Getting Writing Right

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 ddidau@gmail.com

There’s nothing good or bad but thinking makes it so