WRITING for Year 2
By the time children are in the second year of school they should confidently be able to form all of the letters correctly. All the same, the teacher should be constantly checking and gently reminding them.
POSTURE
Posture remains important, and children should be reminded every time a writing activity is started.
MOTOR CONTROL - Gross and Fine
The activities that are included in Year 1 writing can be continued in Year 2, because children develop at different rates, and can still benefit from them. Besides, they are fun, and help to burn off some excess energy. Especially focus on rhythmic activities.
POSTURE
Posture remains important, and children should be reminded every time a writing activity is started.
- Straight back
- Feet flat on the floor in front of the chair
- Paper straight on the desk in front of them
- Watch out for left-handed and right-handed sitting next to each other and bumping
MOTOR CONTROL - Gross and Fine
The activities that are included in Year 1 writing can be continued in Year 2, because children develop at different rates, and can still benefit from them. Besides, they are fun, and help to burn off some excess energy. Especially focus on rhythmic activities.
COPYING words and sentences
Most of the "writing" activities in the KSSR text book involve copying words off the blackboard, or off the page. Teachers are concerned that the children may not feel confident enough to write their own ideas or words (what if they can't remember how to spell it??), afraid to let them make a mistake. And so the children quickly develop the same "shyness" that they feel when they need to speak alone.
There are some opportunities for children to be a little creative, for example:
But then, in Unit 11 "Looking Good", the words are all provided on the page for the children to select and fill in to the gaps, and there is no free activity offered - that doesn't mean the teacher can't give an opportunity.
There are some opportunities for children to be a little creative, for example:
- In Unit 9 "When I grow up", there is an opportunity for the children to "Write sentences, for example ..." How many teachers then write the sentences on the board for students to copy?
- In Unit 10 "Dolly the Hungry Doe", children have an opportunity to write a note to a friend. How much freedom are they given, or are the sentences on the board for them to copy?
But then, in Unit 11 "Looking Good", the words are all provided on the page for the children to select and fill in to the gaps, and there is no free activity offered - that doesn't mean the teacher can't give an opportunity.
Moving towards independent creative writing
There are two possibly difficult tasks for the children who are learning to write:
So treat them separately.
Practising "Knowing what to write":
This is why the KSSR system works on Listening and Speaking first, and then Reading, and then Writing. During those modules the children should be practising and preparing for what they are going to write. They should be confident in the use of the target language. If at this stage, they are not sure of the words, then part of the writing lesson should be taken up with revision!
When practising reading aloud (individually!) children should be taught to read and hold the words before speaking them. So, for example, in Unit 7 "Hobbies", for the Read Aloud section it says:
This is my friend Claire.
She has a favourite chair.
Instead of the teacher reading aloud (and the children copying / pretending to copy) like this:
"This is ..." (This is) "my friend ..." (my friend) "Claire ..."
- Knowing what to write, which words to use (in their second or third language)
- Being confident about how to spell the words (because English isn't easy for anyone)
So treat them separately.
Practising "Knowing what to write":
This is why the KSSR system works on Listening and Speaking first, and then Reading, and then Writing. During those modules the children should be practising and preparing for what they are going to write. They should be confident in the use of the target language. If at this stage, they are not sure of the words, then part of the writing lesson should be taken up with revision!
When practising reading aloud (individually!) children should be taught to read and hold the words before speaking them. So, for example, in Unit 7 "Hobbies", for the Read Aloud section it says:
This is my friend Claire.
She has a favourite chair.
Instead of the teacher reading aloud (and the children copying / pretending to copy) like this:
"This is ..." (This is) "my friend ..." (my friend) "Claire ..."
- For a start, if the teacher feels the need to lead the reading aloud, do it in a bigger chunk - the whole line.
- Secondly, select a child (maybe use a lottery - see Classroom Management) to read the line to his/her self - (they can subvocalise - whisper it to themselves - if it helps them) - and then look up and say the whole line out loudly.
Dictation - a step along the way
Very simply, the teacher 'dictates', and the children write. It can be done with all of the children writing the words or sentences on paper, or it can be done as a class game with two (or more) children at the board trying to quickly, neatly and correctly write words and sentences as they are dictated. There should be a sense of fun, and not judgment of errors.
'Running Dictation' - the greatest practice for writing
Actually 'Running Dictation' is a fun activity that actually practises all of the skills. It just sometimes takes a little bit of practice to get the children used to doing it properly to make it worth doing. So make sure first of all that you, the teacher, understand it well.
Print small text(s) on pieces of paper, and tack them on the wall or doors (outside works well) where the children can not see them from their seats.
Children work in pairs.
NOTES:
VARIATIONS: There are lots of possible variations, once the children are used to the system. Vary the length and number of the text(s), put gaps in the text(s) which they have to then find answers to, ask them to put the texts in order after they write them ...
The text(s) should be obviously related to the specific writing task. The words can even be taken directly from the text book - it usually takes a while for even the brightest kids to notice, and even then they should be told to keep their books closed until they finish.
Print small text(s) on pieces of paper, and tack them on the wall or doors (outside works well) where the children can not see them from their seats.
Children work in pairs.
- One child runs to where the text is, reads and remembers as much of it as he can, and then runs back to hi/her partner.
NOTES:
- There could be several texts and the children could swap tasks for the next text.The child who writes must not be allowed to read the text, only listen and write.
- The child who runs and dictates can tell the child who writes how to spell words, but must not write them.
- The child who runs and dictates can take the text in small chunks - word by word if necessary - but should try to remember as much as he can at one go.
VARIATIONS: There are lots of possible variations, once the children are used to the system. Vary the length and number of the text(s), put gaps in the text(s) which they have to then find answers to, ask them to put the texts in order after they write them ...
The text(s) should be obviously related to the specific writing task. The words can even be taken directly from the text book - it usually takes a while for even the brightest kids to notice, and even then they should be told to keep their books closed until they finish.
