Unit 2: Stimuli for Writing: activities, contexts and models Task sheets

Sheet 2.1
The learning environment
A classroom that aims to motivate learners to create a community of writers will be rich in writing of all kinds and will have the following. A wide range of texts that can be used as models to illustrate the characteristics of different forms of writing, such as: information leaflets tourist information, health education, travel brochures, etc. instructional writing recipes, instruction manuals, etc. advertisements charity appeals newspapers, magazines, comics, graphic novels and articles reference books dictionaries, thesauruses, encyclopedias, telephone directories, topic books !" resources websites, e#mail messages, blogs novels, short stories, myths and legends poetry classic, contemporary, funny, in a range of forms drama te$ts appropriate to the age group resources from different cultures for learners with %nglish as an additional language &%A'( models of writing from across the curriculum, appropriate to different sub)ects, with key structures, features and vocabulary highlighted. Learner-generated collections of, for e$ample:

 recipes reports information leaflets words that follow particular spelling patterns words instead of* &synonyms for nice, said, etc.( short stories effective story openings effective descriptions. Display that celebrates learners best work, changed at regular intervals. C rric l m s pport on display that is regularly used and referred to by teachers. +or e$ample, learner#generated posters outlining: how to be a good response partner ,uestions to ask before writing characteristics of various te$t types.

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Stim l s material relating to current topic or task: pictures artefacts presentations on interactive whiteboard audio#visual e,uipment with appropriate !-s, -.-s, etc. word walls. S fficient #CT reso rces to allow learners to create te$ts, combining print, images and sounds, including: computers software interactive whiteboard digital camera radio/!- players internet access. Classroom organisation that allows for different groupings related to a range of tasks. "his will include:

 whole#class work for activities such as shared writing group work with teacher input, such as sessions of guided writing pair work, as an opportunity to share and refine ideas, confirm understanding, provide e$amples, etc. small#group work to discuss issues prior to writing about them, the grouping often dictated by the teacher friendship groups to discuss and plan, for e$ample an enterprise pro)ect that will involve some written material one#to#one work with support, perhaps from a learning support assistant.

Sheet 2.2
$ffective school-%ased stim li for writing
"he list on 0heet 1.2 has already provided many ideas for classroom resources but some of these will have significant financial implications for school budgets. t will be necessary to plan carefully so that, over time, a good range of resources can be provided in each classroom of your school&s(. 3any of the resources, however, do not need to cost too much. "hese include: learner#generated books and collections displays of best work curriculum support material

 collections of te$ts brought in by learners or teachers from the world outside school, including leaflets, newspapers, magazines, programmes, etc. "hese can be collected in a suitable container &a tub of te$ts( for use when appropriate catalogues, brochures, 4ellow 5ages the internet. f learners are involved in collecting such resources, they will be more likely to show interest in the writing that surrounds them in the world outside school and to use it as a support for their own writing.

&eople in school
'tilising the expertise and c rric l m planning of other s %(ect specialists 0pecialists in history, geography, music, art and design, design and technology, drama and other sub)ects will be a source of good ideas for appropriate stimulus material relating to a particular topic, atmosphere or period. t will be useful for %nglish and/or 6elsh teachers to know the curriculum focus in each others sub)ects as well as other sub)ects for a particular group of learners, so that linked work can be planned perhaps by considering the form, range or type of writing learners could use to show their learning in other sub)ects &see 7nit 8(. "his will not be a problem in a primary school but will need more planned collaboration between departments in a secondary school, as encouraged in Making the most of learning: Implementing the revised curriculum &6elsh Assembly 9overnment, 1::;(. "he school librarian will be able to provide important support and resources. )isitors to schools who might help incl de* "heatre in %ducation companies visiting e$perts or representatives of organisations parents, grandparents, former pupils visiting writers &as part of the Academi 6riters on "our scheme( visiting sportsmen or women, or local celebrities

 local business or entrepreneurship links, including organisations such as !areers 6ales scientists from local industry.

Sheet 2.+
$nco raging learners with additional needs
Learners with dyslexia,specific learning diffic lties 0uch learners may need to be encouraged to write, working through areas of strength to overcome difficulties. 6ith sensitive teaching, writing activities can be used to reinforce learning related to the processing of sound, visual discrimination and grammar/synta$, tackling selected areas systematically to avoid overwhelming the learner. 0ome learners may have difficulties with working memory so that it will be helpful to provide visual support for planning, se,uencing and organising tasks and ideas. <andwriting may be slow and inaccurate, with possible difficulties with directionality. 'earners should not generally be asked to copy te$t, and oral options should be offered where appropriate. =uddy/peer support may help when learners are re,uired to read back their work, etc. 'earners should be encouraged to develop strategies for independent working, taking into account their own preferences for layout, colour, contrast, etc. "echnology is increasingly used to support a range of activities, including the production of written work in attractive formats. A list of useful software can be found on the websites of the =ritish -ysle$ia Association and the 5rofessional association of teachers of students with specific learning difficulties &5atoss( see Appendi$ 1. Learners with -elsh or $nglish as an additional lang age n 6ales, >; languages are spoken by at least ;,::: children alongside 6elsh and %nglish and we need to take full advantage of this fact. "here is a significant body of research evidence to show that learners who speak

