Think SRSD: How to Get Started
What’s the big deal about Think SRSD?
What's with all of the buzz around Think SRSD? Well, it's an evidence-based, research-backed approach to teaching writing that has been proven to significantly improve students' writing skills. Unlike traditional methods, Think SRSD focuses on not just the technical aspects of writing but also on helping students develop self-regulation strategies. This empowers them to take ownership of their writing process, from brainstorming to revision.
Self-Regulated Strategy Development
✅Structured and Explicit
✅Provide strategies
✅Deliberate skill practice
✅Research/evidence backed
✅Self-regulation
✅Mnemonics
Tips for Getting Started
Starting with Think SRSD you may wonder “Where do I start” if you have not been trained yet, but it’s doable! The Website resources can be a great starting point. Check out this video.
Getting started
1️⃣Start with the Basics
Learn the core elements of the Think SRSD model. Think SRSD is based on students learning both writing strategies and how to regulate their thinking.
2️⃣Free Resources: Before diving in, check out the Pre-assessments that can help you gauge your students' writing levels before starting the Think SRSD approach. Find them here!
3️⃣Look at an exemplar & Annotate
4️⃣Model POWER and TIDE-collaborative write
5️⃣Score exemplar and collaborative piece you wrote together, and ask for student volunteer to score as a class
6️⃣Set Goals
7️⃣Practice Mnemonics for POWER💪 and TIDE 🌊 daily
8️⃣Integrate writing into reading: don’t treat them as separate subjects.
One Step at a Time
I felt so passionately about Think SRSD, I applied to be in the Goyen Literacy Fellowship. Every educator and student deserves research evidence-based learning. If you know me, you know I despise the spotlight, but I felt so motivated to make a change and help somehow. I hope I have helped you get started in your Think SRSD journey. Don’t hesitate to reach out to your Think SRSD community. Check out the Facebook group! I can’t tell you how many educators on that page are more than willing to jump in and support you.
My Think SRSD Journey
When I first started this journey, I focused on positive self-talk and began by learning the mnemonics and understanding how each component of the Think SRSD model fit together. Over time, I gradually integrated more aspects of Think SRSD into my lessons. For transparency, I did receive in-person Think SRSD training. It took some time to change over my previous writing style and invest in Think SRSD but I knew it was worth it! Here’s where I got started last spring.
✍️I taught my students about self-positive talk before we embarked on this new journey.
📈The first steps were administering the pre-assessment.
✏️Model and practice
💪🌊The Mnemonics POWER and TIDE is a fun yet essential way to help remember key elements in the writing process.
Current Work
Before learning about Think SRSD, I was really nervous about teaching writing. I had never received professional training on how to help students write, which left me feeling unsure. But now, with the tools and support from Think SRSD, I not only have strategies that empower my students, but I feel more confident as a teacher too. This year, I've focused a lot on integrating writing throughout our day and, more recently, on teaching narrative writing. We started writing narratives in late January, and I have to admit, I was apprehensive at first. My past experiences with teaching narratives hadn't gone well, so I wasn’t sure how my students would respond. But to my surprise, they’ve really loved learning how to write narratives!
A couple of things I’ve really enjoyed about teaching narratives are the process tools we’ve used. First, we use CSPACE to map stories we're reading while also using it to plan our narratives, which has helped my students organize their ideas and structure their writing. Another thing I love is that, just like in informational or opinion writing, we still use the same planning process to prepare for narrative writing. This consistency has been really helpful, and it's made the transition to teaching narrative writing much smoother than I expected.
What’s Next
This year, I focused on delving deeper into narrative writing and integrating writing across different parts of the day, and I’ve seen firsthand the positive impact that Think SRSD has had on my students. Moving forward, I want to continue sharing my journey with others because I truly believe in the effectiveness of Think SRSD.
⭐Explore more in-depth techniques for teaching grammar through Think SRSD, as well as experimenting with varying the gist of writing assignments to better engage students.
⭐Practice complex paragraphs, while still maintaining the structure and strategies they’ve learned through.
⭐Learn more about Think SRSD.
📣Join the Think SRSD Movement Today!
Join the Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1BYSyHB3GF/?mibextid=wwXIfr
Watch what it's all about: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwZe1amgJUU
Get started: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1DN2r45BDR/?
Where can I find resources to get started? https://thinksrsd.com/free-resources-to-share/
What’s the research say?: https://thinksrsd.com/research/
Where can I learn more? https://thinksrsd.com/professional-learning/
Think SRSD Overview https://thinksrsd.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/SRSD-Introductory-Overview-V2.pdf
Teaching Elementary School Students to Be Effective Writers https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/Docs/PracticeGuide/writing_pg_062612.pdf
Writing With Dr.Laud: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-road-to-reading-podcast/id1740000155?i=1000675287897
Implementation Science Science Meets Writing Instruction Think SRSD’s Journey to Scalability Impact: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/knowledge-for-teachers/id1668548426?i=1000678700244
New Research Study with Think SRSD Writing Instruction with Dr. Leslie Laud, Nate Joseph, and Robert Mitchell. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-literacy-view/id1614519794?i=1000662702452
How to Teach Writing in K-8: A thinkSRSD Deep Dive with Dr. Leslie Laud: https://www.themeasuredmom.com/how-to-teach-writing-in-k-8-a-thinksrsd-deep-dive-with-leslie-laud/