Writing Skills

• Copying is necessary to help learners acquire and apply concepts about basic conventions in writing and put language into use at an early stage of learning. Copying activities help learners reinforce the language that they have come across through reading or listening. If teachers engage learners in jotting down words and sentences they come across for a communicative purpose, copying need not be a mechanical and boring exercise. For example, primary pupils may find it interesting to:

− copy words from source materials such as textbooks or storybooks onto cards to label objects in the classroom;

− copy words onto pictures for the display board;

− copy information from a label or a wrapping as an aid to a show-and-tell activity in class; and

− match pictures with sentences after reading a short text to make a book for sharing.

• In controlled writing, learners are given a limited choice in what language to use, and few errors are likely to occur. Learners can have some initial writing practice within a safe setting. Re-ordering words to work out five sentences on the daily activities of a child and sequencing these five sentences to form a paragraph is an example of controlled writing. Creating a riddle by providing new words or sentences to substitute for those in a familiar riddle for a class competition, and writing a different version of a story or poem by providing new words or sentences to substitute for the appropriate parts of the original one, are also examples of controlled writing.

• In guided writing, learners are encouraged to use the language they know and to write for a range of purposes and audiences with substantial assistance from the teacher. Completing a poster for the school’s fund-raising day or an advertisement on books or sports shoes based on a given model using their own ideas is a kind of guided writing. Practising the use of connectives in presenting a summary of a survey on the classmates’ favourite colours or sports, or writing about a visit to the Central Library or Hong Kong Heritage Museum based on an outline discussed in class are other examples of guided writing suitable for learners in primary schools.

• In independent writing, learners activate their linguistic knowledge in new contexts. They make use of their creativity and express personal

ideas and feelings. In primary schools, learners still need to be assisted in getting started and in organizing their ideas. Guidance and language preparation are required for independent and free writing.

Teachers need to encourage learners to take risks, to innovate and then to reflect on their work in order to improve it by themselves. Free writing tasks based on learners’ imagination and experiences are suitable for independent writing and can stimulate learners’ creativity and the development of their critical thinking skills. Writing invitation cards to friends for a Christmas party, introducing a children’s web site to classmates, writing a short narrative about a baby animal’s adventure in their own school or in Ocean Park, creating a poem about a talking toy or pet are suitable activities for independent writing.

The following is an example showing how to develop skills in the writing process through task-based activities:

Task: Writing about Experiences at an English Camp

Going to an English camp has become a very popular activity for learners in primary schools. This task suggests how to engage learners in a writing task based on their experiences at the English Camp.

Before the camp, learners read a leaflet about the facilities in the campsite with support from the teacher. They find out details about the different activities, e.g. when and where the activities are held and what they should bring. Then they fill in a form to send to the teacher, indicating their preferences for camp activities and why they should be given a chance to join them (e.g. by choosing from a list of reasons).

By the end of the camp, learners are invited to work in groups to introduce an activity they enjoy most. Through shared writing, the teacher demonstrates to the learners how to gather and present information. After that, learners who like the same activity work together to discuss how to present the available information. The process approach is adopted to involve learners in the development of a

• In the first pre-task activity, learners read a leaflet about the campsite and fill in a form. Through this activity they learn vocabulary items and other things that may be used for the writing task. They need to understand and copy appropriate words from the leaflet. They also present personal information when they fill in their names, class etc.

as well as personal views on activities that they would like to engage in. In the process, learners develop skills in presenting information and in persuasion, using neat and legible handwriting in print script and capital and small letters.

• In the second pre-task activity, the teacher demonstrates the writing process pointing out explicitly the appropriate format, conventions and language features in writing an informational report, e.g. the use of the simple past tense to present information and ideas, the use of paragraphs to present main ideas and supporting details.

• In the while-task stage, learners write about one of the activities in groups. They first gather and share information and ideas by using strategies such as listing and questioning. They plan their writing by using a range of techniques such as combining ideas and ordering ideas. They discuss the appropriate format, conventions and features to produce the first draft. Then they re-read their work, revise the ideas and organization, and if necessary, add or delete details and edit their work by making changes to incorrect spelling, punctuation and grammar with teacher or peer support. When they present their writing, learners are encouraged to use layout and visual support such as photographs and drawings.

