4.+Teaching+Writing

Teaching Writing

‘Writing should be meaningful to children, that an intrinsic need should be aroused in them and that writing should be incorporated into a task that is necessary and relevant for life’. (Hill, 2006, p298) The major teaching strategies teachers can use to promote writing in children are: - modelled writing - shared writing - guided writing - independent writing ** Modelled Writing **. (Hill, 2006, p300) This is where the teacher demonstrates the writing process to the whole class. The teacher creates the whole story whilst thinking out aloud and prompting the class to think about the relevant parts of the text. For example, if the teacher was modelling a narrative they would have to create the orientation, complication and resolution, the characters, setting, dialogue and descriptive language in front of the class.

** Shared Writing .** (Hill, 2006, p300) The teacher uses the ideas produced by the class to create a piece of writing. For example, the class was to create a procedural text the teacher would ask the class what sub-headings would be needed and what information goes under those sub-headings. This can become an interactive writing task if the teacher chooses students to assist with writing the piece on the board. In shared writing the students and teacher work together to create a piece of text. **

Guided Writing ****. ** (Hill, 2006, p300) This is a small group activity of 4 – 6 students where they may be asked to work together to create a piece of text. For example an informative text. The students do all writing either in their individual books or on a group poster. ** Independent Writing. ** (Hill, 2006, p300) This is where students write individually in their books. This approach can be used for creative pieces or recounts where the children use their own interests, memories and language appropriate for the text. As the students are exposed to the different methods of writing in the classroom, the teacher should introduce the variety of texts available to students and the differences between them. To test whether effective teaching of writing has taken place, teachers should conduct assessment of each child to review their progress. Teachers should assess: ‘written language, ideas and text conventions’. (Hill, 2006, p289). In early writing development Hill states ‘any recognisable letters [from a students piece] would score 1 point, a recognisable word would score 2 points and so on’. (Hill, 2006, p289) When assessing student’s ideas in their writing, there must be meaning behind it. If there is a picture with some words the student is progressing through writing development. (Hill, 2006, p289). To assess text conventions, the student should be aware that words are written left to right in the English language, that there should be adequate spacing between words and there is evidence of punctuation such as full stops and question marks.

Hill, S. 2006, //Developing Early Literacy: Assessment and Teaching,// Eleanor Curtain Publishing, Prahran