OBJECTIVES:

This lesson is designed to help students to:
· understand that the way they write is part of a developmental process.
· feel confident about the way they write
· have license to use writing as a way to communicate

It is designed to help teachers to:
· monitor the developmental process of student's writing.

MATERIALS:

Paper and pencils for the students
Marker and chart paper for the teacher

BEGINNING:

The students should gather in the group meeting area. The teacher will model the various stages of writing development. The script that follows is only a guide, feel free to adapt it to your own teaching style.

TEACHER: "I have noticed that there are a lot of different kinds of writers in this class. I want to show you some ways that I have noticed you writing. I know that if I wanted you to write a story about ice cream some of you might write like this:" (the teacher draws a picture of an ice cream cone)

"This says: "I like ice cream."

"I know that some of you would say "I like ice cream" but you might write it a different way. You might write like this:" (The teacher draws a cursive like scribble across the page.)

" This says: "I like ice cream."

The teacher will continue telling the children that some of them will write a certain way and will model the following stages of writing development:

random letters airjrk
beginning sounds ilic
simple phonetic spellings I lk is crm
conventional spelling I like ice cream.

The teacher can even point out that he/she will write stories in his or her own way: I like ice cream.

ACTIVITY:

TEACHER: "Everyone think of something that you really like or that you know a lot about."

Allow a few children to share.

TEACHER: "I want you to write what you like a lot or what you know a lot about. Remember that there are a lot of ways to write. If you write like this, (point to one of the ways on the chart) then that is how I want you to write. If you write like this, (point to another way) then that is how you should write. The most important thing is to get your idea written on paper."

Allow the students time to write. Circulate around the room offering affirmation and encouragement for their attempts.

CLOSING:

Ask the children to come back to the group meeting area. Ask if any of them would like to share their writing. The teacher should keep the focus on what the children wrote and try not to mention the child's stage of writing development.

VARIATIONS:

Instead of meeting as a group the teacher may have individual student conferences. The students can share their writing with the teacher individually.

When sharing a piece of writing with the group, the students could sit in a special "author's chair" that is only used by authors.

ASSESSMENT:

The teacher should use a checklist that includes the student names and levels of writing development. The individual student levels should be noted as they progress in their writing. The levels noted on the checklist will probably be more exhaustive than those shared with the children. (A sample checklist is included.)

On the sample checklist the class roll can be listed. Each time the teacher notices that a student has moved to a new level of writing development the date can be written under the level and beside the student's name.

IMPORTANT THINGS TO REMEMBER:

The writing process is of primary importance and can be taught regardless of a child's level of writing development.

A child's developmental stage of writing should guide instruction for that child within the context of the writing process. Children at lower levels probably need instruction on concepts of print and phonemic awareness. Students at higher levels need more spelling and phonics instruction.