Developing writing skills in young students
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Authors
Quintana, Gregoria
Issue Date
2017
Educational Level
ISCED Level 1 Primary education
Curriculum Area
Geographical Setting
Peru
Abstract
Context: In Santa Clara, Lima, a primary teacher observed that young students (ages 7-8) struggled with writing skills in English, often relying on memorization rather than understanding. This led to frustration, especially when they couldn't recall vocabulary or proper spelling. To support these learners, the teacher sought to explore more effective methods for developing foundational writing skills.
Aims: The study aimed to help students produce simple, grammatically correct sentences and feel more confident in writing. Specifically, the teacher wanted to understand students' perspectives on writing activities, assess her teaching practices, and determine what support could make writing in English more meaningful and accessible for her students.
Methods: Data were collected through a questionnaire, peer observation, and a group interview. The questionnaire allowed students to express how they felt about writing and what methods they found helpful. Peer observation by a colleague provided additional insights on classroom dynamics, revealing areas where students might need more contextual or visual aids for writing. In the group interview, students shared preferences for specific learning supports, such as visual aids and bilingual references.
Findings: The questionnaire responses showed that many students felt confused about writing, mainly due to challenges in remembering vocabulary and spelling. Students indicated that looking at books or visual prompts helped them. During peer observation, the teacher's colleague noted that the students were not receiving sufficient context-based support or guidance for sentence construction. Based on these findings, the teacher implemented visual aids like a picture dictionary, sentence modelling, and a mural with English words and images.
Implications: This exploration highlights how visual aids, contextual vocabulary support, and modelled sentence structures can effectively support young learners' writing skills. Teachers working with similar age groups could consider introducing resources like a picture dictionary and regular sentence modelling to build students' writing confidence and competence.
Aims: The study aimed to help students produce simple, grammatically correct sentences and feel more confident in writing. Specifically, the teacher wanted to understand students' perspectives on writing activities, assess her teaching practices, and determine what support could make writing in English more meaningful and accessible for her students.
Methods: Data were collected through a questionnaire, peer observation, and a group interview. The questionnaire allowed students to express how they felt about writing and what methods they found helpful. Peer observation by a colleague provided additional insights on classroom dynamics, revealing areas where students might need more contextual or visual aids for writing. In the group interview, students shared preferences for specific learning supports, such as visual aids and bilingual references.
Findings: The questionnaire responses showed that many students felt confused about writing, mainly due to challenges in remembering vocabulary and spelling. Students indicated that looking at books or visual prompts helped them. During peer observation, the teacher's colleague noted that the students were not receiving sufficient context-based support or guidance for sentence construction. Based on these findings, the teacher implemented visual aids like a picture dictionary, sentence modelling, and a mural with English words and images.
Implications: This exploration highlights how visual aids, contextual vocabulary support, and modelled sentence structures can effectively support young learners' writing skills. Teachers working with similar age groups could consider introducing resources like a picture dictionary and regular sentence modelling to build students' writing confidence and competence.
Description
Keywords (free text)
english as a foreign language , writing skills , visual aids , sentence modeling , bilingual support , exploratory action research