§ ETA 筆記 @ Cindy魔法ABC教室

Teaching Writing to Young Learners: Effective Writing Strategies for Children

Reference:

Date: Saturday, Nov. 10^th, 2007 16:40~ 17:40

Location: 教學區325教室Publishers' Session

Presenter: Tim Budden (不會讓你聽不懂的: 聽不懂先生)

Publication: 書林 Bookman Books LTD.

Annotated Bibliography

1. Research question:

How to teach young learners effective writing strategies so that they can write now?

2. Summary of the study

We cannot deny that most of the students have difficulties in English writing. Learning to write and learning how to guide writing is one of the most challenging tasks not only for students but also for teachers.

The most important factor in teaching writing is that students need to be personally involved in order to make the learning experience of lasting value. Introducing and practicing language using clear language models and topics that relate to students’ loves make the learning process a rich and memorable experience.

The presenter Tim Budden explained the approaches how to teach writing and then demonstrated the practical techniques with specific examples that teachers can use in class.

The first part is identifying which form the writing texts belong to.
I. Genre Writing

Students need a range of writing experiences to develop as writers. There are three main models that are considered essential.

1. Expressive: Students use this mode to explore and explain their own thoughts and feelings informally, such as diaries or journals.

2. Transactional: This mode is used to report, inform, explain, and persuade, such as reports or instructions.

3. Poetic: This mode is used to create a literacy work, such as stories.

II. Planning a Writing Assignment

Use the following criteria to help you when planning

--What should students be able to produce at the end of the exercise? – a recipe, a story, or a report?

--Who are the students writing for?

--Use topics that motivate students so that effective learning can take place.

--How are you going to guide them through the writing process?

--How will the work be corrected?

--How will the work be published or shared?

[Writing activity] Create a silly story

Students find their own partners to form a four-member team. Ask the whole class students 7 questions depending on your theme and write the answers down. You fold the paper and then pass it to the person who is sitting on your right side. The nonsense and funny story will come up!

III. The Write Now! Step-by-Step Approach

Step 1. Vocabulary

--Students practice using the target language vocabulary in a variety of activities such as matching and sentence completing tasks.

Step 2. Language Practice
--New language and the target vocabulary are practiced through a variety of activities. Language from previous lessons is recycled and guidance on grammar and writing conventions is explained through ‘Tips for Writing.’

Step 3. Model Reading 'Picture Walk'

--Students get to focus on a model text and to focus on the elements of writing.

--Simplified sentences: Make sure the sentences are at a level your students can understand. Use them to speculate on the story or text.

Step 4. Writing—Write NOW!

--A writing framework or Graphic Organizer helps students to produce a short structured text.

[Activity] Story Sequencer

A thief a diamond ring from Happy Town Mall yesterday.

First,

Then,

Next,

After that,

Finally, the police officers caught him.

IV. Correcting the work
Correction and editing are two important skills that are integral to the writing process.

Tips: Focus on two or three elements of the writing to be corrected.

1. Students self correction by using Editing Checklist (please see the photo)

2. Teacher Correction: Tim Budden taught us using symbols by underlying the mistakes and writing the relevant abbreviation in the margin so that students can be encouraged to correct their own work.

cap	capital letter
sp	spelling
sv	subject-verb agreement verb tense
p	punctuation
art	article
ww	wrong word
num	number (singular/plural)
vt	verb tense

V. Publishing/Sharing the Work

Tim Budden recommended that students can read their work to a partner, or these neat copies of the work are produced and displayed on the wall for parents and classmates to see. Then work is gathered into a ‘class book.’ Students' neat work is kept in their portfolios.

VI. Conclusion

An effective writing program should (1) be clear about the skills it is trying to develop and what kind of writing students are expected to produce, (2) provide a clear and easy step by step approach, (3) use motivating, fun and interesting contexts to involve students, and (4) aim to develop students into independent writers.