Writing Strategy: Scaffolding Learning From 1.75
Indicators of Progress
- Students plan what they will write about by using information gathering strategies such as word mapping and charting prior to drafting. They reflect on what I want to tell the reader. They use the strategies to assist themselves to narrow their focus on a topic and add detail to aspects of the idea.
- Students begin to use explicit text organisational strategies. They sequence the ideas in the writing into an introduction, a body and an end and continue to develop paragraphing skills.
- Students use drafting strategies such as elaborating on a topic and giving supporting ideas, and integrate these by using a wider range of sentence writing strategies in which they write in complete sentences, vary the length of sentence and experiment with combining or expanding sentences.
- Students use word and vocabulary selection strategies more effectively, they experiment with novel words; select words by taking account of the likely readers and select words that target most directly their intention.
- Students modify their proofreading and editing by using computer resources to check sentence form, punctuation and spelling.
- Students broaden their publishing strategies, for example, by using word processing in different ways .
- Students discuss the writing strategies they use and the values and purpose of each, for example, of editing and revising and how they take account of the readers when they write.
Teaching Strategies
The learning and teaching approach for writing is illustrated for students responding within the context of Mini-beasts.
Organising phase
Establishing prior knowledge about topic
Students ask themselves What do I know about slaters? What do I think of / what pictures do I see in my head when someone says “slaters"? Students
- review the minibeasts materials such as the books and pictures they used earlier to select their favourite minibeast and to learn more about it
- imagine they are their favourite minibeast and pretend to be it, for example, act out the things a slater or worm might do, think of the things that they do and then how a slater would do them
- collect and draw pictures of their minibeast.
Determining subject-specific vocabulary usage
Students decide whether the ideas they have collated for their minibeast can be said in more context-specific ways, for example:
Are there words people use to talk about slaters’ legs or how they run? To say slaters run very fast we can say slaters ‘scurry’.
Students experiment with novel words and select words by taking account of the likely readers and choosing those that target most directly their intention.
The learning and teaching approach for writing is illustrated for students responding within the context of Mini-beasts.
Composing phase
Reflecting on current and new knowledge/ideas
Students think about how writing about Minibeasts helps them to think more about minibeasts and what they are like. It also helps them to put together what they knew and to remember what they have learnt about them. They re-read what they wrote about minibeasts.
The learning and teaching approach for writing is illustrated for students responding within the context of Mini-beasts.
Revising phase
Working on editing strategies
Student evaluate their writing to identify aspects that require editing and edit their writing outcomes.
They identify areas of their text in which:
- its content is irrelevant, inappropriate or vague and how this could be improved
- its form or structure can be modified and how this could be done
- particular words and phrases may be replaced to achieve its purpose more effectively and
- particular sentences may be rewritten.
Identifying and making appropriate changes
Students re-read the text to identify errors and make the necessary corrections. They identify and edit it for:
- spelling errors
- inappropriate use of punctuation
- difficulties with the use of grammar and sentence form
- inappropriate repetition or omission of ideas.
They ask themselves the following types of questions:
- Are all words spelt correctly?
- Have I used punctuation correctly? "Where would I pause when I read it", or "Where does the idea end?"
- Can I find any grammatical errors?
- Have I repeated ideas or left out key ideas?>
- Have I used any words that I am not sure of?
- Does each sentence have one idea? Do the sentences sound right? Could I say this idea another way? Does it make sense?
- Have I used pictures etc. well?
Reviewing editing, proof reading & publishing
They discuss the editing and revising strategies they used and the values and purpose of each. They say some of the actions they used and can add the writing strategies to their list of Things I do when I edit and proofread .
| Things I do when I edit and proofread: |
| reading aloud what I have written and listening to what I say |
| asking "Can I say the ideas more simply?" |
Students decide how they will publish their text, for example, using word processing in different ways.
The learning and teaching approach for writing is illustrated for students responding within the context of Mini-beasts.
Learning consolidation phase
Preparing a specific text-type writing plan
Students put together a plan for writing a descriptive report, for example:
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Plan for writing a report
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Identifying new language and literacy knowledge
Students read back over their reports titled About Minibeasts and note the new ways of speaking, reading and writing they have learnt about writing a report.
Reviewing the learning