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Literacy Professional Learning Resource – Teaching Strategies

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Literacy teaching strategies: VELS 1 & 2 | VELS 3 | VELS 4 | VELS 5 & 6

VELS level 3 – Writing

Explanation of some strategies that can be used to develop student writing skills.

 

Bundling

Bundling is a teaching strategy where children list all ideas, then ‘bundle’ similar ideas into groups. The bundles are then used as a writing plan.

Bundling supports students to:

    - write all their ideas
    - organise their ideas into bundles
    - create sub headings for their bundles
    - develop a writing plan.

Steps:

  1. The teacher or students select the topic for their writing.
  2. On strips of paper the students record as many facts or ideas as they know about the topic. One fact or idea per strip of paper.
  3. The students classify their known facts and ideas into bundles.
  4. The students label the bundles.
  5. The students develop a writing plan as the bundles become the focus for their paragraphs.
  6. The students refer to their bundles throughout the writing process.
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Change the form

Change of form is a teaching strategy that involves students reading and comprehending a text and then rewriting the text in another form such as a comic strip, journal, play or picture story book.

Change the form supports students to:

    - develop comprehension skills
    - retell a familiar text
    - select a form to match the text and the intended audience.

Steps:

  1. The teacher or students select a familiar text.
  2. The students reread the text and record the main events and characters.
  3. As a class brainstorm, list and display other forms to retell the text. These may include:

    - journal entry
    - newspaper article
    - play
    - comic strip
    - story map.

  4. The students select an appropriate ‘change of form’ for their retelling of their text.
  5. The students share their retell with their peers.

Option:

  • Complete a class tally of the forms selected by the students.
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de Bono’s thinking hats

Six Thinking Hats is a strategy devised by Edward de Bono which requires students to extend their way of thinking about a topic by wearing a range of different ’thinking‘ hats:

Using de Bono’s thinking hats to focus writing supports the students to:

    - focus on the information available and needed – White hat thinking.
    - examine the difficulties and problems associated with the topic – Black hat thinking.
    - focus on benefits and values – Yellow hat.
    - look at a topic from the point of view of emotions, feelings and hunches – Red hat thinking.
    - focus on imaginative, creative and lateral thinking about the topic – Green hat thinking.
    - focus on reflection, metacognition and the need to manage the thinking process – Blue hat thinking.

Steps:

  1. Present an issue or topic you would like your students to write about.
  2. Demonstrate the thinking of each of the hats.
  3. The students work in small groups to consider the issue or topic using the hats. They record their ideas.
  4. The students report their ideas back to the whole class.
  5. The students use the ideas as the basis of their piece of writing.

Adapted from:

Department of Education, Tasmania, Teaching Ideas and Units - Teaching Strategies – Six Thinking Hats (http://wwwfp.education.tas.gov.au/english/sixhats.htm)

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A-Z of terms

A-Z of terms is a teaching strategy to use prior to writing. It involves the students compiling a list of words from A-Z which are relevant to their writing topic. The students can work individually, in pairs or small groups.

An A-Z supports students to:

    - explore a range of vocabulary
    - consider altemative words for words they use commonly in their writing such as ‘said’
    - use resources such as dictionaries to search for words
    - research their writing topic
    - incorporate a range of vocabulary in their writing.

Steps:

  1. The teacher or students decide on a topic for the A-Z.
  2. Brainstorm, list and locate supportive resources.
  3. The students may draw a graphic organiser to record their terms.
  4. The students research and list a term for each letter.

Options:

  • The students write a short definition for each of the terms.
  • The class can make an A-Z throughout an exploration of a topic on an ongoing basis.
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T charts to plan writing

 

T charts are graphic organisers used to plan writing. It involves the students listing two aspects of a topic such as:

    - pros and cons
    - character names and characteristics
    - term and definition
    - facts and opinions
    - similarities and differences. 

T charts support students to:

    - consider two alternative views before writing
    - use resources such as dictionaries
    - research their writing topic
    - incorporate a range of vocabulary in their writing
    - use a framework to plan their writing.

 Steps: 

  1. The teacher or students decide on a topic for the writing and the headings for their T chart. The headings will directly relate to the topic and form of writing.
  2. The teacher will model the use of a T chart to plan writing.
  3. The students draw their T chart and complete it.
  4. The T chart becomes their plan for the writing.
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Write questions and responses for a talk show

Using the scenario of a talk show provides students with a purpose for their writing. The students are involved in writing questions and responses to a selected guest on a talk show.

The ‘talk show’ supports students to:

    - research the interviewee
    - consider features of effective questions and reponses
    - write for a purpose.

Steps:

  1. The teacher sets the scene by providing opportunities to view or listen to talk shows. Sharing a transcript of an interview is a highly effective way to model questions.
  2. The students elect whom they will interview and research their guest.
  3. The students write a range of questions and then prioritise the questions. The priority list is from the most to least effective question.
  4. The students then refer back to their research notes to write responses to the questions. The students can exchange notes and questions to respond to each others questions at this stage.

Option:

  • Film the students role playing their talk shows.
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Write instructions to…

Writing instructions is an option when exploring procedural text with your students. It involves the students performing a simple and familiar task and then recording the instructions for a class member to follow.

Writing instructions supports students to:

    - write for a purpose and audience
    - use everyday language to describe a daily task
    - retell in a sequential manner
    - consider the vocabulary used for instructions
    - consider the layout and format for writing instructions.

Steps:

  1. The students identify the tasks that they are writing instructions for.
  2. The students brainstorm and list the vocabulary required.
  3. The students may wish to perform the task and write notes.
  4. The students write step by step instructions for a class member to follow.
  5. The students exchange instructions to follow and provide feedback.

Options:

  • Create a classroom instruction manual.
  • Role play following the instructions.
  • Draw and label diagrams to support your instructions.
  • Rewrite your instructions in a flow chart.
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