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Part B: Teacher notes and additional strategies
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Punctuation Definitions
Using punctuation to structure sentences Students experiencing difficulties with punctuation may have a problem with structuring sentences. Students understand the surface features of capital letter and full stop but do not have a sense of sentence. The following strategies have been useful in helping students correctly structure sentences. Focus on punctuation indicating sentence boundaries (capital letters and full stops). Display an OHT or enlarged copy of student writing which includes poorly structured sentences such as run-ons. Ask students to read it aloud and indicate the end of the first idea. Use different coloured highlighter pens to indicate the first idea, changing colours for each new idea. Model correct punctuation at the beginning and end of each coloured sentence. Work together with student(s) on completed work using a different coloured highlighter for each new idea; this strategy can be repeated by pairs of students, or when work is read aloud. Focus on improved sentence structure: Guide students by asking them to: write their second idea FULL STOP e.g. They help protect people from skin cancer FULL STOP write their third idea FULL STOP e.g. They keep cars cool FULL STOP Encourage students to verbalise as they write to reinforce the end of a sentence. Introduce rainbow writing: students change colour pencil for each new idea; a full stop must be placed before changing colours. References: ELLA 2001 Writing Task Marking Procedures, page 20 |
Editing For students experiencing difficulties with editing, try these strategies: Explain the distinction made between editing and proofreading (see below) in the State Literacy Strategy documents: Editing involves changing the drafts of developing texts in order to improve the text, for example, by improving cohesion, syntax, grammar and vocabulary. Editing leads to changes which will be incorporated into the next draft of the text. (Focus on literacy: Writing, NSW DET, 2000, page 23.) Ensure editing occurs at a different time to drafting, as editing and drafting are different phases. Copy the process used by authors. Real authors send their writing to others for editing; they don’t edit their own work. Have students edit the writing of their peers. Provide students with an editing checklist for reference when checking the writing of others, e.g. Choosing Literacy Strategies that Work, Stage 2, page 231. |
Handwriting For students experiencing difficulties with handwriting, try these strategies: Focus on joined handwriting Explain the purpose of joined handwriting (to increase fluency and speed). When students are proficient in joined handwriting, it is easier to write for extended periods of time to draft texts. Insist all students use joined handwriting. Focus on increasing use of joined writing Support students to practise joined writing by beginning with small tasks, for example use joined writing for the first part of each sentence or paragraph or have students copy or trace a model of the introductory sentence provided by teacher. Focus on fluency Begin each lesson with a quick pattern practice to develop familiarity with basic foundation style movements and shapes. See pages 188–190, Writing K–12, NSW Department of Education, Sydney, 1987. (Note. Remove all sections except VI. Handwriting: teaching the foundation approach, pages 147–200) Try these links for resources and ideas:
Resources: |
Using technology This activity can be used for editing texts in a collaborative situation. It can also be useful for tracking changes in a student’s work.
