Message Time Plus is a modeled writing and shared reading instructional program promoting phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension. For each grade level, the teacher can create opportunities in the lesson to model the mechanics of writing (such as capitalization, punctuation, and format) to model the elements of the writer’s craft (such as planning what to write about and choosing rich vocabulary) and to introduce reading skills such as phonemic awareness and phonics in a focused and meaningful context.

In this seven-step process, the teacher plans a written message to meet standards and reinforce content and skills being studied. He or she then writes it as students watch and participate by making predictions. After the message is completely written, children come to the board and identify elements they know, such as letters, words, or punctuation, and their learning is then extended by the teacher through scaffolding and mini-lessons targeted to each child’s level of knowledge.