Theoretical and Practical Ways of Teaching Writing to Early Years under the VELS Umbrella - Literature review Example

Theoretical and practical ways of teaching writing to early years under the VELS umbrella Abstract This easy presents practical way of imparting writing skills under VELS. It discusses effective approaches to training and development in the early years of the child. I believe that the approach used to teach writing skills in the early years affects children for the rest of their life. Over the years attempts have been made to improve the quality of learning for better children’s growth and formation. Under VELS teachers and trainers have a distinct curriculum to follow which supports learner’s writing development. It has a positive and permanent effect on the student and also goes a long way to affect how well they will write in their future. Learning how to write effectively is in no way close to other learning skills like verbal language skills which seem easier to learn than writing or reading printed texts. It has therefore been emphasized through VELS to approach the teaching mode with caution. There exists a number of theories which can be used to teach writing skills however not all theories are produce effective results all the time. This report has selected a few theories used in the VELS curriculum that have helped shape development of writing. What VELS seeks to achieve. According to the VCAA (2006), the framework was established with the sole purpose of providing practical guidelines especially for early childhood. Is has also helped provide a common vision for early years development. Under this umbrella, educators, teachers and trainers help children from birth up to the age of five ways of effective writing. They are also advised to look at the National Framework and the supplementary supporting materials to guide children through their early years. Having emphasized on the importance of teacher- child interaction the curriculum has continued to produce impressive results. It is designed and formulated to ensure that teachers and trainers maintain a similar curriculum. It outlines important aspects to the Victorian students. As early as year- 2 the VELS curriculum focuses on teaching children to develop elements such as: literacy and numeracy skills, creativity, self-expression, teamwork, health and importance of hygiene. This has been helpful to pupils since it forms a basis from which other skills pertaining to learning can develop. Reasons for VELS success in the early-years child writing development According to Depree and Iversen (1994), VELS focuses on literacy development of children from an early age considering the best strategies that can effectively train children how to write. It has been successful a curriculum structure because it reflects Victorian properties, methods and approaches that pertain to teaching and learning from an early age. The Victorian Essential Learning Standards has been able to uphold threads of personal and social, physical, discipline and interdisciplinary learning. Again it has been able to empower the government and the Catholic Church by teaching and conserving culture in schools from an early age. Christie (2005) wrote that in the early years of a child, there is a great need to learn literate language in a numbers of techniques which in turn should have a range of registers and text types they can recognise, read interpret and write before or by the end of their sixth year. She also noted that most children have some basic knowledge of writing even before they start school but this she added that would not mean that the child does not need assistance in mastering the textual meta-function. Textual meta-function is the way in which one chooses to place and organise texts making a language in order to make it comprehensible. Strategies that can be used to help student writing Although most of these strategies are used in the initial stages of training children how to write, they can also be used to improve writing skills for older people who for one reason or another have difficulties in writing. A teacher can use one strategy at a time or can choose to use a mixture of writing strategies to write. Modeled writing Modeled writing strategy is a method of teaching which involves a teacher standing at the front of the class and writing everything for the students. In this method the teacher does most of the writing without any contribution of children. The teacher assumes that the pupils do not have any prior writing knowledge and they need explanations of what is being done and why it is being done in what we call teaching aloud. Although the teacher seems to be doing everything the pupils can ask questions or even ask the teacher to repeat for better understanding. Children from an early age pick up so much from just listening and as they grow older the form alternative spellings to ease communication while sending informal messages (Young, 2008). Shared writing Unlike the modeled strategy of teaching how to writing, the pupils are invited to contribute to after the teacher scribes the words either on a book or on the board in front of the class. This model assumes that the pupils has an idea of what is happening and only needs