Writing With Young Children Revised for Parents

7/30/2019 Writing With Young Children Revised for Parents

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How Children Become Writers?Early Writing Experiences

Lourdes Nagarajan

Jabatan Bahasa,

Institut Pendidikan Guru Kampus Gaya,

88805 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah


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Researchers agree that children go throughcertain developmental stages of writing thesestages may vary in length from child to child.

Development typically spans from 2 or 2 to 5years of age from the late toddler stage to theend of the preschool years.

(Baghban, 1984; Clay, 1987; Schickendanz, 1990)


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Points to Remember:

Reading and writing develop together,not separately.

Models, collaboration, and choicespromote writing.

Intentional teaching of writing

develops young writers.Karen Bromley, 2000


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4 Stages of Writing(by Chitravelu, N. et al. 2005)

Stage 1 Writing Readiness

- To develop knowledge of English language- to understandwhat he copies and knows how to say it- intelligible

- To develop an interest in wanting to write in English- To recognize that print is different from pictures and

that it has meanings

-To develop ability to discriminate between shapes

- To develop visual memory for shapes- To develop large muscles of his arm and hands and the

fine muscles of his forefinger and thumb


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Stage 2 Early writing

- To expose learners to the necessary mechanics and

conventions for effective communicative writing- To enhance learners knowledge of grammar, vocabulary,

sentence construction

- Important instruction-provide meaningful contexts for learning the mechanicsof writing

use pupils own compositions for giving them insights intowriting

constantly keep the benefits of learning to write beforethem

make it a practice to read to your pupils a variety ofthings

develop your pupils natural curiosity and thinking skills


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Handwriting-

- Formation- Slant

- Size- Alignment- Spacing

Copying activities master the mechanics of writing


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Stage 3 Developmental writing

Spelling and writing- multi pronged approach

Focus-- Teaching relationship between the most common

phonemes and graphemes (spelling rules, root-prefix,suffix)

- Teaching the most common words -100wds=50%- Developing visual memory for shapes- Developing relevant dictionary skills

- Helping students to remember common but troublesomewordsActivities rearrange scrambled letters, make words form

a long word, missing letters, puzzles


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Stage 4 Mature writing

- Principles of Diminishing Control Controlled writing-

Substitution table, Parallel writing, Question andanswer technique, Filling in blanks

Guided writing-

Writing from class generated guidelines, Picturecomposition with skeleton outline, Writing from shrtnotes, Dicto comp

- Free writing

Pre writing- Select topic, Generate ideas (Brainstorming,Listing, Quickwrite, Mindmapping), Organize ideas

Writing Drafting, Getting feedback/conferencing,Revising, Editing

Publication Presentation, Display


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Stages of Writing

Drawing

Scribbles

Letter-like FormsLetter Strings

Copying Environmental Print

Invented SpellingConventional Spelling


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If children are provided with markingtools, a suitable surface on which to

write, and a safe place to play, theybegin to make marks at quite an early

age. Judith Schickendanz, 2000


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During scribbling, children learn to

distinguish writing from drawing.

Scribbles start out as random marks

and transform to marks with meaning!


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Children begin to produce letter-likeforms that show some similarity to

letters.Some children will use the lines andshapes that they are observing and

learning about letters and makemock letters during this stage.


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As children learn the names andshapes of letters, they begin to

produce letter strings.Letters from childrens names oftenbegin to emerge during this stage of

writing.


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Once children are able to formletters, they can look at

environmental print (such as foodlabels or a grocery list) and copy theletters and words.


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As children develop they will start touse invented spelling; they may use

one letter to represent each wordthey want to communicate.

Eventually, children move toconventional spelling and writing.


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Stages of Writing

Drawing


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Stages of Writing

Scribbles


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Stages of Writing

Letter-likeforms


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Stages of Writing

Letter strings(letters

reversed)


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Stages of Writing

Copyingenvironmental

print


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Stages of Writing

Invented spellingand conventional

spelling (firstname)


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What kinds of activities do childrenneed to participate in to develop the

fine motor skills that will help themprepare to write?

Object-handling activities thatemphasize motor control, precision,and accuracy of movement.


