Writing and Literacy Development

1. Writing and Literacy Development ECE 358 Created by Stephen Garretson Edited by Josh Thompson 2004

2. Early Writing • Ways writing is acquired • Children’s early literacy experiences are embedded in the familiar simulations and real-life experiences of family and community membership. • How is this true? Give examples.

3. Early Writing • As a process, early writing development is characterized by children’s moving from playfully making marks on paper to communicating messages on paper, to creating texts – symbolic representation.

4. Early Writing • Children learn the uses of written language before they learn the forms. • What shows us this?

5. Early Writing • Children’s writing develops through constant invention and reinvention of the forms of written language.

6. Early Writing • Children’s involvement in written language, though typically embedded in social situations and interactions, is essentially self-initiated and self-directed. • In writing, as in talking, story making is a primary impulse and activity.

7. Early Writing • Children learn about writing through direction from teachers, by observing others more skilled than themselves, and by participating with others in literacy events. • What does this tell us about our roles in the lives of young children?

8. Early Writing • Children need to work independently on the functions and form of writing that they have experienced through interactions with literate others. • Children practice what they learn about writing, which is best when self-initiated.

9. Theory • Literacy Development is part of language development • Language development is part of symbol development • Symbol development is part of the development of social and cultural meanings

10. Writing Development • Examine writings from children. • What stage are they in? • How do you know? • What environment has to be created to encourage this type of production from a 5 year old? • What can you take away from this to improve your understanding of what children can do?

11. Objectives for Writing • Come up with a list of activities to promote writing development. • Process and Product

12. Types of writing • Shared Writing • Teacher writes as students give ideas and input, and then shares the pen with children • Morning Message- modeling • Class stories • Brainstorming sessions • Come up with other ways to incorporate shared writing into the class. Be creative and span across the curriculum areas.

13. Types of writing • Language Experience Approach • Write what they say exactly • Group writing- Teacher dictates and serves as a model.

14. Types of writing • Independent writing • Writing center and writing in centers • Design a center and look at how you can incorporate writing into that center. What materials do you need?

15. Making Books with children • Types of books

16. Writer’s Workshop • Critical to your classroom • Management is the key. • Children choose their topics • Steps • Minilessons • Model brainstorming • Model ideas • Model mistakes • Model editing, revision, publishing

17. Minilesson • Drafting- • Children write • Skip lines • Take erasers away • Mistakes help you see their thinking. • It’s about the process

18. Writer’s workshop • Revising • Adding to your story • You have to reread • Editing • Ask three before me • Teacher conference time • Make editing charts • Ongoing Process

19. Writer’s workshop • Publishing • DO NOT PUBLISH EVERY PIECE • DO NOT START PUBLISHING UNTIL EVERYONE HAS A READABLE STORY • SHARE PUBLICATIONS

20. Writer’s workshop • Author’s Chair • Make it fun • Give feedback, not just you but the kids as well.

21. Focused Writing • Model and Demonstrate • Letters • Poems • Paragraphs • How to’s • Not just a 5 paragraph format- That’s out

22. Supplies • Plenty of paper • Writing utensils • Graphic Organizers • Samples • Magnetic letters

23. Other types of writing • Research- critical starting at a young age • QUAD- questions, answers and details • Response Logs • Journals • Types • Personal-private, not shared • Dialogue- like private, but shared with teacher and peers • Reading response- responses to what was read • Learning logs-

24. Spelling and Punctuation • Children need to learn how to create letters correctly…how? • When children begin writing…let them explore and make mistakes. • When they feel comfortable…begin helping with punctuation and spelling.