• The Write from the Beginning...and Beyond program is the next step following Thinking Maps. Moving ideas from the map into sentences and paragraphs systematically builds the skills of writing in multiple styles and at varied levels of complexity. At Shumway Leadership Academy, we transfer the map building process into writing genres that include:

    • Narrative
      • writing that is often referred to as "story writing" and can be both real or imagined
    • Response to Text
      • writing that requires students to comprehend all of the information (i.e. text, graphics, inferences), understand what is actually written and what is suggested "between the lines", recognize the organization of the information, and evaluate the information with a critical eye in order to generate a composition that is both strong and supported by text evidence. 
    • Expository / Informative
      • writing that involves "providing information" to the reader about any topic using the following strategies: sequencing steps, comparing and contrasting, categorizing, reporting, defining, describing, explaining why, or expressing an opinion
    • Argumentative
      • writing that is intended to persuade a reader, identify a problem and offer a solution, or to take a formal position in an argument