Presenter:
Noella Mackenzie
MASTERCLASS.
UNDERSTANDING AND
SUPPORTING EMERGENT
WRITING.
How does our understanding impact
children’s learning?
Introductions
Why did you come to this
masterclass?
What do you want to learn about?
Noella Mackenzie
Context
• Increased pressure on school teachers created by high stakes tes5ng and community expecta5ons – measurable outcomes • Risks associated with pushing the school curriculum down into kindergarten and prep to meet these expecta5ons • Educators’ uncertainty about how to support/teach wri5ng • Loca5on of children between ages of 4 ½ and 6 – across preschool and prep N.Mackenzie, CSU, 2014
When children
start at your
school . . .
what do they
know about
writing?
"Clip art licensed from the Clip Art Gallery on DiscoverySchool.com"
Noella Mackenzie
What do you
think they
should know?
"Clip art licensed from the Clip Art Gallery on DiscoverySchool.com"
Noella Mackenzie
Early childhood literacy . . .
“. . . the single best investment for enabling children to develop skills that will likely benefit them for a life5me.” (Dickinson & Neuman, 2006, p. 1).
Noella Mackenzie
‘. . . prompts a re-imagining of what
children bring to early childhood
learning contexts and expectations of
how and what they will learn.’ (Mackenzie &
Petriwskyj, under review)
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Contemporary theories . . .
. . . “view literacies as mul5modal, complex, culturally embedded human ac5vi5es which encompass the many codes and symbolic systems humans use for construc5ng and represen5ng reality and communica5ng with others.” (Kennedy, Ridgway, & Surman, 2006, p. 16).
Noella Mackenzie
Driving theories Behaviorist theories Developmental theories Socio constructivist theories Critical literacy theories Multiliteracies Goals Children develop increasing pro2iciency over the of sub skills of writing. Children encouraged to be active constructive learners’ engaged in discovery learning and child centered teaching. Children learn with others as texts are jointly constructed. Skills and strategies learned are then applied independently. Children are encouraged to analyze texts and use writing to address power relationships and social inequities. Children develop awareness of and increasing competence in using a range of representational text forms to create meaning. Classroom practices Teaching handwriting, spelling and punctuation as component skills of text composition. Language experiences approaches and process writing Shared, guided and independent approaches to teaching writing Genre approaches to teaching writing Use of digital technologies and multiple semiotics to produce texts. Noella Mackenzie
Success in learning to write . . .
. . . is critical, to success with literacy proficiency
generally (Cutler & Graham, 2008),
. . . reading achievement specifically (Gerde, Bingham &
Wasik, 2012), and
. . . accomplishment in school overall (Clay, 2001; Fang
& Wang, 2011; Mackenzie, 2009).
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. . . is a means of expressing or communicating in
print, which involves the interaction of cognitive
and physical factors (Bromley, 2007),
. . . promotes social, emotional and cognitive
development (Love, Burns & Buell, 2007).
. . . requires making connections and constructing
meaning (Bromley, 2007).
Noella Mackenzie
Writing is . . .
“. . . a message-sending,
problem solving activity’”. . .
involving the linking of “invisible
patterns of oral language with
visible symbols” (Clay, 2005, p, 1).
Noella Mackenzie
The writing process . . .
. . . is complex cogni5vely, socio-­‐culturally, and linguis5cally; . . . “at every age and stage it is an ‘efforMul’ ac5vity”. (Myhill and Fisher, 2010, p. 1).
Noella Mackenzie
Writing . . .
. . . entails the interac5on of cogni5ve and physical factors involving the hand, eye, and both sides of the brain (Bromley, 2007)
. . . develops at many levels simultaneously (Tolchinsky,
2006).
. . . is not a natural communica5ve competence like speech and thus normally requires inten5onal teaching (Olson 2009).
Noella Mackenzie
Today I can write using the new alphabet with my other hand Write:
a =α
g = γ
m = µ
b = β
h = η
n = ν
t = τ
c=χ
i = ι
o = ο
u = υ
d =δ
j = ϕ
p = π
v = ϖ
e = ε
k = κ
q = θ
w = ω
f =φ
l = λ
r=ρ
x = ξ
Noella Mackenzie
s = σ
y = ψ
z = ζ
How did you go?
τοδαψ Ι χαν ωριτε
υσινγ τηε νεω
αλπηαβετ ωιτη µψ
οτηερ ηανδ
Noella Mackenzie
Ρεαδινγ ανδ ωριτινγ αρε ρεχιπροχαλ
προχεσσεσ
Read:
a =α
g = γ
m = µ
b = β
h = η
n = ν
t = τ
c=χ
i = ι
o = ο
u = υ
d =δ
j = ϕ
p = π
v = ϖ
e = ε
k = κ
q = θ
w = ω
f =φ
l = λ
r=ρ
x = ξ
Noella Mackenzie
s = σ
y = ψ
z = ζ
Reading and Writing are . . .
