Technical writing skills: some teaching ideas
The word bank 1
Age range: 5-9
Group-size: Individuals
What you need
Suitable pockets / boxes for storing word cards. These can be made from card or cloth and secured onto large charts of card, or directly onto the wall. Have one pocket for each letter of the alphabet, and prepare a set of initial cards on which are written words commonly used by children.
What to do
As children are doing their writing and come to you requiring spellings, direct them first of all to the correct pocket of the word bank. After a time they should be able to do this for themselves. If the word they want is in the bank, they can take either take it away to their seats and copy it into their writing, or, preferably, study it without taking it away and then try to write it from memory.
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The word bank 2
Age range:
5-9
Group-size:
Individuals
What you need
As for the previous activity
What to do
If the word the children want is not in the word bank, then write it for them on a blank piece of card. When they have finished with it, it can be added to the word bank for future use by other children.
If children are gradually trained to use other means of finding spellings, for example, dictionaries, they can begin to contribute themselves to the word bank. Let them write words they find interesting, or which they think may be useful to others, to add to the word bank.
Follow-up
The word bank will need regular maintenance. It will eventually be possible to remove words from it which the majority of the class are competent at spelling. This can be done in consultation with the children themselves. Perhaps a group of children-not the best spellers-can act as a word bank committee, and suggest words which they think can now be removed.
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Word charts
Age range: 5-8
Group-size: Individuals
What you need
A large chart divided up into a grid. Squares of coloured paper.
What to do
Above each colunm of the chart stick a different coloured square of paper. Alongside each row write the numbers, say, up to ten. Inside each of the squares of the grid write a commonly used word. Pin the chart in a prominent place in the classroom. When children ask for the spellings of words which are on the chart, they can be given help at a variety of levels in locating them. They might be told, "The word you want is in the green column", or, "Look along row 4", or, more precisely, "It's in the blue column and row 5".
Follow-up
You could prepare fresh charts of words which are likely to be in demand when working on a particular topic.
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Word boxes
Age range: 5-8
Group-size: Table groups
What you need
Sufficient plastic index boxes for one per table of children. A supply of index cards.
What to do
Put around thirty index cards into each group's box. This is one for each letter of the alphabet plus one each for the consonant digraphs TH, SH, CH and WH. Write the appropriate letter on each card. A set of alphabet cards, which often come free with the boxes, may also be useful, and will help teach children alphabet skills. You can begin by writing several likely words on the cards, or this can simply be done as and when children request them. When there are words on the cards, encourage children to help each other on their table in locating the words they want. If these are not already on the cards, then it is likely that at least one child on the table will know the word, and can write it onto the right card. In this way children will be able to help each other with their spelling, rather than relying entirely on the teacher.
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Try it again sheets
Age range: 6-11
Group-size: Individuals
What you need
Small exercise books with the pages folded, concertina-style, into four columns.
What to do
When children ask for a spelling which you consider they should learn, write it in the first column of this exercise book. get the child to study it carefully and to "try to see it in your head". When the child says he/she can do this, fold the page so that the word is hidden. The child then has to write the word from memory in the 'Try it here' column. If correct, the child can practice a couple more times in the extra columns, folding the page over each time. If wrong, the child looks again at the word and repeats the process. He/she does this until the word can be written correctly.
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Illustrating metaphors
Age range: 7-11
Group-size: Whole class
What you need
No special requirements
What to do
To get children to begin to appreciate the nature of metaphors and to use them more readily in their own writing allow them to produce literal illustrations of common ones. They could, for example, illustrate such things as "He's got his head in the clouds", "He laughed his head off", or "Give me a hand". Illustration could be followed by discussion about why these expressions are used, and the children could be asked to find similar use of metaphor in stories they read.
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Marking children's work
Age range: 5-11
Group-size: Individuals
What you need
No special requirements
What to do
Remember that the purpose of marking children's writing should be, firstly, to be a sensitive audience for what they have to say, and, secondly, to help them improve it. This has several implications:
- Always comment on the message children have tried to communicate before other aspects.
- Be positive about the good points in their writing, and about things they could improve.
- Give them the opportunity to improve the writing if it is at all possible.
- Do not give the impression that marking is a punitive exercise, but stress the positive aspects.
- If it is at all possible, mark children's writing alongside the children. There is far more chance then that the marking will have an effect.
- Try to avoid using red pen for marking. This tends to be associated with punishment.
- Avoid making children 'do their corrections'. There are other ways of dealing with spelling.
- If you feel you have to 'correct' children's writing, ensure that this is limited to what the children can actually benefit from.
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