A Teacher’s Guide - Classroom Writing Skills

A Teacher’s Guide - Classroom Writing Skills

Picture it… A Grade 5 Language Arts classroom…2016. Frustration is settling in with the class in relation to writing. Though it is understood that students need guidance when it comes to writing, it was thought by now, that these students would have mastered the skills to write narrative, exposition, process and letter writing with at least 75% accuracy. Luckily, thanks to the expert training in education, the teacher knows the skills that the students need in order to assist them to become better writers.

What is one way to define writing?

            

This week’s session opened with two views about writing, however, this one resonated with us best. It explained that writing begins with thought. Additionally, it highlighted the fact that overtime (due to reading material), thoughts can change and be refined. Therefore, students must be placed in an environment where they are free to think, refine and reject their own thoughts to improve their writing. The following are some questions that can be posed to students to help them with their writing:

Who am I writing for?

Why am I writing?

What will I write?

How will I organize it so it makes sense?

What is the most effect way to express my ideas?

The Two Aspects of Writing

            This week’s class focused on the two types of writing skills namely compositional writing skills and transcriptional writing skills. This topic was very useful and could have been appreciated by any teacher in training. It could not have come at a better time. It was informative, interesting and insightful. 

Compositional Writing Skills

Compositional Writing Skills deals with the general idea of what the piece is about. This may include and is not limited to:

• Planning and organizing thoughts
• Researching information on the topic
• Deciding on the audience
• Developing an interesting opening or closing
• Developing paragraphs with main ideas
• Drafting
• Asking for help

Transcriptional Writing Skills

Transcriptional Writing Skills on the other hand are deal with the finishing touches of the piece written. In our opinion, it focuses on how the reader would understand the piece written. In more elaborate terms, this includes:

·         Grammar

·         Spacing between words

·         Sentence structure

·         Spelling

·         Word usage

·         Handwriting

It was important for us to reflect on this week’s class and think about some of the issues we faced in the classroom before entering teachers’ college. We then thought and noted that sometime students, (especially our young and/or struggling students) may have trouble with managing and mastering the two skills simultaneously. Therefore, it is important for teachers to keep that in mind. If students are forced to focus on, for example, selecting a topic and generating ideas for a topic; and still spelling, sentence structure and their handwriting at the same time it may:

1.      Discourage students from writing

2.      Make students lose interest in writing

3.      Students may not be as creative with their writing as they should because

a.       Their brains are trying to process too many things at once

b.      They may not think that the writing is fun, but, too strict

So what are our suggestions you may ask?

1. Teachers should be patient with students’ when it comes to writing.
2. Teachers should employ the writing process in all forms of writing. (narrative, expository, etc.)
3. Teachers should understand that it is okay for students to make mistakes – just scaffold, model and assist where necessary.
4. Teachers should take time out to teach writing and incorporate writing strategies, (for example, journals, brainstorming, free writing, what's in the picture and focus sentences) and give students feedback to improve their writing.

Thanks for reading! Until next Sunday… Goodbye!