INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION AGENCY OF PNG CENTRE FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Curriculum Support Document
TEACHING WRITING
2016
Writing Support Document page 1
Contents
Contents ........................................................................................................................... 1
Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 3
Teaching Writing .............................................................................................................. 4
Shared & Interactive Writing .......................................................................................... 15
Guided Writing ............................................................................................................... 17
Independent Writing ...................................................................................................... 20
Editing............................................................................................................................ 26
Supporting children with writing difficulties .................................................................... 30
Writing Support Document page 3
Introduction
Writing is an amazingly complex activity. The writer has to deal with many
skills simultaneously:
thinking what to write about
selecting appropriate content, supporting information and detail
linking it all together
layout of the text
grammar
spelling
punctuation
letter formation and legibility
What do writers at the earliest stages need?
many opportunities to write freely
to see demonstrations of how people write
to see teachers and other adults using writing in a variety of ways
to see their spoken language changed into written form
many opportunities to work with the teacher, individually or in a small group, on
different aspects of writing
opportunities to choose their own topics based on their experiences and interests
a supportive climate for writing where efforts and approximations are accepted and
praised
comments which focus first on the message, rather than spelling, handwriting etc
What do developing writers need?
Writers who are developing control of the process still need the help outlined for the
earliest stages, and in addition:
to see demonstrations of, and learn to use, an ongoing revision process i.e. to write,
read, reread and rewrite as they go along
to use a range of different text forms, based on models which they have analysed
to share, reflect on and discuss their work in supportive situations
to write for a range of audiences as well as the teacher, even if they have to be contrived
at times e.g. a letter from Goldilocks to the Three Bears
to understand who they are writing for and why
REMEMBER: PURPOSE + AUDIENCE = FORM
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Teaching Writing
A balanced writing program includes Modelled, Shared, Guided and Independent
Writing which provide students with many different levels of support. The teacher is
complete control during modelling writing stage and gradually releases control to the
students as their skills grow. This model is called: Gradual Release of Responsibility
(Pearson and Gallagher, 1993)
Student Directed Writing By
Independent Writing
You Do I Watch
Teacher Directed Writing to Guided PracticeWriting With
I Do You Watch I Do You Help - You Do I Help
Modelled Writing Think-Aloud
Shared Writing
Guided Writing
Independent Writing
Modelled Writing Think-aloud
Shared Writing Guided Writing
The teacher demonstrates the writing of the text. You must always model the skill that you want the students to learn. Children learn to write by imitating other writers.
The teacher invites the children to help and participate in the writing. Let the students practise the skill as a whole class activity.
Let the students practise the skill in small groups with teacher support to use the strategies that have been demonstrated.
Let each student independently practise the skills and processes they have learned from the demonstrations. Students who cannot demonstrate competence at the skill will need to return to some small group practice (guided writing) and some one on one coaching.
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Literacy rich environments
For children to become good writers they need to readers.
The classroom should display relevant words and print, provide opportunities and tools
that engage students in reading and writing activities, and celebrate students’ reading
and writing efforts.
Each classroom should have an extensive collection of reading materials with a wide
range of high interest, multiple text type books at developmentally appropriate reading
levels which motivate and support reading and writing. The room design should support
whole group, small group and individual instruction.
Classroom libraries to include newspapers, magazines, levelled and non-levelled books,
displays of student work, environmental print, resource books, computers and software
to support the reading and writing program.
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Using Learning Intentions and Success Criteria Research shows that students who regularly receive information about what they are
learning in the classroom are more focused for longer periods of time, more motivated
and active in their learning and better able to take responsibility for their own learning.
To give students the tools they need to take more responsibility for their own learning
and achieve greater learning independence, teachers need to communicate to them:
Where am I going? (Learning intentions)
How am I going? (Success Criteria)
Where do I go next? (Feedback)
When teachers share these with students they will also develop other key skills such as
communicating (as they give and receive feedback) and the skill of staying well as they
become more confident and positive about their learning.
Learning intentions, success criteria and an assessment task are linked to learning
outcomes.
Example:
Outcome Learning Intention
Success Criteria
4.W
4.S.CC.101
Review the key ideas
expressed during
discussion, explain their
own ideas and
understanding of various
We are learning to write
and present a point of view
in a persuasive manner
Begin with a good opening
sentence
Present reasons and
examples to back up your
argument
Use emotive and
persuasive language (such
as ‘Surely’)
OutcomeLearning
Intention
Success Criteria
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perspectives in light of the
discussion.
Use humour, stories and/or
questions to gain your
audience’s attention
Conclude with a strong
statement
Look at your audience
It is important that criteria is co-constructed with students using exemplars to uncover
together what quality looks like. Teacher may use a visualiser or multiple copies of an
exemplars to build mental models of what success looks like. As the class studies
samples, they begin to develop a common language for thinking and talking about
writing. Students and teachers begin to use this common language in the descriptive
feedback they provide throughout the writing process. When students know what
counts, they are able to set goals, self-assess and improve their writing.
Selecting Samples
Teachers can build their collection of writing samples by:
saving student writing samples from year to year
sharing with colleagues
selecting samples from published authors
downloading exemplars available on the internet.