assistance with some of the writing but is required to actively participate to the writing process, make comments and contribute ideas. This is a more interactive way of teaching and helps the pupil learn faster that if it was the teacher doing all the talking. This approach is used by teachers to effectively emphasis on word and sentence stages of while writing through phonics and different sounds. Pupils are taught how to observe the right letter and sound while writing since shared writing involves an interaction process between the child and the teacher the teachers can ask the child what they think before giving them an answer (Medwell, 1998). Guide Writing Within this writing strategy teachers give continuous feedback to the pupils and a step by step follow up is done. It give pupils the chance to review writing skills taught in the past it follows right after modeled and shared writing strategies. Teachers determine the level of skill that the pupil posse so that he or she can determine what the pupil needs guiding on. According to VCAA (2009), teachers through the VELS curriculum can guide writing lesions on a particular subject matter that the child has difficulties in. There is no one particular child who needs the same numbers of lessons and so we can say that the number of guiding writing lessons is determined by the needs of the individual of the child. Guiding is particularly good when a student needs to acquire specific special skills, to develop confidence. Teachers can through the guiding teaching method, can monitor students who are particularly slow on certain fields. The strategy has been praised for maintaining a distinct balance between students being independent and their teachers’ support. Independent writing Here pupils must have some back ground in writing and are given writing assignments to improve their writing. The writing assignments are not limited to anything in particular since the teacher seeks to broaden the general writing skills of the children. After all other writing strategies have been developed independent writing can be enhanced. In most cases this is done to develop special skills on a particular topic (Ontario Ministry of Education, 2005). After the pupil has engaged in the earlier writing strategies a teacher can crate room for the pupil to support to work independently. Some student s next extra attention and extra follow up and with independent writing students can practice what they have been taught seen they started learning and maybe get a chance to add on a lot more writing. Conclusion I believe that with the VELS curriculum teachers have a more chance of succeeding every time they teach the in the early years of a child. The writing strategies used can help pupils learn how write in the fastest way possible. However even with these writing strategies one must assess which one is most beneficial to an individual child so that the learning phase can be as painless as possible. Each and every trend of educational practice is designed to positively impart knowledge and improve literacy levels however it is important to realise that all children have their strengths as weak as their weakness and there might be a need to use more than one strategy (Richardson, 1991) Teachers and trainers critically undertaking an evaluation of the best possible strategy to ensure that they teach pupils with the best possible theory in order to get maximum results. Since there is no one theory that can be effectively used to all students teachers should be artful enough to come up with transitional residual, dominant and emergent cultures that can continue shaping young children (Durrant and Green, 2000). References Christie, F. (2005) Speech and writing : Language education in the primary years (p.48-63). Depree, H., and Iversen, S. (1994). Early literacy in the classroom. Auckland: Lands End. Ontario Ministry of Education and Training. (1997). Toronto. Print. Durrant, C. & Green, B. (2000) Literacy and the new technologies in school education: meeting the L(IT)teracy Challenge? Australian Journal of Language andLiteracy23 (2). Print Webster J. A (2003). Encouraging reflective and critical thinking in the context of literacy program. Medwell, J. (1998) Effective Teachers Literacy: A report of a research project commissioned by the Teacher Training Agency University of Exeter. Print. Ontario Education (2005). A Guide to Effective Instructions in Writing chapter 2 p 38-40, Chapter 3 p 46 -50, p chapter 5, p 64- 70. Queensland studies Authorty (2006). Early years curriculum guidelines : Understanding children’s prior experience. Print. Richardson, P. (1991). Language as personal resource and as social construct: Competent views of literacy pedagogy in Australia. Educational Review, 43(2), Print. VCAA (2006). Victorial essential learning standards : Standard and progression point. Retrieved from http://vels.vcaa.vic.edu.au/downloads/progressionpts/english.pdf. Victorian curriculum and assessment authority. (2009). Victoria essential learning standards : Level 2 Retrieved from http://vels.vcaa.vic.edu.au/downloads/vels_standards/velsrevlvl2.pdf Young K (2008). Don’t just look, listen: uncovering children’s cognitive strategies during spelling-related activities. Print. Read More