Learning+to+Write

 LEARNING TO WRITE

Learning to write, like learning to read, is a great task for students especially in the early years. Learning to write involves quite a number of steps and processes. In the beginning there are things such as spelling, punctuation and grammar to learn. Grammar is very important to learn because it helps construct and add meaning to the text (Winch pp220). Punctuation allows the writer to show expression, to communicate rhythm, tone, and those paralinguistic features so easily conveyed in speech (Winch pp241). And spelling is very important because without it the audience wouldn’t know what the author is trying to say. These coincide with the processes of writing which include planning, composing, revising, recording and publishing. If students didn’t learn these things writing would be nearly impossible and making sense of the text even harder. Planning is when the writer needs to consider the purpose and audience of the text. They also need to come up with some ideas of what they are going to write about. Composing is when the writer chooses words and sentences to achieve their writing goals, they also read and reread the writing as they have written it. Revising is when the writer rereads what they have written and detects and fixes any mistakes. This is also the time in the writing process that the writer can add any additional information they they may have forgotten or just wish to add to make their writing more interesting. Recording is where the spelling, punctuation and grammar come into the writing process. They are all checked at this stage and any illustration is added here. Publishing is the final part in the writing process and is where the writer decides how they are going to present their piece of writing to their audience. All of these things can be taught in the hour of the early year’s literacy block that is dedicated to teaching children to write. Learning to write for children is not an easy task but the writing block helps with their learning. The hour of writing in the literacy block includes 10-15 minutes of whole class modelled and shared writing followed by about 40 minutes of small group activities which can include interactive and guided writing along with independent writing. The hour is then finished up with about 10 minutes of whole class share time where the students have the opportunity to share with the rest of the class what they have been writing. Learning to write is a very large part of learning literacy in the early years and can be a very hard task for some students.