more than one language have an increased ability to use and learn language in general. 0upporting the development of a learners use of the home language in addition to 6elsh and/or %nglish brings many benefits and can improve literacy and understanding. 0chools need to draw on learners cultural and linguistic diversity so that the e$perience of all learners across the curriculum is enriched. "here are, however, some issues that teachers need to consider: learners who have learned to read/write in another language may be familiar with a different soundsymbol relationship and may therefore struggle to differentiate between sounds. "his may have an impact on spelling, though it is not indicative of hearing or speech difficulties punctuation in writing indicates intonation, pauses, etc., so understanding partly depends on the development of speech patterns in %nglish or 6elsh genres are culturally determined. 'earners from other cultural backgrounds need help with structure, organisation, order, grammatical features, etc.

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.ote* =ilingual learners in 6ales have the same advantages as those described above. f they learn a skill through the medium of one language they can, in most cases, transfer that skill to their second language and can certainly talk about it in both languages. 3any learners show prodigious skills when they read in one language, translate mentally and use their second language to talk or write in response a common occurrence in 6elsh#medium/bilingual schools where resources are often in %nglish. 0uch skills need to be acknowledged and

built upon. +urther discussion of these issues can be found in Developing Dual Literacy: An Estyn discussion paper &%styn, 1::1(. Learners with low attainment ?ver recent years, some successful intervention programmes supported by =asic 0kills !ymru, the 6elsh Assembly 9overnment and local authorities have helped learners develop their reading and spelling skills. "hese include @eading @ecovery and !atch#7p programmes. "here are, however, fewer support programmes to help learners improve their wider writing skills, and yet insecurity in writing can affect a learners access to learning and limit his or her performance across all areas of the curriculum. 'ow attainers, particularly boys, can become demoralised because of technical and organisational errors in written work that they do not know how to correct. t is essential that such learners have opportunities to: use talk to develop ideas orally rehearse and organise their ideas before writing using talk frameworks, talk partners, etc. receive e$plicit support linked to their individual needs undertake structured and purposeful writing tasks that are e$plained clearly focus systematically on areas such as spelling, identifying their own areas of weakness and being helped to understand how to improve use technology as motivation and to encourage a desire to communicate with others in relevant conte$ts. An e$tensive range of materials to support learners with low attainment is available from =asic 0kills !ymru. 0ee Appendi$ 1 for details. /ore-a%le and talented learners n many schools, there is a tendency for teachers to be content if learners are reaching the e$pected level for their age. "his means, however, that some more#able and talented learners are not being sufficiently stretched, and are

coasting along rather than meeting their potential. 0uch learners need enrichment and e$tended learning e$periences on a day#to#day basis, and these e$periences will often include or culminate in writing.

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"he recently published Supporting learners higher-order literacy skills &6elsh Assembly 9overnment, 1::>( &and comparable document for 6elsh, efnogi u!ch sgiliau llythrennedd dysg!yr( illustrating learners reading and writing at 'evels A, ; and %$ceptional 5erformance &%5(, aims to bring this situation to the attention of teachers in secondary schools, to raise e$pectations and to encourage the specific targeting of able learners to raise their attainment. A similar publication focusing on higher#order literacy across the curriculum has been sent to schools. Appendi$ 1 provides other relevant references and websites, including that of the Bational Association for Able !hildren in %ducation &BA!%( which publishes guidance materials relating to the more#able learner. ?ne strategy that has proved popular and effective in 6ales over past years has been the setting up of 4oung 5eoples 6riting 0,uads in some 'As. "hese allow talented writers to meet and work with similarly talented learners, guided by a professional writer &in the same way that those talented in sports will meet for e$tra coaching from an e$pert(. "he scheme is organised by the Academi in !ardiff and details can be found by navigating through the 4oung 5eoples 6riting 0,uads section at www.academi.org -iscuss whether such a group e$ists in your 'A. &4ou, as group leader, will have

done some research and can guide the group.( f so, are your learners involvedC f not, might it be possible/desirable/practical to )oin an already established scheme or set one upC "ry to come to some decision about the way forward. f you need, for e$ample, to contact your 'A adviser, make sure that someone agrees to do so and to take the matter further. 0uch out#of#hours work, however, should not be seen as a substitute for the enrichment and e$tension of learning e$periences. "hese need to occur in schools on a day#to#day basis to e$tend the breadth and depth of the work for more#able and talented learners, as well as to provide opportunities for independent learning.