The Theory of Writing Workshop An Effective Pedagogical Practice in Promoting Emergent Literacy with English Language Learners Jayne Sherman EDRD 829

History of Writing Workshop Emerged from LEA to teaching. Focus is on child centered environment Reading and writing are reciprocal processes. Literacy based/integrated curriculum Children learn through inquiry. Is a philosophy; a way of thinking not a program.

Influential People Stauffer Yetta and Ken Goodman Clay Holdaway Dewey Bruner Piaget Vygotsky Children learn best through interacting with environment, through inquiry, integration, immersion, not isolation. Learning is social, children are active learners.

The Language Development Theory Clay: Emergent writers follow certain principles in creating text. Children construct theories about print through their experiences. Studied seven principles of children’s writing. Chomsky: research on language/literacy Invented spellings: phonemic/phonological awareness in children’s writing. Spelling involves letter sound principle. Spelling precedes reading. Read: Children already have knowledge of speech sounds and can apply to their writing. He studied spelling patterns like Chomsky. Children organize sound segments into categories and express sounds in writing.

Writing Workshop Today Writing occurs daily with mini lessons, demonstrations, modeling by teacher, progresses through stages. Brainstorming, composing, revising, editing, publishing, sharing. Skills are taught in context: phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension. Children collaborate and work together in a community setting. Children write for authentic purposes and for many audiences.

Researchers of Writing Calkins, Graves, Allington, Routman, Fountas and Pinnell, Murray, Cunningham, Clay,… All agree: Writing is developmental and progresses through stages. Writing is a recursive process not linear. Skills are taught in context through explicit mini lessons and demonstrations. Valuable strategy for teaching literacy skills.

Writing Workshop and ELLs Benefits: Provide opportunities for oral language. Provide demonstrations and modeling of 5 key elements of literacy as recommended by the National Early Literacy Panel: phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension. Teachers models concepts of print, directionality, alphabetic principle, sentence structure, and syntax.

Scaffolding for ELLs Teachers should: Encourage ELLs to write in first language Consider child’s stage of language acquisition: Pre-production, early production, speech emergent, intermediate fluency, fluent. Consider WIDA levels and plan accordingly Model thinking aloud as they write, encourage partner share, use visuals, labels, sticky notes, translations, peers, etc. ‘Lots of repetition. Provide a risk free environment to promote a low affective filter so learning can occur.

Consider the following When ELLs are proficient in their first language the transition to English is easier. Teachers must be willing to differentiate for ELLs. Writing workshop provides many opportunities for this. Interaction and immersion is the key. NES and ELLs are learning to write at the same time. Integration of writing in content will increase vocabulary as well as academic knowledge.

Conclusion Writing workshop is an effective pedagogical practice for instructing all learners, but especially ELLs. Writing workshop provides numerous opportunities for speaking, listening, viewing, reading and writing in a safe risk free environment. Writing workshop involves authentic narratives of one’s own text. ELLs need immersion not isolation. Writing workshop is not a program! It’s a way of teaching all children literacy in meaningful context. All children have stories. As Graves states, “All Children can write”.