Developing writing skills

Learning to write must go along with learning to read: one reinforces the other. Writing activities should be integrated with reading activities. As learners gain experience reading books and other printed matter, they increasingly try to spell words by using patterns they have seen in print.

"Opportunities to write have been found to contribute to knowledge of how written and oral language are related, and to growth in phonics, spelling, vocabulary development and reading comprehension." (Anderson and others 1985:79)

Writing activities should

• let learners experience success in writing
• help develop the learners' writing skills
• help them understand that writing has a purpose--to communicate thoughts and ideas, and
• stimulate and encourage creative writing.

• Use a dialogue journal.
• Use conference writing.
• Use guided writing.
• Use inventive spelling.
• Use a writing fluency activity.

• Anderson, Richard and others 1985

• Task module: Developing writing skills
• In task module: Developing literacy skills, by Martha A. Lane (contributor), Delle P. Matthews (contributor), Leah B. Walter (contributor), Glenys Waters (contributor), Anne Klaassens (editor), and Trudy K. Stewart (editor, contributor)
• In task module: Teaching people to read and write, by Carole P. Spaeth (compiler)
• In task module: Implementing a literacy program, by Carole P. Spaeth (compiler)
• In modular book: Implement a literacy program, by Carole P. Spaeth (compiler) and Leah B. Walter (compiler)
• In bookshelf: Literacy

This page is an extract from the LinguaLinks Library, Version 4.0, published on CD-ROM by SIL International, 1999. [Ordering information.]

Page content last modified: 22 October 1999

© 1999 SIL International