Choose 4-6 samples for the process, based on assessment of current student
writing. Choose samples that represent the writing students are currently producing
as well as samples that lead to the next curricular outcome for the class. For example, if
her assessment reveals that the students need to use more adjectives, she will select
samples that include the effective use of adjectives.
A suggested four step process for co-constructing criteria with students:
1. Brainstorm
2. Sort and Organise
3. Make and Post a Chart
Modelled, Shared, Independent and Guided Reading occurs here
4. Add, Revise and Refine
1. Brainstorm –
As a class, students brainstorm what counts in a quality paragraph with their responses
recorded on a chart. Then the whole class looks at one or two paragraph samples
together and talks about what the author did well. Any new attributes of quality writing
are added to the chart. Working in partners, the students analyze the other samples,
noting what the authors did well. They come back to the group and share their findings
and again, new attributes are added to the chart. If the students don’t notice an
attribute, the teacher can point it out and then add that attribute to the final chart.
2. Sort and Organise – (use with Levels 4 and 5)
As a class, the students and teacher sort the attributes into groups and choose a title for
each category. For instance, the category entitled organisation might include: lead
sentence, closing sentence, relevant details, sentence order makes sense. Other
categories may include mechanics, word choice, voice, ideas or content.
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3. Make and Post a Chart–
The classified criteria are recorded and posted on a class chart. Student copies of the
criteria chart can be used before writing as a tool to set goals, during writing as a self-
assessment tool and after writing as a tool for offering descriptive feedback.
4. Targeted Instruction –
After the criteria chart is created, the class practises using the criteria to assess other
samples and finally their own writing. Then, based on their self-assessment, students
set goals for their learning. The teacher plans lessons to target common student
identified needs. As they practise their writing, students regularly refer to the criteria.
Students are taught how to offer descriptive feedback to peers and a cycle of self, peer
and teacher assessment supports students as they practise writing.
5. Add, Revise, Refine –
The criteria chart is not a finished document. As the class uses the criteria, they may
choose to change, delete or refine their attributes. As student writing improves, new
samples may be studied in order to add new attributes to the list. All students can learn
to write effectively. When we co-construct criteria with students we invite them to build
their own picture of what quality looks like.
Davies, A. (2000). Making Classroom Assessment Work. Courtenay, B.C. : Connections (p. 31)
from: Using Samples to Co-Construct Criteria for Writing, Sharon Champ and Marilyn Vaughn
Saskatoon Public School Division
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Before Writing
Before writing, teachers need to:
1 Consider things like:
Does my focus reflect students’ needs?
What background knowledge do my students need to have?
Which level writing outcome am I modeling?
How am I going to keep my students engaged?
What strategies and concepts do my students need demonstrated?
2 Negotiate the writing task or aspects of the writing task with students
3 Assess prior knowledge - talk about the topic and texts - generate ideas, establish
or review students’ knowledge of the topic and the text type and rrecord ideas and
information in a systematic summary of shared knowledge.
Develop concept maps/webs, T-charts,
Talk about the social purpose, and reader–writer relationships.
Discuss, compare and contrast model texts:
Research and explore subject matter
4 Listen, read and view similar texts (immersion) in Shared Reading. These provide
optimum opportunities to question the purpose and audience, deconstruct the text,
focus on the language and surface features.
5. Read as a Writer by analysing the mentor text they have been reading.
Boxing up the text structure – physically breaking up the text structure eg
Title (How to…), Introduction, Ingredients, Method, and Final Comment).
This can be done with the text blown up onto the white board, rewritten on a
chart or photocopied for all. Teacher and students can use a marker to box-up
each text structure so students have a clear image.
Identify key language features by underlining or circling words or phrases
that demonstrate text language features (eg past tense, topic sentences,
connectives), author’s voice (eg use of metaphors, point of view). Have these
been effective in achieving the writer’s purpose?
6 Construct knowledge of text type using exemplars (samples) by deconstructing and
reconstructing text (see next chapter for details)
7 Go on field trips or excursions related to topic eg Nature Park, the beach.
8 Develop vocabulary using word webs etc.
9 Make decisions about planning and designing their texts.
10 Develop task-specific criteria. Use writing samples to Brainstorm, Sort and
Organise and Co-construct and Post a success criteria chart (see chapter - Using
Learning Intentions and Success Criteria)
11 Set personal writing goals.
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Activities help children construct knowledge
Using one of the texts that children have experienced in the classroom, create activities
that help children discover the structure or organisation of the planned writing.
Direct Model - The teacher poses
questions about the parts of the text. In
this example the teacher has written the
organisational marker (title, beginning,
middle, end) on the left side of the text
and the purpose of that part of the
writing on the right. If this is done on a
language experience chart, students can
refer to the model throughout all of the
steps of the writing process.
Text Reconstruction – In the junior
classes write the procedure on sentence
strips and place jumbled up strips in a
pocket chart. Work as a class or in small
groups to reconstruct the writing in the
order that follows the textual structure
and makes sense.
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For middle years students - provide
partners of students with an envelope of
typed sentence strips. Together partners
work at reconstructing the text.