To turn on the Track Changes function, go to the Tools menu and click on Track Changes and then click on Highlight Changes. Click on track changes while editing. Wherever you make alterations to the text, they will appear different from the rest of the text. The default is for inserted text to be underlined and red and deleted text to be red with a strike through. If you would like to alter this, then click on Options… This will give you a window where you can customise your track changes. (You can access this same window through the Preferences command in the Tools menu.) If you receive a document that contains editing using the track changes feature you can accept or reject these changes. Go to the Tools menu and click on Track Changes and then select Accept or Reject Changes… You can work through the document change by change and either accept or reject each of the changes. You can reject all of the changes or accept all of the changes. If you are finding the document confusing, you can click on Changes without highlighting which will preview the document without the strike through and coloured text. If you wish to view the original text, click on Original. If you click either Accept All or Reject All, the Office Assistant will ask you if you are sure. Click Yes. Resources: |
Spelling For students experiencing difficulties with spelling, try these strategies: Focus on self-correction of errors Indicate a student’s need to self-correct by using the same type of writing implement as the student. The teacher indicates the student’s need to self-correct by touching the word on the student’s page with the writing implement. The student then has the opportunity to self-correct, which is a very powerful form of learning. When teachers collect work to take away and mark, the student is less responsible for their own learning. Focus on learning correct spellings Students use pencil for draft writing, so they can erase spelling errors so these are not imprinted. Remind students that some written tasks are for practice only;
the text does not have an audience wider than the writer. Focus on supporting students to move on from the known Walk around the room observing and supporting students with their writing. If a student supplies another incorrect spelling for an identified spelling error, supply the correct spelling immediately rather than leaving students struggling to get correct spelling. Focus on parts which the student has correct, e.g. tick all correct letters; identify section(s) where letters are missing, in the wrong order, or where a double letter is required. Focus on developing morphemic knowledge (knowledge of word meaning and how words change when they take on different grammatical forms). Consider a base word, e.g. beauty, sincere: students brainstorm and use dictionaries to locate other words related to the base word, and record their findings on a word web. Provide a table with headings describing different word functions, e.g. noun (to name), adjective (to describe). Students sort the word family into the table, noting any similarities and changes to the spelling of each word. List words with a common ending, e.g. –ly. Record each adjective with its base word; create groups of words showing a change to the base word when –ly is added, and groups showing no change to the base word when –ly is added. |
Proof reading For students experiencing difficulties with proofreading, try these strategies: Explain the distinction made between proofreading and editing (see above) in the State Literacy Strategy: Proofreading involves preparing the final text for presentation, including reading the text to locate and fix any inaccuracies in grammar, spelling, punctuation or layout. Select a piece of student writing from another class or year and enlarge it for the whole class to read. Read through the text for meaning then re-read the text slowly, checking the text for structure and cohesion. Choose a proofreading focus, e.g. spelling, and read the text again, using a ruler to uncover one line at a time. This allows readers to focus on details such as punctuation and spelling. Ask students to identify any spelling errors as the text is read. Model correction of errors by spell check and use of dictionary. Resources:Focus on literacy: Writing (2000), NSW Department of Education and Training, pages 22–3 Teaching spelling K–6 (1998), NSW Department of Education and Training, page 77 |
Publishing Consider publishing only selected student texts. The purpose of some writing tasks is practise only. The purpose of others includes performance or publication. The audience is wider for published writing than for practice writing. All writing does not need to be published. |
Mode Continuum Purpose To demonstrate the vast range of degrees of formality in different uses of language, from the immediacy of informal conversation at one end to very formal written language at the other end. Description In the classroom a line is marked out with tape along a wall or on the
floor, or drawn along the chalkboard. Implementation Create a large mode continuum in the classroom. Explain the mode continuum by telling students it represents the range of formality of language use. Give examples of language use at each end of the continuum and also a midpoint, e.g. informal spoken (asking a friend to borrow a pen), midpoint (telling, or writing a note to, a senior work colleague about tasks completed during your shift), formal written (School Certificate English essay). Provide situation cards for students to place along the mode continuum according to the degree of formality of the language used. References: |
Modality Modality is a term used to describe a range of grammatical resources used to express probability or obligation. In general terms, obligation is more usually used in speech, especially when wanting to get things done such as, "You should eat more healthy food". In writing, modality indicates degree or qualification of a writer's position in relation to truth or fact, in order to manipulate a reader's perspective such as, "It may be better to eat more healthy food". Modality can be expressed through various grammatical devices:
ELLA Writing Task Marking Procedures 2001 Book, page 76 Further references: English 7–10 Syllabus, page 69 English K–6 Syllabus, page 96 |
Nominalisation Nominalisation is the process of forming a noun from a verb or clause.
Nominalisations are a feature of particular types of writing such as essays and technical writing that use abstract ideas and concepts. Arguments often use nominalisations as they can effectively remove agency and time from statements and therefore render the propositions more difficult to refute. Writing such as narratives, on the other hand, employ abstract language through the use of imagery and generally avoid nominalisations. References: Collerson, J (1997), Grammar in Teaching, pages 92–93, 130 PETA. |
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