Supporting students at the beginning and emergent stages of writing (20 – 30 minutes each day)
Monday
1. Take a few minutes to talk to
student(s) about what they know
about the topic of the writing
(based on what they have
already done as a whole class in
the before writing stages).
Teacher scaffolds the children’s
language into full sentences.
2. Each student draws a picture
about the topic. They talk to the
teacher about what they have
drawn. Teacher scaffolds the
children’s language into full
sentences. Depending on the
group, students can either:
Tuesday
1. The teacher leads the students in
group reading of each child’s
text(s)
2. The teacher gives each student
his/her text from the previous
day with one or two words
missing from each sentence.
3. The student finds and writes in
the missing words from word
lists or the previous day’s
displayed stories (with support if
needed).
The student reads his/her text to
the teacher.
Students willing to ‘have a go’
(emergent writers):
3.Write whatever they can eg:
A. Students who are not willing
to ‘have a go’ (beginning
writers):
1. Tell the teacher about their
picture.
2. Teacher scribes the student’s
‘story’ underneath the drawing
eg
Tigers (copied)
the it amls (animals)
the it met (they eat meat)
lotc stripe(look stripey)
(End of Tuesday tasks)
4.The student 'reads' his/her text
to the teacher pointing to the
words. The teacher ticks the
correct letters and words.
5.The teacher rewrites the
student’s text scaffolding the
language into full sentence(s).
Tigers
Tigers eat other animals
They eat meat. They have
stripes.
Wednesday
1. The teacher leads the students 1.
in group reading of each child’s
text(s)
2. The teacher gives each student 2.
his/her text from the previous
day with one or two words
missing from each sentence.
3. The student finds and writes in
3.
the missing words from word
lists or the previous day’s
displayed stories (with support
if needed).
4. The student reads his/her text
4.
to the teacher.
After the session, the teacher
rewrites each student’s sentence(s)
with one or two different words
missing eg
Tigers
Tigers ___ other animals.
They eat ____.
____ have stripes.
Thursday
The teacher leads the students
in group reading of each child’s
text(s)
The teacher gives each student
his/her text from the previous
day with one or two words
missing from each sentence.
The student finds and writes in
the missing words from word
lists or the previous day’s
displayed stories (with support
if needed).
The student reads his/her text
to the teacher.
Friday
1. The teacher leads the students
in group reading of each child’s
text(s).
2. The teacher gives each student
a blank piece of paper.
3. The student writes whatever
they can of their text from the
previous days.
4. The student reads their text to
the teacher.
5. The teacher talks to the
student about their writing,
ticks the correct words and
letters and fills in incorrect
ones.
6. The student illustrates the text.
After the session, the teacher
collects the texts from the
whole group and makes them
into a book about the topic. The
students can The students can
take turns to take the book for
home reading. Alternatively the
teacher can photocopy the
texts and make enough books
for each student to have their
own.
The tiger is hunting for food.
He is big.
.
3. Teacher and student read the
scribed story together, pointing
to each word.
4. The student copies the
sentence(s) and again reads it to
the teacher, pointing to the
words.
Workshop 5 - Support Resource- APPLLS
6.The student copies the
sentence(s) and again reads it to
the teacher, pointing to the
words.
7.The teacher writes each student’s
sentence(s) in large print on
paper and displays them.
8.The teacher leads the students in
group reading of each child’s
sentence(s)
After the session, the teacher
rewrites each student’s sentence(s)
with one or two words missing eg
5. The teacher writes each student’s
sentence(s) in large print on
paper and displays them.
6. The teacher leads the students in
group reading of each child’s
sentence(s)
After the session, the teacher
rewrites each student’s sentence(s)
with one or two words missing eg
The tiger is hunting for
_______. He is ______.
Tigers
Tigers eat other _____.
They ____ meat.
They have ______.
OR ...
IMPORTANT NOTE
This program can be adapted according to the needs of the student group e.g.
 It can be extended over two weeks, not attempting independent writing until the second Friday.
 As students begin to write longer texts, more than one or two words can be left out of each sentence written for them
by the teacher.
Workshop 5 - Support Resource- APPLLS
Colour Key:
Pink =Monday;
Mauve = Tuesday;
Green = Wednesday;
Blue = Thursday;
Peach = Friday.
Supporting students at the early and fluent stages of writing (20 – 30 minutes each day)
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
1. Take a few minutes to talk to
1. Students reread what they
1. Students reread what they
student(s) about what they
wrote the previous day – to
wrote the previous day – to
know about the topic of the
themselves, to each other or to
themselves, to each other or to
writing (based on what they
the teacher.
the teacher.
have already done as a whole
2. Students continue with their
2. Students continue with their
class in the before writing
writing from the previous day.
writing from the previous day.
stages).
3. Teacher works with individual
They should complete this first
2. Students take turns to tell the
students getting them to read
draft.
teacher what they will be
what they have written and
3. Teacher works with individual
writing about: the title of their
talking to them about how they
students getting them to read
text and the first couple of
might like to change their
what they have written and
sentences of what they will
writing, add extra words or
talking to them about how they
write.
information etc.
might like to change their
3. Students begin writing.
writing, add extra words or
4. Teacher works with individual
information etc.
students getting them to read
what they have written and
talking to them about how they
might like to change their
writing, add extra words or
information etc.
IMPORTANT NOTE
This program can be adapted according to the needs of the student group eg
 As students begin to write longer and more complex texts, it can be extended over a two week period.
Thursday
1. Students read their texts to
themselves.
2. Students make changes to their
first draft (spelling,
punctuation, adding missing
words, adding more
information.
3. Students read their text to the
group.
4. Students begin to write their
second draft making further
changes if needed with the
teacher helping as required.
Friday
1. Students complete their second
draft.
2. In a sharing session the teacher
reads all the students’ texts to
the group. Other students can
ask questions about the text.
3. Students can begin to ‘publish’
their text and illustrating it.
After the students have completed
their published text, the teacher
collects the illustrated texts from
the whole group and makes them
into a book about the topic. The
students can take turns to take the
book for home reading.
Alternatively the teacher can
photocopy the texts and make
enough books for each student to
have their own.
Based on Scaffolding ESL students into independent writing © Fran Murray, 1999, http://www.cdu.edu.au/walking_talking_texts/
Workshop 5 - Support Resource- APPLLS