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Modelled Writing
“It’s much better if teachers of writing .....write themselves. At one stroke, it puts you both in the
same world.”
- J. R. Gentry
Description & Features:
Scaffolding is the process of developing students’ abilities to approach a writing task
independently.
Teachers and students collaboratively explore the way texts are crafted during shared
and guided reading activities. Teachers draw on this shared knowledge during modelled
writing lessons.
Modelled writing introduces students to the joy of writing; with you, the teacher being
an active writer.
In modelled writing the teacher demonstrates the strategies of a proficient writer ie the
writing process through the concept, purpose of the writing, using success criteria,
planning and organising of information, draft, revisions, etc by verbalising the thinking
processes that you are going through. This is done by “thinking-aloud” as you compose
and interact with a text in front of the students. Modelled Writing also demonstrates the
conventions (grammar, punctuation and spelling) of written language. This allows
students to hear the thinking that is going on during the writing process.
Modelled writing lessons may occur at any stage of a unit of work and may focus on any
stage of the writing process. Teachers may choose to model the whole process during one
lesson by writing and revising a short text or may return several times to the same text
and model the process of rethinking and revising their text over time.
Be prepared:
1 Before you start run through with students what the expected Modelled Writing
Behaviours are. You may need to have an Anchor Chart displayed in the classroom
with the main points eg “Looks Like”, “Sounds Like” that the students have helped
format.
2 Ensure you have a purpose for the modeling. What do you want the students to
observe you doing? Ensure you explain the purpose of the session to the students.
3 Be prepared with resources:
Use large sheets of paper or newsprint. Younger children benefit from this method
since they can see the teacher forming letters, words, and sentences on a large
scale directly in front of them. The overhead projector or interactive whiteboard is
useful with older students. Ensure you have pens that work to avoid students’
losing concentration while you look for one. Using different coloured markers is
useful for highlighting words or text.
Ensure all students can see the text. The paper needs to be displayed at a height
students can see and the writing needs to be large enough for students to see. Sit
on the floor or in the desk at the back row and see for yourself.
Ensure you have written the text beforehand and got someone to check it for
correct grammar and spelling etc. It is essential you model correct English. If
need be copy the text from another writer.
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4 You may model with the class or a smaller group depending on the level of
students in the class and your focus.
5 Because you are not interacting with the students it needs to occur at a quick pace
for 10 minutes or less.
6 You may need to demonstrate this strategy or concept for one session or more. You
may need to continue the demonstration the next day, particularly in the senior
classes where the demonstrations may continue over a number of days.
Conducting
Design a writing plan
o Box-up Group and sequence ideas to be included in different stages of the text.
o Think aloud to make the decision-making process available to students; provide
explanations and reasons as information is sorted and organised.
As you write the draft you are modeling not only the words that go down on paper or
the specific focus of the lesson, but the thoughts that go with the writing. You are
“thinking -aloud” while writing. Students need to hear you think-aloud the thought
processes that go into deciding how to select a topic, the reasons for topic selection,
how purpose and audience lead your decision to use a particular text type.
Voice is the personal quality of the writing, a sense of the writer behind the words –
their individual fingerprints on the page. It is the “flavor” or tone appropriate to the
purpose for the writing and audience, a sense of commitment to the topic,
involvement in the writing, enthusiasm, and integrity. You can model voice by
interjecting your thoughts and feelings into your writing and choosing vivid, specific
verbs. Then discuss the tone of the piece with the students while stressing the
importance of knowing the audience and the purpose for the writing.
Model ways that writing can be changed, rearranged, or deleted. At this point,
“thinking- aloud” is imperative
Model how to ‘have a go’ at spelling, how to use classroom resources eg word banks,
wall displays, dictionaries.
It also gives you an excellent opportunity to model how to proofread text for surface
feature errors eg spelling, punctuation and grammar. A class editing chart (that is
used throughout the school) is most effective.
Model the usefulness of drawing pictures or diagrams, making graphic organisers,
jotting in margins, and note taking.
Briefly review and edit the text yourself:
o Does it make sense?
o Does your voice as author come through?
o Think aloud about the possible need for images to support the text.
Rethinking and revising
o Invite students to provide constructive feedback on the draft (focus on meaning):
o Is the meaning clear?
o Is the message communicated effectively?
o What changes (in vocabulary, grammar, generic structure) might improve the
effectiveness of the writing?
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o Rethink and revise the draft based on feedback.
Editing and proofreading - use an editing checklist to proofread; correct spelling and
punctuation. Think aloud about the reasons for your editorial changes.
After
Share your writing with the group by reading the piece and inviting students to
respond.
Always go over the main teaching points to give children a clear reference point for
their own writing
Modelled Writing results in a readable error free text that allows for continued use,
so display your writing for students to use.
You may need to repeat sessions using different contexts with the same focus until
students can apply their understanding to their own writing.
Connect text to classroom context by linking writing to a previous text, experience,
or activity.
