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Write from the Beginning...and Beyond

Communicating Successfully

TEACH Writing, Rather than just ASSIGN it

Give your students the tools they need to be better thinkers, writers and communicators. Write from the Beginning...and Beyond is a comprehensive writing program that is proven to increase writing skills across the curriculum.

Teacher helping students with their writing

Case Studies & Testimonials

Writing is thinking. When students can write effectively, we know that means they are learning and able to express what they know.

Jane Sattari, Principal

Kenmore Elementary School

Our scope and sequence give us the WHAT we need to teach, but Write from the Beginning is the HOW.

Hanan Thornton, Asst Superintendent of Educational Services

Magnolia School District

As much as Thinking Maps and Write from the Beginning...and Beyond provide structure for the students, they provide the same structure and support for teachers.

Savannah Haye, Language Arts Instructional Coach

Austin ISD

If you're interested in ensuring your students can learn AND apply 21st Century Thinking Skills, then Thinking Maps and Write from the Beginning and Beyond are imperative. These tools will not only bolster your skillset, they'll provide you with realtime tools for teaching, assessing & observing students in the application...

Rachelle J, Educator

Jefferson County School District

Thinking Maps training has transformed my teaching! It really gets down to the basics of teaching writing and gives you a different perspective. It brings the fun back into teaching writing!

Katie H, Educator

Cherry Creek School District

Write from the Beginning...and Beyond is exactly what you need if you feel like you are not a good writing teacher. Actually, even if you think you are, this training is amazing. I now have so much more confidence to help my students become wonderful writers!

Leigh S, Educator

Dekalb County School District

Writing is where a lot of EL students struggle most. Path to Proficiency and Write from the Beginning have given us strategies that are very easy to integrate in both languages. It’s provided an opportunity to really hone writing skills and help our students make that jump.

Melanie Pagliaro, Principal

Desert Rose Elementary

Comprehensive & Developmental

About Write from the Beginning...and Beyond

Write from the Beginning...and Beyond (WFBB) is a whole-school, comprehensive writing program that leverages Thinking Maps to build a strong foundation for writing across all genres and content areas. It can be used as a stand-alone writing program or alongside a traditional ELA and writing curriculum.

  • Helps students develop their ideas and organize their thinking prior to writing.
  • Develops critical and creative thinking skills that are foundational to good writing.
  • Prepares students for effective written response for both literary and informational text.
  • Develops critical writing and communication skills necessary for success in college and the workforce.
  • Builds a whole-school culture for effective writing with a vertically aligned, developmentally appropriate curriculum.

Classroom of young students writing

Cross-Curricular

Effective Writing Across the Genres

Write from the Beginning...and Beyond is organized into several modules, which provide a deep dive into writing across all genres and content areas. Each module includes genre-specific goals and expectations for each grade, classroom-ready mini-lessons and activities, modeling strategies, and analytic rubrics.

Fanned Out Books

Setting the Stage

The foundational manual for all genres of writing. Teachers learn how to apply Thinking Maps for writing, the elements of effective writing, and grade level characteristics and expectations.


Narrative

Strategies for narrative writing, including personal thematic, personal chronological, autobiographical incident, imaginative, and fictional writing.


Response to Text

Covers reading comprehension for both literary and informational text and strategies for responding to text in writing, including open-ended response and formal response.


Expository/Informative

Covers a broad range of expository structures, including point of view, reporting information, describing, defining, comparing/contrasting, whole-to-part, cause/effect, explaining why/opinion, and explaining how.


Argumentative

Includes persuasive writing, problem/solution, evaluative argument, and formal/logical argument.

Planning Your Writing Journey

Write from the Beginning...and Beyond is a whole-school program that starts with training your teaching staff. Schools must complete the foundational Thinking Maps training and be active Thinking Maps users before progressing to WFBB.

When implementing WFBB, all schools start with Setting the Stage, our foundational module. Your Thinking Maps Representative can help you plan your writing journey.

Training Options Find Your Rep
Teachers learning in a library
Group of kids in a computer lab

Pencil, Paper & Technology

Write from the Beginning…and Beyond and TMLC

You’ll find additional tools and support for writing in the Thinking Maps Learning Community (TMLC), including:

Specialized Flow Maps and a Writing Window within Map Builder to support the writing process.

Professional development modules that support writing, ELA instruction, and more.

Additional resources, lesson planning ideas and ready-to use Map Builder exercises.

Examples of Maps used for writing instruction in the Map Gallery.

Join TMLC

Access our Thinking Maps Learning Community!

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CONTINUE YOUR JOURNEY

Advanced Training Options

Your initial Thinking Maps Training is just the beginning of your journey!
We offer advanced courses to build the capacity of your staff and maximize the impact of Thinking Maps.
 

Leadership Training

Build a data-driven strategic plan to meet the needs of your teachers and students.

Write from the Beginning...and Beyond

Improve writing across the curriculum with brain-based strategies for all writing genres.

Path to Proficiency

Meet the needs of English Learners (ELs) and students with language-based learning challenges.