Workshop: Developmental stages of writing linked with students spelling

What are the development writing and spelling stages that an early writer goes through?

These include:

ü  Pre- Literate Stage of Writing (3-5 years)

ü  Emergent Stage of Writing (5 – 7years)

ü  Transitional/Developing Stage of Writing (6- 8 years)

ü  Fluent Stage of Writing (8-10years)

The stage of spelling linked to each writing stage includes:

ü  Pre-communicative Spelling Stage 

                                                          

ü  Semi phonetic Spelling Stage

                      

ü  Phonetic Spelling Stage

                          

ü  Transitional Spelling Stage

                          

  

As teachers, deriving from the walls of our classroom should be the product of progressive writers. Writers, who we take from where they are at to where we want them to be. Our classroom should produce writers who understand that writing is important and the art of writing should be valued. In addition, our classroom should be one where the writing experience for our students is fun filled and exciting. Hence, our classrooms should be one forging towards 'building a community of writers'. 

In summary, to assist students in writing, the classroom environment should be one where writing is encouraged. Therefore, the teacher must encourage and do daily writing as well as modeling the expected writing to be obtained from the students. The environment must be print rich with word wall and labels of classroom materials that can be used to aid students in their writing. In addition, if and when a student provides a piece of writing that contains spelling error, that student should not be turned away with the markings of a red pen. However, their attention should be drawn to a text where the correct spelling is written for clarification allowing the student to make the necessary adjustment. Also, the teacher can ask the student if the word can be spelt another way. Both of these cases of occurrences can happen due to the language interference that generally occurs within our classrooms affecting our students writing. Hence, it is imperative as teachers that we don’t create an avenue where students are pushed away from writing because of simple errors but we should encourage and foster writing based on the developmental stage in which the child is at.

The Writing Process

    It cannot be stressed enough just how important the process of writing is. Without it, in almost all cases, writing pieces never capture the true meaning they were intended to. Writing is not a one shot affair, and should not be treated as such. Each stage of the writing process provides a guide for writing pieces that are as close to perfection as possible through consistent brainstorming, writing and rewriting, until the final product is published. Added to that, throughout the process, implementation of the 6+1 Traits of Writing occurs, which is the vehicle that drives and enhances your writing piece. To conclude, as teachers, we should ensure that the writing process is one that should never be overlooked in any classroom; and it is imperative that all beginning writers be exposed to this process to ensure that all writing pieces produced are of high standard that the young writers can take pride in.

6+1 Traits of Writing

    The 6+1 Traits of Writing can be compared to a fully operational vehicle. The first trait is the ideas, which can be represented by the engine of the vehicle. Without the engine, the vehicle cannot start; the same goes for writing without ideas. Ideas start and guide the writing process and continues throughout until the process has ended. The second trait is that of organization, which is represented by the chassis. Just as the chassis provides a proper foundation for the frame of the vehicle and gives it structure, so too does organization provide structure to writing. Organization structures ideas in a clear and sequential manner; beginning to end. It also assists in transitioning from one idea to another while still showing a clear link or connection.

    The third trait is sentence fluency, represented by the wheels of the vehicle. The wheels allow the vehicle to cruise or race over distances. Likewise, sentence fluency provides sentences within writing to vary in length and structure, which aids in naturally portraying and conveying the intended meaning of the writer. The fourth trait is that of word choice, which is represented by the frame of the vehicle. The frame provides design and durability to the vehicle, and word choice does the same within writing. Using strategic word choices creates a vivid and interesting writing piece, while still maintaining a natural flow which does not feel forced, and suits the intended audience. Word choice brings elegance to writing, whether the language is literal or figurative.

    The fifth trait of writing is the voice, represented by the fuel tank. Just as the tank pushes fuel to power the vehicle, the voice provides a tone which propels the writing to help the audience capture meaning by being clear, confident, convincing and consistent. Additionally, voice brings a personalized aspect to ones writing piece . The sixth trait is that of the conventions, which is represented by all things used to protect everything and everyone within the vehicle. The conventions help protect the writing from errors through correct spelling, punctuation and grammar, providing clear meaning and understanding for all readers.

    The final trait, plus one, is that of presentation, represented by the design of the vehicle. Apart from its performance and safety, a vehicle's design is a key factor in its appeal to customers; this is also true with a writing piece's presentation. Presentation provides an engaging appeal to the intended audience through its layout, ensuring that it is pleasing to their eyes.

    With the knowledge and application of the 6+1 Traits of Writing, writers can produce exquisite and captivating pieces for all to enjoy. It is a must know if you are producing any pieces of writing, whether leisurely or other.

Writing as a Process and not a Product

An American author known as Stephen King (n.d.), once stated "the scariest moment is always just before you start". This quote in its entirety speaks deeply to the fear that writers face just before attempting to write. It is often felt that making a mistake, not producing excellent work, or making errors during writing, would hinder writers from generating a good piece of writing. However, what must not be given a blind eye is that writing is a process and not a product. It can be fun, interactive and expressive using a wide range of genre that can be developed with repeated practice overtime. Hence, writers must understand that there is no ‘one shot’ in writing and they must go through and complete each stage before moving to the next stage.

Furthermore, writing can be defined as a process of using symbols to communicate thoughts and ideas in a readable form (Englishclub.com). It is the avenue to which expressive speech is captured on paper. Hence, it is in no doubt that writing is time-consuming and may be challenging; however, with constant practice, it can be an art developed into mastery. Teachers must therefore find creative and innovative ways to stimulate students into developing a love for writing; but it does not stop there. Moreover, to become a better writer, one must understand that writing does not stand alone. It goes hand-in-hand with speaking and reading. For example, individuals engaged in active reading can jot down ideas as they read which enhances their ability to write. In another instance, reading builds writers’ vocabulary as they encounter new words that can be used in their writing. Also, writers are able to view different writing patterns and structures presented by other writers which they can use within their writing.

In another view, teachers must provide students with a step-by-step guide as they move from one stage to another during the writing process. The process of writing starts with the prewriting stage. In this stage, students and teachers can work together to build ideas and thoughts through brainstorming to create the foundation from which writing begins. This can be done through use of prompts such as musicals, poetry, storytelling, dramatization and so much more, all in an effort to stimulate ideas and thoughts that can be useful when writing. In addition, prompts can be beneficial to students in providing them with background knowledge about a specific topic. For instance, a student given a story title “The Storm” who has never experienced such an event can look at a video presented by the teacher to gain background knowledge on what a storm is.

The second stage however, is called drafting and this is where students start putting their ideas together. At this stage, students can scrap their first draft to do another as they acquire more thoughts to develop their writing. This is certainly not a problem and should be encouraged among the writers. Furthermore, the third stage is revising and this is the stage where students can give the teacher their piece to review and obtain feedback. At this point, writers can revise and look over their piece, making the necessary adjustments by tweaking their words, adjusting sentence structure and ensuring that paragraphs are connected. The fourth stage however, is called editing and this is the stage where grammar, mechanics and spelling are checked. Finally, the publishing stage is where students are able to post and share their final piece with others.  As writers follow the path of this process, each stage can be revisited a number of times to ensure that all thoughts and ideas are captured and the final piece of writing to be published is perfected.

In conclusion, as an educator forging forward to develop better writers within my classroom, I must first model the writing process to my students. Also, I must engage my students in writing on a daily basis by using creative strategies to prompt writing. In addition, I must provide a rich literature environment to promote reading, thus fostering better writing products in my classroom.