. . . reciprocal processes.
“oral language is a further rich
resource serving both” (Clay, 2005, p. 2).
Noella Mackenzie
Young children . . .
. . . begin their wri8ng journey crea8ng meaning by combining mul8modal symbolic system or modes such as talking, drawing, singing and role-­‐playing, long before they engage in the mature wri>en linguis8c forms of their culture (Kress and Bezemer, 2008).
Noella Mackenzie
Early milestones
0-1
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a child notices
others writing – this
is well before they
can tell you they
have noticed
something (0-1
years).
Early milestones cont.
1-2
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children begin to
engage with writing
tools – pens, pencils,
crayons, electronic
devices and possibly
mark making tools
that are not
necessarily designed
as writing tools (e.g.
Lipstick). (approx 1-2
years).
Early milestones cont.
1-3
Noella Mackenzie
children
intentionally engage
with writing tools in
an exploratory way
– this often
resembles scribble
(approx 1-3 years).
If children . . .
. . .“see an advantage in being able to write, they will apply the same focused aOen5on to learning how to write that they applied to learning to be oral language users.” (Mackenzie, 2010, p. 30).
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What are you
thinking about
now?
Jot down two
points and then
compare with
neighbour
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How does school transi5on impact learning to write? How can we make it easier? Noella Mackenzie
Help for
parents
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When children
start school . . .
. . . usually able to create spoken and visual texts (drawings) but have limited skills in wriOen text crea5on (wri5ng). (Mackenzie & Veresov, 2013)
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Children’s drawings . . .
. . . are an example of
sign creation, while
standard or nonstandard uses of
conventional print are
examples of sign use.
(Vygotsky )
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Children’s drawings are important to early wri5ng – however drawing is not always seen as an important means of making meaning. Consequently children’s early efforts are not always valued and they are not encouraged to draw. Noella Mackenzie
If given the models, opportunity, tools
and encouragement, children
spontaneously start to add writing to
their drawings.
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Drawing allows for timely and
appropriate intentional input from an
adult to assist an already successful
meaning maker to learn another way
of self-expression.
Noella Mackenzie
Drawings act as an anchor for
children’s emergent writing
helping them remember ideas as
they learn the rules of
conventional writing.
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Children who are
encouraged to draw, talk,
write and share become
confident, flexible writers
who create more complex
texts than when they are
restricted to just writing.
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Children who are encouraged
to draw, talk, write and
share become confident,
flexible writers who create
more complex texts than
when they are restricted to
just writing.
Noella Mackenzie
Why?
If we encourage and value drawing and
talking . . .
. . . we can build a bridge between
children’s prior-to-school experiences,
current systems of meaning making and the
new system of writing.
Impacting the learner!
N.Mackenzie, CSU, 2014
In this way . . .
. . . “writing becomes a parallel means of
meaning making rather than a replacement for the
drawing and talking they already do so well when
they arrive at school” [or preschool]. (Mackenzie, 2011,
p. 338)
Building on what they know and can do.
What do you want to take from
this session?
How could this impact learners
at your school?
Who do you need to work with to
get change at your school?
What should be your first step?
39 N.Mackenzie, CSU, 2014
Thank
you!
Dr Noella Mackenzie Tel: +61 2 60519405 Email: [email protected] Web page: hOp://www.csu.edu.au/faculty/educat/edu/staff/profiles/lecturers/
noella-­‐mackenzie click here Further Reading
Mackenzie, N.M. (2014). Transitions to school and emergent writers. In B. Perry, S.
Dockett & A. Petriwskyj (Eds.), Transitions to school: International research, policy
and practice (pp. 89-102). London: Springer.
Mackenzie, N.M. (2011). From drawing to writing: What happens when you shift
teaching priorities in the first six months of school? Australian Journal of Language &
Literacy, 34(3), 322-340.
Mackenzie, N.M., & Veresov, N. (2013). How drawing can support writing acquisition:
Text construction in early writing from a Vygotskian perspective, Australasian Journal
of Early Childhood, 38(4), 22-29.
Mackenzie, N.M., & Hemmings, B. (2014). Learning to write: What predicts success
with writing in the first year of school? Issues in Educational Research 24(12), 41- 54.
Mackenzie, N.M., Hemmings, B., & Kay, R. (2011). How does teaching experience
affect attitudes towards literacy learning and teaching in the early years? Issues in
Educational Research 21(3), 281-293.
Mackenzie, N.M (2009) Becoming a writer: Language use and ‘scaffolding’ writing in
the first six months of formal schooling. Journal of Reading Writing & Literacy, 4(2),
46-63.
Noella Mackenzie
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