Monday, March 23, 2015
Progression and Development of Writing
I found this chapter very insightful. I found it interesting to analyze and look at children's writing throughout parts of the chapter. The six categories are very helpful in identifying types of children's writing and I feel like they are very relatable as well. After reading about each category of writing I can relate each of them to things I have seen while working in classrooms and with children. It was very interesting to see how children's writing goes from drawings to scribbles into things that vaguely resemble letters. After students have reached a certain stage and they begin to form letters they then reproduce those letters over in over and then finally they reach forms of writing. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this section of the chapter and going step through step through children's writing. I also find these six categories helpful in realizing the progression of children's writing. Another section of this chapter that I found interesting was the section about objectives for promoting writing development. I found each of the objectives to be very insightful and resourceful. I agree with each of the objectives and their was multiple that stood out to me. For example number 6 stating that children's attempts at writing, whatever the form, will be responded to as meaningful communication (e.g. drawings, scribble writing, letterlike forms, random letters, invented spelling). I really like and support this objective and think it is very important to make children feel special and valued and listen and really try to understand how they are communicating with you. If teachers do not treat their form of communication as meaningful it could hinder their confidence as well as their progress in developing writing skills. Just as this chapter broke down the six categories of writing I also enjoyed and found helpful that it went into detail of writing development in different ages such as birth to age 2 and so on. Over all I found this chapter very helpful and as I read I found myself agreeing and confirming my own thoughts and beliefs as well.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I gave this entry a title but for some reason it did not show up I entitled it "Progression and development of writing"
ReplyDeleteGreat post, Hannah. I completely agree with you about how the chapter broke down the different types and stages of writing. I especially valued the sections about adults supporting various students' styles because every student develops at a different pace. The chapter also gave ways a teacher can help those who are struggling to keep up with their peers. As you mentioned above, I also noted how the book explains that scribbling is just a way for young children to communicate. It connects to how students learn to read. Students learn to draw and their pictures are how they communicate. A reading strategy for students is to have the younger ones "read" the book using their own vocabulary based on what the pictures look like. It made it easy to connect the strategies between reading and writing.
ReplyDeleteThe categories of writing are so interesting to me. It is amazing how you can actually see where a student is just by looking at their work. I have done this in other classes as well and now am using it for a practicum. I think the stages are really helpful for teachers because it is easy to place students in a category and then help them move on to the next one.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteBefore reading this chapter, I never really knew that a child's writing begins with drawings. I always figured children just enjoy drawing and never put much thought behind why or what story they were trying to tell. As I look back on my years working with children of all ages, I can see the progression of their writing development over the years and it amazes me. It's amazing to watch how a student's drawings turn into stories and scribbles, then turns to writing complete sentences.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading this chapter, I was amazed at how much depth goes into the stages of a child's writing. It is important to treat it as a form of communication. It is important to ask the child questions about what they drew or wrote about, not making assumptions but letting them use it to communicate with you. I believe that writing can come at whatever time, some children come to school already knowing how to write. Some children may not learn until the very end of the school year, it all just depends on the child. Staying positive and keeping it fun is important as well as appreciating their artwork and their stories and boosting their confidence as well.
ReplyDelete