Reflect on your session. This is an important step to improving your teaching:
o Were all students actively engaged?
o What skills or strategies did I model during this lesson?
o What should be included on a poster showing the process the students will
use in the future with the strategy or skill being modelled?
o How will I know if my modelling was effective?
o Do the skills or strategies I modelled need to be revisited in another writing
activity (Modelled, Shared, Guided or Independent Writing)? Why or why
not?
o What potential does this text have for future use?
o How was my pacing?
o When I look at my piece of writing that I modelled today, does it clearly
portray the concept I was teaching?
Discuss publishing options for your writing and establish a publishing plan,
which might include decisions about:
o medium for publication
o print/electronic format
o scanning images
o borders, font (style, size and colour).
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Shared & Interactive Writing
Shared writing is when the teacher holds
the pen and writes what the students
suggest.
Interactive Writing is used when the
students actually hold the pen and write
on the shared text. It is often best to do
this in a smaller group so everyone gets a
chance to write. It is important though
that students are asked to participate and
not put on the spot.
Note: The term Shared Writing as used in this document, is more of an inclusive
term for the use of both strategies.
Shared Writing provides an opportunity for all students to successfully participate in
the writing process. The students and teacher share the task of writing. The writing
comes from the students' thoughts and ideas. Teachers identify and discuss with
students the conventions, structures and language features of written text.
In Shared Writing either in a whole class session or in a group, the teacher acts as
scribe allowing the children to concentrate on the text structure and language aspects of
the text.
Students should be given opportunities to think, or talk with a partner before offering
suggestions for words, phrases or sentences.
In Interactive Writing the children are invited by the teacher to help with the writing
or “share the pen” as it is sometimes called;
Planning
1 Determine what the focus for the session will be.
2 Ensure materials are handy and the text visible to all students.
3 Decide when the students will be invited to “share the pen”
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Conducting
1 Keep sessions brief. In the junior classes 10 is sufficient while a 15 -20 minute
session is appropriate for older students.
2 Explain the purpose of the session and explain that students will be helping you to
make decisions and scribe. “Practice makes perfect” and students, with guidance,
will become better and better at participating.
3 Activate prior knowledge about the experience, topic, or text. Revisit earlier
sessions or activities to ensure students can build on this previous knowledge.
4 Constantly reread the text with the students to ensure the meaning and purpose
are on track.
5 Make observations of students as they participate in the session.
6 Ask students to refine and revise the text,
After
Display text so children can you it as a guide when they write independently.
Make sure students are given opportunities to practise and apply the skills you
have been focusing on.
Shared writing texts are a useful supportive text for students to read in
Independent Reading sessions.
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Guided Writing
What is guided writing?
Susan Hill (1999) explains guided writing in her book Guiding Literacy Learners,
Eleanor Curtain, Victoria:
'Guided writing involves individuals or small groups of students writing a
range of text types. The teacher may provide short anchor-lessons to
demonstrate a particular aspect of text type, grammar, punctuation or
spelling. Guided writing is linked to reading and various text types are used
as models. Students may use writing frames or templates as scaffold for
writing.'
Guided writing involves the teacher working with flexible small groups of students. In
guided writing students apply the understandings they have gained from modelled and
shared writing sessions, with varying degrees of support from the teacher. The students
explore aspects of the writing process, which have been demonstrated.
Planning
Keep sessions short 10 -1 5 minutes.
Importantly the teacher decides what the teaching focus will be from observations and
analysis of students' writing. The session is focused on specific aspects of writing that
students need to develop. This is an opportunity to develop a student's independence
and ability to self-monitor own learning of writing strategies and skills
Group students as the need arises.
Conducting
It is important that the strategies and skills are demonstrated within the context of
authentic writing tasks.
Give students support and immediate feedback.
David Hornsby (2000) outlines two different ways that guided writing can be
managed. Each approach has a different main purpose.
One or two sessions may be planned for small groups of children who need
assistance with specific writing skills
Many sessions, building upon shared reading and writing of a particular text type,
are planned. Firstly, the children are immersed in the text type during reading.
Secondly, they compose a text in that text type during shared/interactive writing.
Finally, they are guided to write their own text in that text type.
Beginning the session with an anchor-lesson based on the needs of the students and
their developmental stage is useful. Jan Turbill outlined this guided writing
anchor-lesson for teaching students to avoid the overuse of ‘and then’ in their
writing:
Type up a text written by one of the students in the focus group.
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Ask students to put a block or post it note over each 'and then'.
Ask students to consider which 'and then' /s could be removed.
Suggest alternative words for the remaining 'and then' conjunctions.
Have students collect alternatives from literature shared in class. Chart these
words for future use eg consequently, but, so. This process teaches students to read
like writers.
In this strategy, students focus on the use of phrases to enrich and extend their
writing:
Choose a text with simple sentences containing lots of phrases, such as Jenny
Wagner's John Brown Rose and the Midnight Cat.
Write out a sentence such as the following. 'In summer he sat under the pear tree
with her.'
Discuss what each phrase tells us; 'in summer' - when; 'he sat under the pear tree'
- where; 'with her' - who.
Change each phrase in the sentence eg change 'In summer' (when) to 'Last night'
change 'under the pear tree' (where) to 'beside the fire', change 'with her' to 'with
his dog'.
After
Conclude with a share session (such as Author’s Chair) to celebrate students’
writing.
