An Analogy of Writing Practices

YES! Language: Linguistic

Conventional: Semiotic YES! Language: Linguistic Technological: Semiotic
Mode
Resources Mode Resources

Children’s Writing: Process, Product,

YES? NO? Digital Modes
Design (Linguistic Mode)
NOT Gestural Mode

NOT Spatial Mode

NOT Visual Mode NOT Aural Mode

What if children use all these modes; cohesively, simultaneously, intentionally, socially and culturally, to write?
Background of research:

In 2011, the Ministry of Education, Malaysia (MOE) introduced a new English curriculum called the
Kurikulum Standard Sekolah Rendah (KSSR) or the Standard Curriculum for Primary School (
(Ministry of Education Malaysia, 2014). However, since the introduction of the KSSR as a draft in
2011 and its complete reviewed document in 2017, there have not been any international
comparative studies done to look at how writing is implemented for the year one to year three
students in Malaysia.

What is “Literacy” in the 21st century?

Multimodality might be a new term used by researchers to describe multimodal literacy practices
but in actuality ‘multimodality’ is not new on the literacy scene (The New London Group, 1996; Kress
& van Leeuwen, 1996; Kress, 1997, 1998, 2003; Cope & Kalantzis, 2000; Hammerberg, 2001; Jewitt &
Kress, 2003; Duncum, 2004; Vasudevan, 2004; Carrington & Marsh, 2005 and Hull & Nelson, 2005).

Why Multimodality?

Children from a young age have expressed, responded and engaged in multimodal nature of literacy
learning. As more studies are done to explore multimodal nature of literacy learning, scholars and
researchers began to show interests in multiliteracies particularly on literacy teaching and literacy
learning for the purpose of exploring ways to acknowledge, encourage, and expand children’s
multimodal literacy practices.

What is the current situation regarding multimodal literacy practices?

Currently, the study of multimodal literacy practices and the impact they have on classroom
practices recognise two significant themes; effect of the technological changes and the social
practices of literacy (Walsh, 2010).

My research:

Writing Multimodal Texts: The focus is on “Design”

Principal Question 1: What are the modes used by teachers and children in Malaysia and in England?

1a: How do these modes support children’s writing?

1b: How do teachers and children view multimodal texts as a design?

1c: How do multimodal texts consider classroom implications?

Principal Question 2: What are new modes created by children?

2a: How the design is affecting children’s writing?

2b: Is time a factor? Why and How?

2c: What kind of children writers do we have?

 Ministerial CEFR

Departmental Initiatives KSSR (2011-2016) International Twinning

Standard Programmes
School KSSR (2017)
Benchmark

Writing
Penmanship Penmanship

Year 1, 2, 3
England Sentence Sentence Malaysia

Language
Paragraph Paragraph

Genre Grammar Discourse

Multimodality
Language

Writing
Landscape Drawing

Nature Singing
Multimodal Learner Modes of Communication Multimodal Text
Home and Technology
School
Literacy Layout
Practices

Semiotic Resources

Process Design Product

Visual Virtual Print Gestural Aural Spatial Oral Other Modes?

Research Questions:

1. What are the modes used by teachers and children in Malaysia and in England?
2. How do these modes support children’s writing?
3. How do teachers and children view multimodal texts as a process, product or design?
4. How do multimodal texts consider classroom implications?
5. What are new modes created by children?
6. How the process, product and design are affecting children’s writing?
7. Is time a factor? Why and How?
8. What kind children writers we have?