, including why you made those changes. The Pennsylvania Child Welfare Resource Center 315: Remote Basic Writing Skills 18

Writing Manuals The Elements of Style by William Strunk Jr. Oxford Guide to Effective Writing and Speaking by John Seely How to Write Clearly and Effectively: A Guide to Everyday Writing in Your Business and Social Life by Frank Howland McCloskey The Essential Writer s Companion: A Concise Guide to Writing Effectively for School, Home, or Office by Houghton Mifflin Company The Pennsylvania Child Welfare Resource Center 315: Remote Basic Writing Skills 19

Questions? Comments? Thanks for your participation! The Pennsylvania Child Welfare Resource Center 315: Remote Basic Writing Skills 20