Writing Strategies- Conferencing ( Entry 5)

 Entry Two: Scaffolding Techniques in Writing 

"Description begins in the writer's imagination, but should finish in the reader's" - Stephen King 

    In order to produce great writers, as teachers we need to first create a writing environment. To do

 this, we need to first be educated on scaffolding techniques that we can use as innovative ways to teach

 writing. These ways can be original from the drawing board or traditional with a modern spin/twist as

 we are now teaching in 21st century classrooms with technologically advanced students. I personally

 believe that these techniques be effective in teaching writing and enhancing the writing environment

 for all my students, all ages, abilities, cognitive levels, and learning styles. The following are eight (8)

 scaffolding techniques that I found rather interesting as a few are new to my mental schema and so I

 have broadened my knowledge base as a teacher in preparation for when I return to my classroom.  

Visuals and realia – students use physical/concrete objects to appeal and utilize various senses in order to create a clear picture in their mind and vividly write.

2.      Use of first language – students can use creole/dialect as it flows naturally and allow students to write freely on their idea or topic of interest with no worries of grammatical rules or spelling errors. It is the rawest form of writing that children will ever produce as they write from the heart.

3.      Read aloud -allows student to verbally express what is in within. Children need to first speak words into the air before they can write words on paper. It is how we naturally communicate – from verbal to written

4.      Modeling/gestures – by reading or displaying a great writing piece, students will have a visual example of what is expected of them and the level of writing they should aim to produce.

5.      Intentional small group/ partner work – it is often said “teamwork makes the dream work” and that has proven to be true. Working along with in pairs or in small groups allows small group discussions and allow information to flow or be exchanged. Therefore, ideas can be created and developed just be listening as their peers speak.

6.      Sentence structure – for the grammatical and academic aspect of writing, teacher need to teach grammatical rules that will guide them into writing sentences correctly. Aspects such as spelling, subject and verb agreement, capitalization, punctuation and using parts of speech appropriately, all contribute to great written piece of work. 

7.      Connect to background knowledge – by tapping into what they already know, it offsets the process of prewriting. Tapping into prior knowledge can get brainstorming started and various ideas on a specific topic begin to come out from within. Students write better when the topic is of interest or something they can relate back to personal/life experiences.

8.      Graphic organizers – this works as a great aid for all students, especially visually learners, who may need to visualize their ideas first before writing. For example, concepts maps, clustering, timelines, etc. can be used to map out or outline their main ideas and help to organize these ideas so that they can flow in order and make sense once put together in the written piece.

        My favourite techniques from the eight are visuals and realia, use of first language and tapping into

 background knowledge. The visuals and realia give a concrete object, especially at the primary level, from

 which creative writing can begin to flow just be using their five senses to observe and write. You will be

surprised how much a child can write using a single object or the various stories of originality

 and creativity all coming from one visual. Secondly, using the students' first language will encourage them

 to freely write from the mind and heart and takes away majority of the pressure to produce a "perfect"

 piece. Additionally, this can turn into a mini lesson where each child learns how to code switch by

 translating their piece into Standard English by re-reading and re-writing it in a subsequent class

 session/lesson. Finally, by tapping into prior knowledge, the teacher has evoked memories and experiences

 on which they can write about. This can also prompt a class discussion from which students can verbally

 express their ideas and supporting details which will enable them to construct a great writing piece. Some

 students may need to say their ideas out loud before putting pencil/pen to paper. These three scaffolding

 strategies stood out to me, and I will sure be practicing these techniques with my students to develop great writers.