Teaching Writing and Reading

Aims

Writing as a neglected skill

Teaching reading

Writing as neglected skill

(Moon 2007)
Writing is ignored in the primary
classroom
Later seen as a vehicle for assessment

When to introduce writing

Children should have sound basis of

oral skills in English and have a
foundation in own language literacy
skills
Coursebooks can distort perceptions of
levels of literacy

Approaches to teaching
writing

Grammar focussed, sentence-based,

accuracy orientated, including dictation
Task-based or communicatively
orientated approach
Process-orientated approach

Motivation to write

IT used to encouraged learners to write

e.g. email
Teacher scaffolding and praise can
foster motivation

Need for appropriate L2

materials

Lack of focus on literacy in most

coursebooks
Difficulties of dealing with L2 literacy in
international coursebooks
YL teachers not trained to deal with
literacy and so cannot remedy problems
with coursebooks

Approaches to teaching
writingn (UNICEF, 1999)

Make writing meaningful. Young

writers can express themselves about
topics that are important to them.
These can include their families, special
events in the community, topics in
social studies, and many more

Invite young writers to write

freely, without worrying about
correctness. Children who are just
learning to write can build language
structures and expression, even if they
use imaginary spellings and strange
punctuation.

Ask young learners to write about

their own lives and experiences.
Whether it's a holiday, or their
experience with their grandparents, or
any other experience outside the
classroom, young writers write best
when they write about something they
know well.

Engage young writers in short

bursts of writing. For children under
the ages of 8 or 9, it's very tiring to
hold the pencil or chalk, make the
letters, and remain focused on the
message to be communicated. Writing
often, for brief periods, is much more
effective than trying to write for a long
period of time.

Give writers the chance to revise

Publish writing to make it meaningful.

Learners' writing can be "published" on the
walls of the classroom. It can also be shared
with learners in other classes, with families
and the community, and with others. When
learners write letters to a community leader
or a resource expert, whether to ask
questions, offer opinions, or simply express
appreciation for a visit, they have the chance
to write about things that are important to
them.

Class exercise

In groups read your sheet and prepare

a short presentation on it.