GOOD TO OUTSTANDING

TEACHING WRITING

GEOFF BARTON

www.geoffbarton.co.uk

TEACHING WRITING

www.geoffbarton.co.uk

How we’ve often (not) taught writing in the

past …

TEACHING WRITING

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Read this opening from the novel “Bleak House” …

Now write your own opening of a novel.

TEACHING WRITING

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Write the opening of a story about a major emergency.

‘Some people waste a lot of time and energy attempting difficult challenges, such as flying around the world in a hot-air balloon. Attempts like these are pointless, and benefit nobody.’ Write an article for your local newspaper arguing for or against this statement.

KS3 tests 2000

TEACHING WRITINGTo be truth-full I am for the argument about wasting time and money trying to get around the world in a hot air balloon, when this time and money could be spent on working with medical difficulty or people who are homeless.

I feel it is very important to face challenges, as without challenges, the world would be a very dull place. I feel that the earlier challenges appear in a person’s life, the better, as there will undoubtedly be challenges in the workplace or in home life, and so I feel that the people who have faced challenges earlier in life get a head start over people who have not.

Level 4 Level 7

TEACHING WRITING

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You don’t teach writing merely through:

•Reading aloud

•Showing models

•Highlighting genre features

•Correcting first drafts

•Lots of bullet-points after the task

Explore conventions

Demonstrate

Share composition

Scaffold

Independent writing

Draw out key learning

DEPENDENCE

INDEPENDENCE

TEACHING WRITING

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Explore conventions

Demonstrate

Share composition

Scaffold it

Independence

Key learning

Including ‘bad’ models

Show students the process of writing

Correct/change/improve

Make it collaborative

Move from small to larger sections

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Narrative-based

writing

TEACHING WRITING

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The Set-Up

BUILDING SUSPENSE

Write the opening of a mystery story. Set it at a funeral in a wintery churchyard.

√ √ √

TEACHING WRITING Using models

Before ….

It was a bitterly cold day. Everyone was in black. The cars were black too. There were people standing around in a group waiting for the coffin. Crows were flying in the sky. It was really eerie.

bad

TEACHING WRITING Using models

After ….

The undertaker's men were like crows, stiff and black, and the cars were black, lined up beside the path that led to the church; and we, we too were black, as we stood in our pathetic, awkward group waiting for them to lift out the coffin and shoulder it, and for the clergyman to arrange himself; and he was another black crow in his long cloak.

And then the real crows rose suddenly from the trees and from the fields, whirled up like scraps of blackened paper from a bonfire, and circled, caw-caw-ing above our heads. Susan Hill

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Factual writing:

5 practical hints

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See everything from your readers’ viewpoint, including punctuation: what will help them to absorb your ideas as efficiently as possible?

Eg bold, boxes, bullet-points, spacing, sub-headings

1

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Be clear about punctuation:

Full stops to signal the end of a sentenceCommas to separate items in a list or create

islands of wordsDashes – in pairs – to create emphasisColons: signal something to followSemi-colons allow you to link related ideas;

they add balance to a sentence

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Use short sentences at the start and end of paragraphs: they give the reader clarity …

2

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Another concern is cost. Whilst there are many external factors that can affect costs, we do have some control. We should be putting pressure on our suppliers to show greater market awareness, and to engage in a realistic dialogue with us about fair prices. At the moment there is often confusion about costs. It is important to change this.

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Use connectives to signal the direction of your ideas …

3

On the other handDespite thisHoweverAlsoAlthough

ThereforeIn contrastIn summaryIn additionFor exampleSimilarly

WRITING WITH POWERWRITING WITH POWERFirstly ….

Another strong idea is …

It could also be argued ….

A different approach is …

Finally ….

WRITING WITH POWERWRITING WITH POWERFirstly ….

Another strong idea is …

It could also be argued ….

A different approach is …

Finally ….

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Avoid clichés (ready-made phrases)

• Come on stream (get under way / start)• A hands-on approach (practical)• The jury is still out (is not yet decided)• Meet with (meet)• Put in place (prepare)• Take on board (accept)• User-friendly (easy to use)

4

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Avoid unnecessary repetition (tautology):

• Absolute certainty (certainty)• Added bonus (bonus)• Added extra (extra)• Quite distinct (distinct)• End result (result)• Past history (history)• Really excellent (excellent)• Revert back (return)

5

Lessons from working with 500 C/D ‘key marginal’ students in

four local authorities this year …

1. Keep it simple2. Teach planning3. Demonstrate ‘interesting’

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SUMMARY

TEACHING WRITING

• See things as a writer, not just a reader

• Explore texts actively - meddling, rewriting, editing

• Demonstrate the writing process yourself – including the planning process

• Relate everything to effect

• Teach ‘interesting’

• Talk about grammar where it helps, not as an end in itself

• Start with small units of writing … then build up

• Encourage experimentation, risk-taking, creativity

• Enjoy!

GB’s Final Thoughts