Writing
Students need lots of exposure to, and experience with, a wide range of written genres to be able to master them with relative ease. Some students may have had very little or no experience with many of the genres required by class tasks. Students from different cultural and linguistic backgrounds and those who do not read widely or easily may experience particular disadvantage.
Class writing tasks usually fall into certain genres including, narratives, procedures, newspaper articles, factual objective descriptions and reports, explanations, expositions and discussions.
With teachers' support, students become skilful users of the genre as they:
Reading Examples
The following strategy supports students as they read and examine an example of text written in a specific genre in order to understand its features.
- It is first necessary to have a spare photocopied example of a finished piece of writing in the genre required by the class task. Before students have read the example, the photocopy is cut up into paragraphs and the paragraphs are shuffled.
- Students work in a group to unjumble the composition. Doing so leads students to consider the features of the genre. They are encouraged to articulate why they are making their decisions. Being an active part of these peer group discussions about the composition and language of the text assists students who are less experienced with the genre and or who have difficulties in decoding and comprehending the text.
Resources provided by Lesley Stevenson from Milperra State High School, for a unit on Endangered Animals include an example of this strategy. (See scrambled information report.) (Although this example has been used in a high school setting teachers will find it very useful and appropriate for years 6 and 7. - A teacher uses an OHT of the example to support students as they consider these questions:
- What is the purpose of the text? (Is the writer aiming to tell you a story, entertain you, sell you something, inform you, persuade you, explain something or is the writer's work a reflection about some event or feeling? Are you the writer's intended audience?)
- What sort of language is used? (for example; familiar or formal, plain or technical)
- What are the stages of the genre? (for example a narrative has: an orientation, a complication and a resolution, whereas an explanation has a title, a general statement and a step by step explanation)
Transferring Notes
A conferencing strategy can support students as they transfer their notes from note taking templates or concept maps into sentences.
- The supporting teacher applies active listening and strategic questioning as the student talks through his or her notes. For example:
"You have written 'grass' in the habitat column. Tell me about it."
"Is this what you mean? No? Tell me more"
or
"Yes? Can you say it back to me in a sentence? Would you like me to show you how to write it?"
- The teacher might model ways to build sentences from the student's notes. In order for the student to remain in control of his or her writing process, it is important that the teacher follows the student's own words as closely as appropriate. Some students who struggle with literacy may be easily discouraged and become passive participants in the writing process if they feel that the teacher is imposing his or her own wording or sense of composition without respectful consultation or negotiation. (Students can become disempowered by the over competent literacy of the teacher. Eg, "Why should I say it my way when the teacher's way is always better?")
A template on which to transfer notes either by hand or ideally by computer can provide a supportive scaffold which greatly increases a student's chance of success. (See Using templates).
Depending on the situation and the agreement of all teachers involved, a student can use a supporting teacher or fellow student as a scribe or a typist. The typist types exactly what the student dictates so that the student can amend it during the editing process. (Scribing should not be used if it will negatively affect a student's reported outcomes.)
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Recommended Resources
The Association of Independent Schools of Queensland Inc., 2000, Teachers@Work: Supporting Years 8-10 Literacy and Numeracy, Brisbane.
Curriculum Corporation 2000, Literacy Benchmarks Years 3, 5 & 7; Writing, Spelling and Reading. Carlton, Victoria
Twomey, Maureen (ed) 1997, Student Handbook: a guide to the presentation of assignments and exams, St Joseph's College, Brisbane.
Recommended Links
Responding to diversity
Aboriginal Perspectives and the English Learning Area 
Investigating students' prior knowledge of a text.
Lola Albion and Anne Alcock
Conferring: talking with children during composing,
Lola Albion and Anne Alcock
Objective: Students will learn how to write clearly and concisely.
Assistive Technology: contact Marilyn Capelin
Endangered Animals Unit from Milperra State High School
Other languages