Other Considerations for the Development of Writing Skills

• Teachers need to develop a sense of community and sharing amongst the learners so that writing can become a collaborative and co-operative effort. Shared writing occurs when the whole class composes a text collaboratively, with the teacher writing on the blackboard, flip chart or broadsheets. Shared writing is an effective teaching strategy to help learners in primary schools progress from the stage of guided writing to independent writing. The activity usually begins with the teacher and the class discussing the topic for the writing task, clarifying the purpose and audience for the writing,

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and discussing the format, conventions and language features to be used. The teacher takes the class through the following processes of writing as he or she writes on the blackboard, flip chart or broadsheets:

− The class and the teacher brainstorm ideas, and the teacher records these either on pieces of paper, or as a list/lists or diagram.

− The class and the teacher discuss which ideas should come at the beginning, middle and end of the writing. Then the teacher arranges the ideas in the order in which they will appear in the text to form a plan.

− Working from the plan, the class and the teacher begin to compose the writing. The class puts forward ideas to the teacher orally and the teacher writes them down.

− The initial ideas are re-worked, words are changed and sentences are composed until the first draft is complete.

− The first draft is read through, revised and edited before the teacher and the class produce the final draft together.

− The final draft is then displayed in the classroom.

• Process Writing focuses on the development of writing skills through the various steps involved in drafting and redrafting a piece of work.

In primary schools, teachers need to develop learners’ skills in the various phases of the writing process, viz. pre-writing, drafting, revising, and editing.

− Pre-writing: Learners are mainly involved in generating and organizing ideas. Strategies that teachers can use to help learners generate ideas include brainstorming, free writing, questioning, role-play, reading, listening, and interviewing. For organizing a piece of writing, learners can be engaged in listing, mind mapping, outlining and identifying the purpose and audience.

− Drafting: Learners focus on getting the content right and leave matters like grammar, punctuation and spelling until later. They can be involved in class or peer conferencing, during which they share ideas about the content and the development of the writing, i.e. the beginning, ending and the relationships between the parts.

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text developing their ideas through sentences and paragraphs, using cohesive devices.

− Revising: The teacher and other learners respond to individual learners’ writing, helping them to rethink, revise, and edit.

Individual learners or the group re-read(s) the draft, concentrating on how to convey the content effectively. Learners combine ideas and rearrange their order, add or delete details and substitute words or phrases with more appropriate ones to make the writing clearer.

− Editing: Learners proofread the draft, focusing on grammar, spelling and punctuation. They make necessary changes, using available resources such as dictionaries, word books or glossaries.

They can also seek support from the teacher or peers.

− They then write the final draft to present their ideas, using the appropriate format, conventions and language features.

• Assessment of learners’ writing skills is on-going during the process of writing. The teacher needs to observe learners’ behaviour and skills, assess progress, and give feedback and suggestions on drafting and revising. Learners should be guided to identify areas for improvement and correct their own mistakes. The teacher can use the mistakes found in learners’ writing as a basis for activating their grammar knowledge. Exercises can be designed to address areas of weaknesses identified in the use of language. While mistakes in learners’ writing provide a good reason and context for grammar learning and teaching, the teacher must be sensitive to the feelings of the learners, and appreciate learners’ attempts to use their grammar knowledge to communicate ideas.

• Dictation is an activity that helps learners practise the skills of listening, spelling and handwriting in controlled or guided situations.

It should be used as a teaching strategy rather than a testing device.

Please refer to Section 4.8 for more discussion on the role of dictation in the learning and teaching of English in primary schools.

• Besides providing information and content for writing, reading materials of different text types are useful resources as models of writing. Exposure to and discussion about a variety of text types help learners understand the conventions, structures, styles and language features of written texts. A range of well-chosen language arts

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materials such as stories, poems, plays or television programmes can help stimulate learners to give written responses to express their feelings and ideas.