Writing extended responses to a reading passage is a skill that is both elegant and urgent for the literate person. An exemplar of an extended response goes beyond a written summary or retelling of the passage. It requires a personal connection or some ideas that tie-back to the passage. The extended response shows evidence of inferences and conclusions, as well as predictions and judgments that are not explicitly stated in the passage. It reveals personal meaning from the text itself, blended with the background experiences and prior knowledge of the student. Moving students from the skillful summary to the more sophisticated extended response involves oral language skills that transfer to written language skills; scaffolding with prompts for personal connections, and practice in writing with personal connections.

·                Oral Language and Written Language Skills

·                Scaffolding Writing with Cued Prompts