Write from the Beginning...and Beyond
Skills for Future Success
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 improve writing skills across the curriculum.
Case Studies & Testimonials
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 to:
- Help students develop their ideas and organize their thinking prior to writing.
- Develop critical and creative thinking skills that are foundational to good writing.
- Prepare students for effective written response for both literary and informational text.
- Develop critical writing and communication skills necessary for success in college and the workforce.
- Build a whole-school culture of effective writing with a vertically aligned, developmentally appropriate curriculum.
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.
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
Like Thinking Maps, 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
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.
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.
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.
Meet the needs of English Learners (ELs) and students with language-based learning differences.