getting writing right
DESCRIPTION
Keynote for Education Scotland's National Literacy NetworkTRANSCRIPT
Do we value writing?
• Why do we ask students to write?
• Do we actually value the writing?
• If we don’t value it, why will students?
• We can only write what we can say.
• We can only say what we can think.
• But, if you can say it, you can write it.
• What does this tell us about speech?
Spoken language “forms a constraint, a ceiling not only on the ability to comprehend but also on the ability to write, beyond which literacy cannot progress”
Myhill and Fisher
Robin Alexander
“One of the reasons why talk is undervalued is that there is a tendency to see its function as primarily social… but... talk in classrooms is cognitive and cultural as well as social.”
Conclusion: to improve writing we need to improve speaking.
How do we do that?
Why aren’t we supposed to talk?
What not to do
Independent learning
vs. independence
Teaching sequence for developing
independence
3. Joint construction
2. Modelling & deconstruction
1. Setting the context & building the field
4. Independent construction
EXPLAIN
• Clear – As simple as possible but not simpler – Abstract to concrete
• Relevant – ‘Anchored’ in prior knowledge – Knowledge gaps
• Memorable – Unexpected - “Huh?” – Construct narratives
Functional Grammar
• Concerned with meaning: – Participants – Processes – Circumstances
• The old man enjoyed riding his new bike up and down the corridors of the old people’s home.
Functional Grammar
• Concerned with meaning: – Participants – Processes – Circumstances
• The old man enjoyed riding his new bike up and down the corridors of the old people’s home.
Explicitly teach processes
• Explicitly teach processes: – Doing, saying (show) – Sensing, being (tell)
• George’s parents gave him an axe and told him to be careful. He absolutely loved it and decided to test his strength by chopping down a tree.
Explicitly teach processes
• Explicitly teach processes: – Doing, saying (show) – Sensing, being (tell)
• George’s parents gave him an axe and told him to be careful. He absolutely loved it and decided to test his strength by chopping down a tree.
• Deconstruction – High quality, subject specific texts/
examples – Make language visible – talk about what
it’s doing
• Modelling – Teacher shares ‘expert’ thought
processes: “I’m doing this because…” – Show how to use knowledge
• Writing frames can both constrain and give choice
• Never put up scaffolding unless you have a plan for taking it down
• How can we get students to move away from ‘everyday speech’ to ‘academic register’?
Lexical density & black space
Lexical density & black space
Lexical density & black space
• Turning up & turning down
High Moderate Low
Is Are Will
Likely probably
Might Could Can
Unlikely
- = +
hate don’t like like love
The writer has used the phrase _
_ _ _ _ _ to imply…
This might mean … because…
This could also suggest… because…
The word _ _ _ _ is effec9ve because…
The writer’s inten9on is…
Thought stems for English
Nominalisation
• Turning verbs (actions) into nouns (concepts/ideas) makes you sound more confident and authoritative
Spot the difference Crime was increasing rapidly and the police were becoming concerned.
The rapid increase in crime was causing concern among the police.
Germany invaded Poland in 1939. This immediately caused World War Two to break out.
Germany’s invasion of Poland in 1939 was the immediate cause of the outbreak World War Two.
hFp://theplenary.wordpress.com/2013/04/12/34/
• Practice does not make perfect, practice makes permanent
• Don’t allow mistakes to be embedded
• The problem with feedback
Proofreading
• Don’t write, draft
• Use a simple proofreading code
• Don’t mark work that’s not proofread
• If it’s not perfect, it’s not finished
The Proofreading Code
“If it’s not proofread, it’s not finished!”
C – Capital le*ers S – Spelling
P – Punctua3on // -‐ Paragraphs
? – doesn’t make sense
Teaching sequence for developing
independence
3. Joint construction
2. Modelling & deconstruction
1. Setting the context & building the field
4. Independent construction
Focus on how not what
• Use a mix short & long sentences
• Avoid ‘and’ & ‘but’ (except at the beginning of sentences!)
• Vary your discourse markers: as, although, while, despite
Adding: and, also, as well as, moreover, too
Cause & effect: because, so, therefore, thus, consequently
Sequencing: next, then, first, finally, meanwhile, before, after
Qualifying: however, although, unless, except, if, as long as, apart from, yet
Emphasising: above all, in particular, especially, significantly, indeed, notably
Illustrating: for example, such as, for instance, as revealed by, in the case of
Comparing: equally, in the same way, similarly, likewise, as with, like
Contrasting: whereas, instead of, alternatively, otherwise, unlike, on the other hand
Know your discourse markers
@RealGeoffBarton
Slow Writing
Slow Writing
Write an account of your day so far... 1. Your first sentence must be a question 2. Your second sentence must be 3 words
exactly 3. Your third sentence must being with
“Although…” 4. Your fourth sentence must be 22 words
exactly 5. Your final sentence must begin with an
adverb (__ly)
Crafting beautiful sentences
• Write a sentence in which above is the introductory word.
• Write a sentence in which above the house is the introductory phrase.
• Make it a sentence describing the weather. • Now make it the first sentence of a ghost
story. • Now redraft the sentence so that the
phrase above the house comes at the end. • Challenge: re-draft the sentence so that the
phrase above the house comes in the middle, the sentence describes the weather and comes from a ghost story.
Slow Writing
Crafting analytical sentences:
Despite _______________, ____________ ____________________________________
Explain something positive about George & Lennie’s relationship
Explain the consequences of Lennie’s actions
Crafting beautiful sentences
• Farm animals give off large amounts of methane. Explain the effects of adding large amounts of methane to the atmosphere.
‘Considering that _______________, ____ _____________________________________
Write a sentence describing the picture
Landscape with the Fall of Icarus, Pieter Bruegel
Now, start the sentence with the phrase, “At first glance…”
Landscape with the Fall of Icarus, Pieter Bruegel @Doug_Lemov
Writing Essentials
• Focus on how not what
• Proofreading & redrafting is important
• Teach students to move away from ‘everyday speech’ to ‘academic register’
David Didau @LearningSpy
learningspy.co.uk [email protected]
There’s nothing good or bad but thinking makes it so