Understanding the How's and Why's of Writing: The Development of Children's Concepts of Writing in Primary Classrooms. Volume 1: The Kindergarten Data (original) (raw)
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Australian Journal of Language and Literacy, 2014
Learning to write is integral to literacy learning, while success with literacy is reported to lead to success at school and in life generally. How teachers respond to children’s early attempts at writing (often a mix of drawings and print) helps to form children’s attitudes towards writing and the paths their experimentations follow. The aim of the study discussed in this paper was to examine early years’ teachers’ responses to a sample of writing from a young literacy learner in the early stages of the first year of school. Many of the decisions teachers make, are based on teachers’, on the run analysis of, and responses to, children’s work samples. A teacher survey (N=228) provided three different forms of data: demographic information, responses to questions using a 5 point Likert scale and open ended responses to a sample of early ‘writing’. The findings suggest that some teachers are focusing on print conventions and accuracy when reviewing young children’s writing samples, and seemingly undervaluing their drawings. This may unintentionally, be making learning to write at school unnecessarily difficult for some children.
Learning to Write and Loving It! Preschool–Kindergarten
2011
Learning to Write and Loving It! Preschool-Kindergarten Miriam P. Trehearne Nurturing young writers sets the stage for their success This book equips teachers of young children with research-based practical strategies, assessment tools, and motivating writing activities for all kinds of learning environments. Included are authentic writing samples and photos to illustrate effective, developmentally appropriate instructional methods, mini-lessons, vignettes, and activities. Key features: Differentiate using effective instructional approaches for teaching writing and supporting inquiry and play q Assess and document student writing seamlessly throughout the day q Motivate and engage children in writing fiction (narrative), nonfiction, poetry, and song q Use teacher-friendly guidelines for effectively integrating technology and selecting software for young q children
Primary grade writing instruction: A national survey
2008
A random sample of primary grade teachers (N 178; 97 % female) from across the United States was surveyed about their classroom instructional practices in writing. Most of the participating teachers (72%) took an eclectic approach to writing instruction, combining elements from the 2 most common methods for teaching writing: process writing and skills instruction. Although 90 % of the teachers reported using most of the writing instructional practices that were included in the survey, there was considerable variability between teachers in how often they used specific practices. The study provides support for the following 7 recommendations for reforming primary grade writing instruction: (a) increase amount of time students spend writing; (b) increase time spent writing expository text; (c) provide better balance between time spent writing, learning writing strategies, and teaching writing skills; (d) place more emphasis on fostering students ’ motivation for writing; (e) develop st...
Writing Development In Early Childhood
Educational Horizons, 1985
T his chapter is about the beginnings of writing in early childhood. It describes what writing looked like and how it developed for one group of children between the ages of 2½ and 6 years of age. The portrait of young writers presented in this chapter is built on the foundation provided by emergent-literacy research, but also expanded and reframed using sociocultural perspectives on writing development. Until recently, most of what we know about writing in early childhood was shaped by the emergent-literacy perspective (Teale & Sulzby, 1986b). Prior to the 1960s, researchers working from a readiness perspective assumed that young children began to learn literacy through school instruction, and further assumed that learning to read preceded learning to write (see Teale & Sulzby, 1986a). From this vantage point, there was little reason to take note of children's mark-making activities prior to the start of formal schooling. Early childhood writing became an important focus for researchers and educators only when the beginnings of reading and writing were retheorized from an "emergent literacy" perspective (Teale & Sulzby, 1986b). Emergent-literacy researchers provided evidence that young children began to learn about literacy very early in life through informal interactions with parents, siblings, peers, and teachers. Whereas readiness perspectives focused primarily on reading as the precursor to writing, this new perspective broadened the focus to "literacy" and argued that reading and writing were interrelated and learned concurrently.
Teaching writing in primary education (grades 1–6) in Australia: a national survey
Reading and Writing, 2022
Providing adequate writing instruction and practice in schools is an essential cornerstone of writing development and it affords a diagnostic approach for teachers. But what writing instruction is being practiced in Australian primary schools? The aim of this study was to survey a sample of teachers (n = 310) about their instructional practices for writing and their preparation and self-efficacy to teach writing. The majority of the teachers surveyed indicated they allocated on average less than three hours per week for writing practice in their classrooms, with findings further showing a large variability in the frequency of writing practice ranging from 15 min to 7.5 h per week. Findings suggested an emphasis placed on teaching foundational skills, such as spelling, over the teaching of process skills, such as planning and revising. Results further indicated that less emphasis is placed on teaching handwriting and typing. The majority of participating teachers reported implementing only six of the 20 different instructional practices included in the survey on a weekly basis, with school-home strategies being the least frequently reported strategies to foster students' writing development. Most teachers expressed positive beliefs about their preparation and self-efficacy for teaching writing. Results from multiple regression analysis showed that preparation and self-efficacy for teaching writing significantly and statistically accounted for variability in using evidence-based practices, teaching foundational skills, and teaching process skills. However, only self-efficacy made a statically significant contribution to predicting strategies to extend writing to the home environment. Implications for teaching and recommendations for research are provided.
State of the Art: Children's Early Writing Development
1984
Noting the close relationship among reading, writing, and oral language documented by research, this paper considers studies of early writing development in the context of emergent literacy rather than in the context of work on writing processes and their development. Following a brief review of early studies of emergent literacy that includes analyses of both written products and literacy contexts, the paper examines in detail some recent studies within a conceptual framework that consists of three views of writing: writing as language, writing growth and development, and writing variation in context. From the significant amount of convergence in the findings of the studies, the paper concludes that what researchers are learning is not only an interesting picture of children's early writing development, but a valid one. (FL) *********************************************************************** Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can he made from the original docu...
THE STRATEGIES AND METHODS OF TEACHING WRITING SKILLS IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS
ABSTRACT Writing has been a matter of concern to teachers and students especially at the primary school level. This project therefore attempts to discuss what writing is, the writing skills the methods of guided composition to enable the pupils write effectively. The project also used three methodologies and data presentation for the study. Also, the project highlights that limited number of qualified English teachers, insufficient textbooks; instructional materials coupled with the period allocated to writing are the causes of poor performance in teaching and learning of writing. The project recommends that pupils should pay more attention to their teachers and they should utilize the writing materials available to them. And workshops should be organized for teachers of English Language in the aspect of composition, to create awareness on the techniques needed for teaching it.
Making Meaning in Writing: A Longitudinal Study of Young Children's Writing Development
1990
This longitudinal study examined the development of the semantic "strand" (the relationship between drawing and writing, differentiation of literary genres, influence of literature, coherence, and part-whole coordination) of children's writing development over a 5-year period. Subjects, eight girls and nine boys enrclled in a small, urban, nonsectarian, private school, were observed and interviewed during their normal writing periods from kindergarten through the third or fourth grade. Although the subjects' six different teachers used different writing programs (which ranged from the whole language approach to a much more directive approach), all teachers encouraged invented spelling in the first 3 years and provided frequent opportunities for keiting. Results indicated that (1) children struggle with the same aspects of making meaning in the writing process in many different ways; and (2) each child's developmental pace is individual. Findings suggest that individual differences can be understood within the whole continuum of w:itinc development, allowing for more effective instruction for individual children. (One table of data and 12 figures presenting students' writing are included; 22 references are attached.) (RS) 1-1111t***TzlassQv*e******rvitrravvit*slt3*Ta57v57q*s4m11*A9Ts:raos4srats/avicstefrvzoinsziErItsta Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document.