When necessary, meet with individuals or small groups of students to teach
specific strategies and/or provide feedback.
Anchor-Lessons
Short, 5-10 minute lesson focusing on writing skills and strategies.
Takes place as needed, with a focus on a writing a teaching point –eg using a
spellchecker or writing complex sentences.
Teachers use observation, conversation, and review of writing samples to
determine what support students need.
Emphasis is on developing the writer, not "fixing" the piece of writing.
Occurs during different phases of the writing process (planning, drafting,
revising, editing, publishing, and reflecting stage).
The students applies the skill and strategy immediately in their writing
Author’s Chair
Is usually used after writing is completed but some time should be set aside daily
for children to read orally what they have written or are in the process of writing.
It is important that that children are given the opportunity to confer with each
other to get feedback for revisions, elaboration and affirmation as they write.
Develops collaborative learning abilities and peer editing skills
Older children who need feedback may find it less threatened if they share their
writing with students in a lower class. The benefits are twofold: the older student
gains the confidence and needed in order to continue his/her writing, and the
younger student sees the connection between reading and writing.
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In order to facilitate higher-level thinking skills the teacher needs to model, the
kind of feedback she is looking for: eg when a student says, "I like the part where
the one boy won the race”, I would ask the student to specify what it was in the
story that he or she liked about the boy winning the race. How did the writer
describe the excitement and the tension of the race?
Language and Word Study
Organised block of time includes word study within the contexts of reading and
writing:
Lessons should include word patterns and structure (pre-fix, root, suffix) as well as
high frequency words and other vocabulary from reading and writing.
Anchor-lessons are focused on the explicit teaching of phonics, word study,
vocabulary and grammar.
Writing skills and strategies should be practised in meaningful ways in all aspects
of literacy and not addressed in isolation.
Lessons should focus on strategies that can be applied to unfamiliar words in
reading and writing.
The use of word walls by teachers and students should be evident in every
elementary classroom.
Emphasis is on increasing vocabulary for reading and writing.
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Independent Writing
Children need many opportunities for independent writing in a variety of forms based
on both teacher guidance and their own choice of topic.
The purpose of independent writing is to put into practice the ideas, structures and
skills they have seen demonstrated in modelled and shared writing and tried with
support in guided writing.
Independent writing need not always mean individual writing – it is often a good idea to
let children write collaboratively, in pairs without adult support.
Encourage students to record their thinking, emotions and experiences along
with “magpieing” (borrowing words and ideas from other writers) into writing
journals to be used as a storehouse for ideas and language when writing. Make
your classroom one that encourages a love words and phrases and collects
examples of these.
Independent Writing is often best timetabled after Shared Writing so students
are able to have-a-go themselves
Students are encouraged to write for authentic purposes eg We need to write a
fairy story to read to the Prep students; We need to write a menu to help us cook
dinner for the BFG: We need to explain how bread rises for our science research,
We need to write instructions to plant our carrot seeds; We need to write
persuasive text for the debate.
When planning and preparing for individual writing, students need time to:
o brainstorm ideas and vocabulary
o talk with each other and the teacher about what they are going to write
o plan using a variety of strategies depending on the text type eg story
maps, time lines, graphic organisers, storyboards, flowcharts
Conducting
Tools such as word walls, vocabulary charts and dictionaries provide support for
students.
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Students follow the writing processes which have been modelled by the teacher
using co-constructed success criteria as a guide.
Students who need support to improve their writing will need to be grouped for a
guided writing session.
After Teachers need to conference with students concentrating on specific targeted
aspects of writing. Provide specific constructive feedback on drafts and the final
text using a shared terminology (built through explicit teaching of the criteria) to
talk about language. An example below for L2 can be used to peer and self-edit
before final feedback checking by teacher.
I can write a letter Me A
friend
How I know My teacher
I can write the date
I can write the greeting
I can write what happened in the
body
I can write the signature
I can use full stops and capital
letters properly
I can read my sentences back and
they make sense
Collaboration:
Students need to be encouraged to collaborate as writers, thinkers, and learners.
Teacher models effective ways to collaborate.
Collaboration occurs throughout the writing process.
Students are encouraged to confer with their peers to revise/edit each other’s
writing using co-constructed success criteria (example above). Author’s Chair is a
technique that encourages supportive and reflective discussion of student’s own
and other’s writing.
Publishing:
Give students the opportunity to publish writing. Not all pieces need to be
collected or published. Published work on display should have no errors and
should not have teacher’s signature and or date and or comment written across
it.
Use of computer for word processing of published pieces should be made
available.
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Writers need an audience. The audience becomes the writer's purpose. If children do
not have a purpose for writing (i.e., an intended audience) then writing can become a
chore.
Publication may mean displaying the work. Writing can be displayed on display boards
in the classroom or around the school or in local shops, emailed to friends and other
classes, sent home, or published in "real" book form.
Publishing "real" books is a child-centered production, where the child designs the book
cover and illustrates the book, has a dedication and title page, and may even have a
page written "about the author." Students model bookmaking just like real authors.
Make coloured pens, a variety of paper, scissors, and other bookmaking materials and
techniques available. Also encourage publishing on the computer especially for those
students who find writing or drawing difficult or uninteresting.
