Writing
Communicating by putting ideas down on paper

Mechanics of forming letters ABC

Creation of ideas

Grade One Writing

¨ Learning names and sounds of letters

¨ How letters are put together to make words

¨ How words are put together to make complete thoughts (sentences)

¨ How a complete thought looks when written down on paper

¨ Learning to form letters

¨ Learning about spacing, directionality

¨ Learning to spell familiar words they see in their reading

¨ Learning to sound out unknown words and write all the sounds they can hear

¨ Learning spelling strategies

journal writing

simple stories

messages

letters

notes

responses to reading

By the end of Grade 2, students will:

• communicate ideas (thoughts, feelings, experiences) for specific purposes (e.g., write a paragraph describing a trip to the farm for classmates);
• organize ideas in a logical sequence (e.g., write stories that have a beginning, middle, and end);
• begin to write more elaborate sentences by using adjectives and adverbs;
• produce short pieces of writing using simple forms (e.g., narratives and poems based on familiar models);
• use some materials from other media (e.g., collage) to enhance their writing;
• revise and edit written work, focusing on specific features (e.g., sequence of ideas), with assistance from the teacher;
• use and spell correctly the vocabulary appropriate for this grade level;
• use correctly the conventions (spelling, grammar, punctuation, etc.) specified for this grade level (see below).

Types of Writing in Grade 2 and Beyond

Text Form	Purpose	Types
Narrative	· To entertain · To engage the reader in an imaginative experience	· Folktales, fables, fairytales · myths, legends · science fiction, modern fantasy · short stories, picture books, ballads, jokes, riddles, poetry
Recount	· To retell events · Personal · Factual · Imaginative	· Journals, diaries, biographies, autobiographies, poetry · newspaper reports of events, histories, letters, eye-witness accounts of incidents, accounts of accidents submitted for insurance claims
Procedure	· To deal with the way to do things	· Recipes, science experiments, math procedures, instructional manuals · How to make/ use/ play
Report	· Systematical and organized information to classify and describe a whole class of things	· Research · Life science journal report · “What am I?” riddles, poetry · Newspaper report · Progress report
Explanation	· To explain phenomena (how or why)	· Essays, handbooks · Science, health and social studies texts
Exposition	· To present a logical argument from a particular point of view	· Essays, letters, poetry · Policies, critical reviews · Advertisements · Persuasive report

Audience + Purpose = Form

Each text form above has a specific organization / structure and language that students need to discover when writing in that form.

A student’s writing is assessed in the following areas:

oice

rganization

deas and content

onventions

ffective use of language

Ways to support your child's writing

Provide a quiet place for writing and provide a variety of materials (markers, coloured pencils, crayons, pens, paper, paper of different shapes and colours).	Do real writing for real purposes. Have your child help you in writing letters, cards, invitations, thank you notes, messages, and making lists.	Read to your child everyday in English and/or your mother language. Talk to them about how writers write. Vary the type of reading material.
Give presents that encourage writing (notebooks, diaries, attractive writing paper, coloured pens).	Leave notes/messages for your child. Encourage him/her to write back. Write notes and leave them in your child's lunchbox.	Write stories together in English or/and in your mother language. Use past experiences or ideas from stories read as a starting point for your writing.
Display your child’s writing and show that you enjoy and value it. Display writing in the home-reminders, lists, things to do, postcards from friends on holidays.	Have your child use a computer to write, send emails.	Be an audience for your child’s ideas-talk to them to help them clarify their ideas.
Let your child see you write. Talk about the reasons (purposes) for the kind of writing you are doing (telephone messages, recipes, shopping lists)	Websites: www.bookswithoutborders.com/ multilingualbooks.com/children.html www.laukart.de/multisite/index.php www.funbrain.com www.linktolearning.com www.webquest.org www.scrapjazz.com/topics/ Miscellaneous/Kid_Scrappers/304.php	Respond to the message in your child’s writing. Comment on something you liked about it. Ask for clarification if some of the meaning is unclear. Correct spelling when child wishes to publish writing.
Start a family diary to record special days, weekend activities, and significant events.	Use scrapbooks to make personalized books.	Support your child’s attempt at spelling and praise their willingness to have a go.
Provide your child with a variety of experiences. These experiences will help them make connections when reading and writing.	Play word games such as Scrabble, Boggle, simple crossword puzzles.	Help them sound out words and praise them for his/her efforts.
Put up a family message board.	Encourage your child to keep a journal.	Have dictionaries handy so that your child can use it if they wish to check after a spelling attempt.