Interested in Quill but not exactly sure how to use it in your classroom? Here are some Best Practices guidelines for using the program.
When to use Quill:
- Use Quill 2-3 times a week as a supplement to your core English-writing instruction for grades 2 and up. Ask your students to apply their learnings to the other writing they do in your class.
- Quill is a helpful supplement to ELL instruction. Using a personalized tool ensures that no concept is glossed over (especially helpful for native english speakers teaching ELL).
- Quill combines well with the WITsi strategy for ELL students, helping them move past very basic sentences into compound sentences.
- Quill activities can be used as mini-lessons, small group activities, or independent practice.
How to use Quill:
- Instruct your students to spend as much time as they need working through each sentence. Quill requires thorough and precise writing, which takes time.
- Quill works best for students who can type at a rate of at least 25 wpm. Have students who type below that speed use Quill in conjunction with a typing program (we recommend typing club).
- When your students make errors using Quill, don’t point out these exact errors. The program provides multiple opportunities to fix mistakes. Instead, ask questions: “What do you think you might have missed?” “What parts of the sentence confused you?”