Formatting and Presenting
Being able to format and present work in the required way can significantly increase
students' pride in their finished products.
Strategies to ensure well formatted work
Check the task sheet. Students reread the task sheets to check that work is
formatted or hand written in the required way. (When alternative formatting
is not stipulated, working in 12pt Times or 11pt Arial with a 3 - 4 cm left
margin and a return space between paragraphs is a safe and dignified choice.
Hand written work usually requires double line spacing and a 3 - 4 cm left
margin.)
Use an example. An example of a piece of finished writing in the same text
type enables students to compare their own work and to check that they have
all the formatting elements (eg sub headings in bold on a report). Also use an
example of the correct formats for a bibliography if required.
Using digital templates. Templates can scaffold literacy learning by allowing
students to compose and edit their work in the context of the final format. The
text type templates presented on this site will be useful to some students, yet
may present a barrier to others. Learning style differences will dictate how
this strategy is used.
Presenting Written Work
Some students who experience difficulties with writing prefer to make their work
'disappear' rather than hand it in and expose weaknesses. This may also happen if the
student does not feel that he or she has owned the process.
Negotiating respectfully with the student is essential to supporting literacy learning in
the middle phase and helps to ensure that:
Students' own ambitions for their work are respected (To be seen to achieve too much
too soon may be an assault to their personal sense of 'honesty' and self-respect.)
Over investment on the part of the supporting teacher does not become
counterproductive.
Writing Support Document page 23
An important resource for supporting teachers is a memory stick or other device or
strategy to keep student's tasks at each part of the process so that they have something
to actually present. This supporting strategy is particularly helpful to students with a
high absentee rate.
Using a supporting teacher as a scribe or a typist at this final stage can benefit certain
students enormously especially if the technical aspects of writing are not part of the task
evaluation. Scribing should not be used in situations where it is seen as a modification
of curriculum rather than an inclusive strategy except when the student has been
identified as needing this level of support for a disability. Nor should scribing be used
when it negatively affects a student's outcomes.
To encourage and excite students about publishing. Schedule author conferences
periodically and invite the public in to browse. Events can be centered on completion of a
topic, celebration of holidays, "awareness" weeks, or featured students, careers, etc.
These celebrations of authorship to the process writing curriculum generate excitement
about writing, and they promote more writing in classrooms.
Classroom Environment
The classroom atmosphere determines the amount and kind of risks taken in writing.
Children need to feel support and acceptance from their teachers and peers to take the
kind of risks involved in the process of producing good writing. When children feel safe
from criticism, they become eager to write and to share their writing. The class becomes
a community of writers.
What is Author's Chair?
Author's Chair is usually the final step in the writing process. A special time and place
is allotted to writers who wish to share their final products with an audience. Because
the writing has already gone through revising and editing based on constructive
criticism, Author's Chair is an opportunity for the writer to receive positive feedback
from their classmates.
The student in the author's chair reads aloud a selected piece of text or a piece of their
own writing. Peers then have an opportunity to respond to what is read aloud. During
publication, children can play both the roles of author and audience to other children's
pieces. Instead of questioning the teacher, they can question each other for clarity of
meaning.
Children as authors use the ideas of their audience when revising their writing. As
audience, they have the opportunity to see their ideas used by other students in their
revised stories. Shifting from author to audience and back encourages children to
become perceptive readers and writers.
Many students will want to have their say but it is best to choose no more than three
people with one or two comments each to respond to their work. Students must provide
examples for the aspects of writing that they enjoyed eg I liked how you described the
sun as a ball of fire. I understood from that how hot it must have been for the boy
running in the race.
How it is organised
Facing the audience, an individual reads a personal draft or polished composition.
The author shares accompanying illustrations with the audience.
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The audience is respectful and accepting of the author's efforts.
The author requests comments from audience members.
First responses are positive.
Comments focus upon favourite events and characters or particularly interesting and
impressive uses of language.
The author or audience direct questions about the clarity and the effectiveness of
passages, or about the language structures or specific vocabulary.
The audience offers suggestions.
Initially teachers will need to model and guide audience responses
This sharing and responding helps students develop a reader perspective on their
writing among readers they know and trust. The child receives opinions and ideas from
many children, whereas during individual conferences, the author receives the
comments of only one person. Children learn how to be helpful responders in an author's
circle. They learn how to discover good qualities in a piece, and how to ask good
questions about the content. Additionally, circle participants learn that their ideas are
valued when many of them later turn up in the work of the authors they have helped.
Teachers need to know their purposes for having children write. Ultimately, the goal is
for students to be able to express themselves and what they are learning through
writing that clearly conveys meaning to the reader. Realistically, teachers must give
students support and encouragement to "make their best better," and in so doing,
children must be allowed to be responsible for all the components of publication.
Making writing public brings an additional dimension to reading and writing. Writers
view themselves as authors and value the interaction with their audience in the process
of writing. A cooperative and caring environment that invites children to share and to
respond is the type of supportive environment in which children's reading and writing
can flourish.
What is the purpose?
Providing an audience for hard work done well is a motivating force for children to
write more in the future.