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Suggested Activities

Water playWriting in shavingcream/fun foamLacing cards

Tweezers gamesPlay-doughScissorsUsing a hole punchClay

EyedroppersPegboardsCotton swabsSorting games

ClothespinsPuzzlesPaintbrush and waterTearing paper

Stringing beadsEasel paintingWriting with differenttoolsSelf-help skills

Finger-paintingPuppetsChalkboard writingFinger plays


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Things to Write On:

StationeryNote padsOrder forms

ReceiptsCalendarsChalk boardsDry erase boards

Theme-shaped paperPost-it notesUnlined paper

Variety of paperClipboard with paperReady-made books

Paper platesOld formsJunk mailEtch-a-sketch

MagnadoodleTextured paperLined paper


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Things to Write With:

Chubby markers

Thin markers

PencilsColored pencils

Crayons

Ball point pens

Chalk

Sidewalk chalk

Dry erase markersAlphabet stamps

Paint

Gel pens


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Accessories and Tools:

Marker stand

Tape

Envelopes

Writing caddy

Ruler

Stamps

Magnetic lettersInk pad

Index cards

Stencils

Yarn

Scissors

Wallpaper samples

Magazines

Catalogs

JournalsWord cards

Sentence strips


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Kinds of Writing

Activities include: Journals

Message boards Letters, cards

Lists

Write the room Response to literature

Dictation


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Journal Writing

Gives children opportunities topractice writing.

Develops the concept that writing hasa purpose.Provides opportunities for self-expression.Is an activity you can do with yourchild by keeping your own journal, too.


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Message Board

You may use a dry erase board orpost-it notes on the refrigerator to

leave messages or reminders forother family members.

Let your child help you write the

messages and/or write his or her ownmessages.


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Letters & Cards

Technology has led to less communicationby handwritten letters.Revive the lost art of letter-writing by

sending letters or cards to family andfriends for special events and holidays.Let your child write a portion of the letter,or at least sign his or her name.

Help your child send thank you notes afterreceiving presents; it increases literacyand reinforces good manners.


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Lists

We write many types of lists on a regularbasis, including grocery lists and to-dolists.

Before going to the grocery store, let yourchild write his or her own list or help youwith yours.During the shopping, let your child be incharge of marking items off the list; thisincreases literacy and keeps them occupiedduring grocery shopping.


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Write the Room

Give your child a clipboard, paper, andpen or pencil.

Choose a room in the house with agood amount of environmental print(the kitchen has food labels; theliving room may have book covers)

Let your child go around the room andwrite the words that he or she sees.


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Response to Literature

After reading aloud to your child,choose a writing activity to respond

to the story in some way.Examples: write a new ending to thestory, write a letter to a character in

the story, write a list of charactersin the story.


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Dictation

Dictation is writing down the exact wordsyour child tells you.

Dictated activities: Demonstrate that what we think/say can

be written.

Provide a model for writing.

Encourage childrens use of language.

Values childrens words.


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When taking dictationWrite EXACTLY what your child says. Remember, we are working on writing, NOT grammar!

Encourage all attempts your child makes.

Ask questions to extend language.Make sure your child can see you write.

Read the dictation back to your child, followingthe print with your finger as you read it.

Encourage your child to reread the dictation bythemselves, to friends, or to other familymembers.


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SIG Preschool Literacy Toolkit

You are receiving a toolkit from the TNSIG Preschool Literacy Training Project.

The purpose of the toolkit is to provideliteracy materials and activities that youand your child can do together.

You can pick up your Preschool Literacy

Toolkit when you turn in the workshopsurvey.


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Questions?

Thank you for participating in thisparent workshop.

You are your childs first and mostimportant teacher, and you are wellon your way to helping your child

become a writer.


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ReferencesBredekamp & Copple 1997. Developmentally Appropriate Practice in EarlyChildhood Programs revised edition. Washington D.C.: National AcademyPress.

Morrow, Lesley Mandel 2001. Literacy Development in the Early Years,Helping Children Read and Write. Boston, Massachusetts: Allyn & Bacon.

National Research Council 1998. Preventing Reading Difficulties in YoungChildren. Washington D.C.: National Academy Press.

National Research Council 1999. Starting Out Right. Washington D.C.:National Academy Press.

Neuman, Copple, Bredekamp 2000. Learning to Read and Write:Developmentally Appropriate Practices for Young Children. Washington,D.C.: NAEYC.


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ReferencesRanweiler, Linda 2005. Preschool Readers and Writers: Early LiteracyStrategies for Teachers. Ypsilanti, Michigan: High/Scope Press.

Schickendanz, Judith and Casbergue, Renee 2004. Writing in Preschool:Learning to Orchestrate Meanings and Marks. Newark, Delaware: IRA.

Shickendanz, Judith 1998. Much More Than the ABCs: The Early Stages ofReading and Writing. Washington, D.C.: NAEYC

Strickland, Dorothy and Morrow, Lesley 2000. Emergent Literacy: YoungChildren Learn to Read and Write. Newark, Delaware: IRA.

Center for Improving the Readiness of Children for Learning and Education2002. National Head Start S.T.E.P. Trainers Manual. Houston, TX:National Head Start/CIRCLE.

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Writing With Young Children Revised for Parents