TEACHING WRITING SKILLS IN THE

PRIMARY ESL CLASSROOM

TOPIC 2
What is writing readiness?

1.- Refers to a stage in a childs early life where he or she displays signs of
wanting to put his or her thoughts or ideas into visual forms.

2.- The various visual forms represent a childs:
knowledge
interest
visual readiness
visual memory
motor and coordination skills

PRESCHOOL ACTIVITIES
* Working with
Puzzles
* Building with
blocks
* Pouring water into
cups
*Stringing
beads
* Finger painting * Bouncing and
catching
balls
* Cutting with
scissors
* Drawing * Matching shapes
*Threading
sewing
cards
PENMANSHIP
What is penmanship?

1.- Is the technique of writing with the hand using a writing instrument (pencil,
pen, crayon, brush)

2.- Techniques of good handwriting include:
space between letters, words, paragraphs
alignment
proportion, size, height of letters (upper case, lower case letters)
direction of pen movements


EARLY WRITING
What is early writing stage?

1.- A stage where a child begins to develop basic understanding of the
mechanics of writing.


2.-Mechanics of writing include parts of speech, rules of grammar and
punctuations)

SENTENCE CONSTRUCTION & PARAGRAPH
WRITING
What are the main principles in teaching children to write?

1.- provide meaningful context for writing
2.- give children insights into writing
3.- develop childrens curiosity and thinking skills
4.- read to children



DEVELOPMENTAL WRITING
What is developmental writing stage?

1.- The stage where a child progresses into a deeper understanding of the
mechanics of writing which includes the following:

spelling
grammar
text organisation and cohesion




SPELLING
What should a teacher focus on when teaching spelling?

1.- teaching the relationship between the most common phonemes (sounds)
of English & graphemes (letters)

2.- teaching the most common words.

3.- developing visual memory for shapes of words.

4.- developing relevant dictionary skills.

5.- helping pupils devise ways of helping themselves to remember common
but some trouble words.




GRAMMAR
Why should a teacher teach grammar?

1.- To enable pupils to be better writers

2.- Teachers can refer to a range of resources for ideas to teach grammar
meaningfully and enjoyable.

3.- Dictation as a writing exercise is recommendable in order to improve on
grammar






TEXT STRUCTURE & ORGANISATION
What is text structure?

1.- Refers to how information is organised in a text or passage

2.- Information is organised according to certain patterns/format.

What are the common text structures?
cause and effect
choronological
compare and contrast
order of importance
problem and solution
sequence/process writing
spatial/descriptive writing