As an active-listening audience member, students develop listening and attention span
skills.
Analysing written work requires reflection and critical thinking abilities. Giving and
receiving feedback is beneficial for both parties. Both the presenter and the audience
member's own writing improves as a result of the critique.
What does it look like?
A special chair such as a director's chair, an oversized office chair, or a spare teacher's
chair can be set up the Author's Chair. The audience should face the presenter and
listen carefully, critiquing the story silently. Critiquing involves thinking of parts of the
writing that one likes and doesn't like. Only those things he or she likes should be
shared with the author. Authors are encouraged to respond to the comments they
receive.
How can I adapt it?
Beginning writers can share drawings with captions or limited text.
Writing Support Document page 25
Students could share their writing with younger students.
An "author of the week" could be chosen regularly. The individual's work could be put
on display and peers could post their comments about particular compositions. Items
for display should be chosen by the author.
This procedure should apply to writing efforts in all subject areas. Examples of
narrative and expository writing should be shared
Taken from: Educational Excellence, Marygrove College http://cdn2.hubspot.net/hub/94958/docs/k-6_reading_comprehension_best_practices-o_fin-r2.pdf
page 26 Writing Support Document
Editing
Spelling and Punctuating
The following strategies can support students as they spell and punctuate their written
work.
Use a computer. Some students would often prefer to avoid facing spelling and other
technical difficulties which will cause them shame.
Using a computer enables students to monitor and correct a large number of their
errors in private. Typed text more easily builds a strong, internalised visual idea of
'what looks right'. Very poor spellers will need teacher support beyond the punctuation
and spell checking tools in word processing programmes.
Print out the work. Printouts allow students to see some of their mistakes more readily,
to circle and to correct them.
Use technological support programmes. A number of technological aides and software
programmes, both free and commercial can help students with literacy learning.
Use a corrected example. Retype or rewrite a student’s own word, phrase, sentence,
paragraph or document to show them how it should look when it is correct. Support
students to compare the accurate version to their own work and to circle and correct
their errors. Encourage them to talk about the reasons for the corrections are made.
Transcribe from a proofed and corrected printout. If handwriting is required for the
final presentation, transcribing from a printout of their work usually enables students
to produce a better copy. The process of handwriting draft after draft as the work moves
towards accuracy is often exponentially more difficult for students who struggle with
literacy than it is for their classmates.
Break up the task. For those students who make a large number of spelling and
punctuating errors, proofing can be an overwhelming task. It may be necessary to work
at one thing or small part of the written work at a time.
Proof-reading and editing
A whole-of-school approach to proofreading is highly desirable. As students develop as
writers, demands in proofreading become greater. Consistency in the use of symbols
across year levels assists teachers and students. Understanding what is expected at
each level should also be a part of the school approach, and should be made clear to
students, teachers and parents.
Symbols
Proofreading may involve reading the text several times to find out and mark
misspellings, grammatical errors, omissions and insertions and punctuation errors.
Proofreading for spelling errors requires a focus on individual words. It is important
therefore, to develop strategies that ask students to proofread in this way. We rarely
read word for word.
Proofreading your own work is difficult if the text has just been written because it is
predictable; you read what you think s there. Writers are less likely to ‘see’ mistakes if
they attempt to proofread immediately after writing something. Proofreading is likely to
be most effective if at least a day is allowed between writing and proofreading.
Writing Support Document page 27
Emergent Spelling Transitional Spelling Independent Spelling
When students re-read their
writing, they should:
circle words that they are
unsure of
have a friend circle or
correct misspellings
enter different versions of
the word on a ‘Have a
go’ pad
Check authoritative
sources around the room
At this stage, students should
re-read their work three times:
to check meaning
to check for punctuation
and grammar
to circle words that have
misspelled or are unsure
of
to enter different versions
of the word on a ‘Have a
go’ pad
to check those
authoritative sources
that have been
introduced: wall
dictionaries, word charts,
dictionaries,
environmental print
proofread with a partner
At this stage, students should
proofread independently
or with a partner
use a variety of
authoritative sources:
dictionaries, thesauruses,
spell checkers, atlases,
topic books.
A suggested scope and sequence for proofreading.
Useful hints:
Enlarge pupils’ work from A4 to A3 using the photocopier.
Encourage pupils to write on alternate lines so they can edit easily.
Use co-constructed success criteria so students have a reference to what their
writing should look like
Students can work with their talk partner to develop the concept of 'critical
friend' or 'reviewer.'
Edit in another colour (not red) so that the edits stand out.
Suggestions for Teaching Proofreading
Model these techniques during modelled, shared and guided reading sessions:
Use a student’s writing sample from a previous year and place under a
visualiser/document reader. Use a ruler and a small piece of blank paper.
Uncover the text line by line with a ruler, and line by line with the blank paper.
Check if you have the right spelling. Think about the word. Try to visualise it.
Does it look right? Think about other words that may be spelled the same.
If you are unsure of the spelling, circle the word.
Say the word in your head and try to write the word as it sounds on your ‘Have-a-
go’ pad.
Break the word into syllables and check that you have represented all of the
sounds.
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Try several different versions of the word on your ‘Have-a-go’ pad.
