w w w. p d st . i e
GRR Model, Pearson & Gallagher 1983
w w w. p d st . i e
“What they can do collaboratively today
becomes what they can do independently
tomorrow.”
(Lewis & Wray, 2000)
A scaffolding approach to writing
w w w. p d st . i e
There are four stages to the curriculum cycle through
which a particular text type can be made explicit to
students:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Building knowledge of the topic
Modelling the text type
Joint construction
Independent writing
Scaffolding Language, Scaffolding Learning
Pauline Gibbons, 2002
Stage 1: Building Knowledge of the topic
w w w. p d st . i e
The aim here is to build up background
knowledge, and so focus is primarily on the
content of the topic and the academic
language involved in using this information.
An important aspect of this prewriting stage
involves activities that use speaking,
listening, reading, research, note taking
skills etc.
w w w. p d st . i e
Graphic Organisers
w w w. p d st . i e
w w w. p d st . i e
7
Stage 2: Modelling the Text
w w w. p d st . i e
This stage aims to build up students’
understandings of the purpose, overall
structure and language features of the
particular text being focused on through
model texts.
Text Types
1. Narrative (story)
2. Recount
3. Instruction / Procedure
w w w. p d st . i e
4. Explanation
5. Argument / Persuasion
6. Discussion / Analysis / Evaluation
Specific purpose, structure, features…
w w w. p d st . i e
“Just as students learn to control different oral
registers, they must also be able to write in
different ways for different purposes .... Simply
allowing students to write a lot will not
necessarily provide sufficient practice in the
various types of writing required”
Reppen, 2002
w w w. p d st . i e
Stage 3: Joint Construction
This stage should also model the process of writing.
The students give suggestions and contribute ideas
while the teacher scribes, and together the teacher
and students discuss how the writing can be
improved.
Teacher and students discuss the overall structure,
more appropriate vocabulary, consider alternative
ways of wording and focus on language accuracy.
“the joint construction stage is teacher-guided, it should not
be seen as teacher dominated” (Pauline Gibbons)
Stage 4: Independent Writing
Students write their own texts, individually or in
pairs.
w w w. p d st . i e
The preparation and scaffolding in stages 1-3 will
help ensure that students have the knowledge
and skills to be able to write their own texts with
confidence.
As students write, remind them about the
process of writing, first draft, self-editing,
feedback, redrafting, final text.
Building
Knowledge of
the Topic
Translate
Modelling
the Text
Type
Draft
Plan
The Process
of Writing
Publish/
Present
Review
Revise
Evaluate
Independent
Writing
Joint Construction
w w w. p d st . i e
“Simply correcting the spelling of a poor
piece of writing results in a correctly
spelled poor piece of writing – the piece
of writing itself is not substantially
improved.”
(Gibbons, 2002)
w w w. p d st . i e
Developing writing skills in the
history classroom
w w w. p d st . i e
Can you read and write like a
(historian)?
“The idea is not that content-area teachers
should become reading and writing teachers,
but rather that they should emphasize the
reading and writing practices that are specific to
their subjects, so students are encouraged to
read and write like historians, scientists,
mathematicians, and other subject-area
experts.”
(Biancarosa & Snow, 2004, p.15)
Writing historically: some practical aids
• Writing frames
w w w. p d st . i e
• Sentence starters
• Paragraph prompts
• Banks of words/ phrases/ connectives
Promoting historical writing:
some pedagogical approaches
• Enquiry-focused approach
w w w. p d st . i e
• Multi-perspective approach
• Critical skills exercises
Card sorting exercises
• Card sorting exercises
• Enhancing critical thinking
w w w. p d st . i e
• Different levels of categorisation
• ‘Big points’ and ‘Little points’
Promoting reading ability
• Meaning maker
• Code breaker
w w w. p d st . i e
• Text maker
• ‘Text critic
Forbairt
Foghlaim
Fís
www. pdst. ie
© PDST 2015
This work is made available under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Share Alike 3.0
Licence http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/ie/. You may use and re-use this material
(not including images and logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the
Creative Commons Attribution Share Alike Licence.