Writing Acquisition

Writing Acquisition

1. Stages of Learning to write - 4 PHASES - B.M KROLL - 1981

   • Phase 1 - preparation (until age 5-6 years) - handwriting + spelling, forming capital letters, drawing + sign writing
   • Phase 2 - Consolidation (ages 6-8 years) - the child will write as they speak
   • Phase 3 - Differentiation (ages 9-10 years) - children learn to distinguish between speech and writing, and then that this can change depending on audience and specific purposes
   • Phase 4 - Integration (11 years) - children develop their own styles

2. 7 Stages of writing - BARCLAY - 1996

   • Stage 1 : Scribbling - random marks on the page, and learn the skill of holding a pencil
   • Stage 2 : Mock handwriting - practice drawing shapes
   • Stage 3 : Mock letters - produce random letters
   • Stage 4 : Conventional letters - Matching sounds with symbols
   • Stage 5 : Invented spelling - most spelling is phonetic
   • Stage 6 : Appropriate spelling
   • Stage 7 : Correct spelling

3. Spelling

   • J.R GENTRY - 1982 - 5 STAGES
     • 1. Precommunicative stage - children realise that symbols can be used to create messages
       • 2. Semi-phonetic stage - children realise letters have sounds
         • 3. Phonetic stage - children spell through sound-symbol correspondence
           • 4. Transitional stage - children use the basic conventions of the English Language System. Aware of selling.
             • 5. 'Correct' stage : know something about word structures and using visual strategies to spell correctly

4. Categories of spelling errors

   • Insertion - adding extra letters
   • Omission - leaving out letters
   • Substitution - substituting one letter for another
   • Transposition - reversing the correct order of letters in words
   • Phonetic spelling - using sound awareness to guess letters and combinations
   • Over/under generalising of spelling rules - using a rule where it is not appropriate to apply it
   • Salient sounds - writing only the key sounds

5. Graphology

   • Ascenders - 'b' and 'p' etc
   • Descenders - 'p' and 'q' etc
   • Directionality - we write from left to right (in English)
   • Linearity - learning to write in horizontal lines
   • Orientation - of letters, some may be back to front
   • Lower case - small letters
     • Upper case - capitals

6. Structure

   • Story Grammar - Stein & Glenn (1979)
     • Setting - introduction of main characters
       • Initiating Event - action which sets up a problem/dilemma
         • Internal Response - the protagonists reaction to the event
           • Attempt - a plan/action to solve the event
             • Consequence - the result of the protagonists action's
               • Reaction - a response by the protagonist to the consequence (Goldilocks ran away)