Use a dictionary, spell checker, chart or book to check your spelling.
Try several different versions of the word on your ‘Have-a-go’ pad (Children
attempt two spelling of an unfamiliar word, and then bring the pad to the teacher
for checking).
Use a dictionary, spell checker, chart or book to check your spelling.
Using Symbols when Proofreading
This is an example of a code that can be used for a whole school approach to teaching
proofreading and editing. Model using it during writing sessions or conduct anchor-
lessons to teach the use. An OHP is excellent to teach editing codes with.
Editing Code How to make your writing better!
* = expressive words – well done!
S = check how to spell this word T = check the tense of this word // = leave spaces between these words. C = a capital letter is missing in this line. P = a punctuation mark is missing here. ^ = word missing here/another word needed ( ) = this section is hard to understand ? = something is wrong here – it doesn’t make sense
= new paragraph needed
Borrowed from Rabaul international School
Writing Support Document page 29
In the process of revision, children become responsible for corrections. A piece ready for
publication must contain correct spelling, punctuation, grammar, and good handwriting.
It is important that the writing not be taken away from the writer during the
publication stage. Final decisions about content, title, and so on, must be made by the
author who must also attend to conventions. When involved in group publication, the
author should remain in control of publishing decisions about illustrations, layout, form
of publication, etc.
Students who attend to their own misspellings, errors in punctuation, grammar, and so
on during the editing stage of publication learn and remember more of the mechanics of
writing than if the errors are found for them.
If teachers choose to do the final edit, they are taking the "ownership" of the writing
from the writer, and they should be aware of the effects this may have on future writing
for students in the classroom.
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Supporting children with writing difficulties
Co-constructed success criteria for students with writing difficulties is essential and
will need to be differentiated. However students would be expected to write the same
text type as the rest of the class.
Success criteria is essential to communicate to students:
• What they are going to learn
• Why they should learn it in the first place
• How they will recognise when they have succeeded.
This gives students the tools they need to take more responsibility for their own
learning and achieve greater learning independence.
Model, model, model. Teacher modelling is very important for all children, but
particularly for those having difficulties. Their self-esteem is often damaged by seeing
others writing furiously and knowing they are unable to. Seeing an adult having a go or
struggling with ideas, can give children confidence to keep trying.
Remember to limit the focus in any session –concentrate on either the composing or
the conventions, rather than tackling the two together. If students are worrying about
spelling the quantity and quality of the writing is less.
New text types introduced in modelled/shared sessions for the whole class will need to
be revisited for those with writing difficulties. Short guide writing sessions and
anchor-lessons at frequent times throughout the writing process will support and guide
children with their writing.
Encourage short, real life writing e.g. letters, e-mails, notes – kids especially like
Post-it notes; posters, advertisements, signs, labels, captions; lists of all kinds, and
greeting cards.
Provide prompts which children are taught how to use e.g. What to do if I can’t spell a
word. (This prompt card could be made by the class in Shared Writing of instructions,
with a real purpose!)
Other useful prompts are alphabet picture/letter sheets or an alphabet letter strip;
‘tricky words’ from the high frequency list; personal word lists; letter formation
reminders; b/d card
Ensure there are plenty of words (topic words, sight words, spelling patterns etc)
displayed on word walls, lists, books etc in your classroom for students to use.
Individual word lists are also very useful.
Display copies of modelled, shared and published text. This will not only inspire
but guide reluctant or delayed students.
Ensure anchor charts are displayed showing the skills processes and behaviour
expected eg What writers do when they think they are done! Refer students to these
when they ask for help.
Writing Support Document page 31
Use writing frameworks of all kinds, for sentence starters, text types etc. They
provide a clear structure and often help those children who find getting started very
difficult.
Innovating text (keeping the structure of the text but changing the
characters/setting/verbs etc) is often used in the younger grades and is a great support
for reluctant or delayed writers in all grades. It gives them a sense of security and
means they can concentrate on the words, be creative and not have to worry about the
structure.
Encourage collaborative work, from whole class Shared Writing through small group
work to paired working. It is less threatening to reluctant writers when they can share
the responsibility; it encourages a lot of talk and discussion about writing; children are
more likely to take risks and have a go; it promotes confidence and enjoyment.
Written conversations are time consuming but often motivating to the reluctant
writer. Write one or more questions for the child to answer; encourage replies and
questions for you to answer. You can tailor the questions to individual interests, and
encourage longer replies by making the questions open-ended eg What do you think
about..?
Read aloud to children daily from a wide variety of texts, and build up a collection of
story, poetry and song tapes. Repeated re-readings of favourite texts gives children a
bank of language and story structures to draw on in their own writing. Older children
can read their own stories on to tape (with an accompanying book) for younger children.
Ensure you explicitly teach such things as proof reading, use of dictionaries etc.
Model their use in daily sheared writing or guide writing sessions.
Give frequent opportunities for teacher and peer conferencing. This will not only
support and keep them going, but ensure they are on the right track.
Collect on-going assessment in the form of writing exemplars, and analyse for text
structure, writing conventions and language. Use observations of writing behaviours,
conference and interview notes as well to guide planning.