Why writing if important and how to teach it effectively: Education Essay

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"The teaching and learning of writing should link theory and classroom practice. Explain why writing is important, and how to teach it effectively.\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" -Stick to the 1500 word format -Every essay requires a clear introductory paragraph. An introduction states the topic to be addressed and provides some background information. The background information provides the context so that the reader appreciates the importance of the topic being addressed. -Start with a good introductory paragraph stating why there is a need to link theory and classroom practice and the rationale behind it. Make sure the last sentence of your introduction is a strong thesis statement outlining the focus of the essay. It must give the reader a \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'preview\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\' of what the essay will be about. -In the body of the essay remember to refer to the leaning theories that underlie the literacy instructional approaches as effective teachers understand how children learn to read and write. Effective teachers then use this knowledge to inform their classroom instructional approaches. Be aware of the major teacher centred and student centred theories as these have had a major impact on the teaching of literacy. Tompkins et al. (2012, p.5) outlines each of these. 1. Remember to refer to the learning theories that underline the literacy instructional approaches as effective teachers understand how children learn to read and write and they use this knowledge to inform their classroom instructional approaches. Theories that have had major impact on the teaching of reading are: -Behaviourism: focuses on observable and measurable aspects, rewards and punishments. -Constructivist Learning Theories: where children are active learners relating new information to prior knowledge and organise and relate information to schemata. -Cognitive/ Information Processing: Reading and writing are meaning making processes which are strategic (cognitive and metacognitive) and individualised (what makes sense to the child). Students use both prior knowledge and features in the text as they read. They use word-identification skills and comprehension strategies and fluent readers focus on making meaning. Refer also to the Cognitive model of Reading, which articulates how students use prior knowledge, knowledge of text and sentence structures and vocabulary as they read etc.; in addition to word automaticity strategic knowledge. -Sociolinguistic Learning Theories: Where thought and language are related, social interaction is important to learning and teachers provide scaffolds for students. The goal is for students to become lifelong readers and writers. 3. Discuss what a balanced approach to literacy instruction is as this is the approach endorsed by the Tompkins et al. (2012) who suggests effective teachers recognise and value both perspectives and that teachers who draw on multiple perspectives improve the quality of literacy instruction. a.As you will have learnt from your readings effective teachers make thoughtful and purposeful decisions based on student needs and assessment to inform them as to how they will assist students to become more proficient at writing and reading. Effective instruction in writing immerses students in rich literature that provide models of mentor texts that provide opportunities for grand conversations on how they craft meaning at a text, sentence and word level. Writing instruction is learning how to craft your writing as well as learning how to express ideas meaningfully; attention to text structure- paragraphs and sentences, vocabulary, spelling, editing, cohesion, use of conventional spelling, grammar, and punctuation to express those ideas. 4.Explain clearly why writing is important. Explaining how to teach writing effectively and why it is important – a.so be careful here and make sure you do not go off at a tangent too much. By all means discuss how literacy is a social practice but make the necessary links to show how the theory/concept informs instructional practices in the classroom for e.g. the four resources model that equally applies to writing as it does reading. 5.Put it all in practice, through shared, modelled, guided and interactive lessons using differentiated instructions. 6.Make links to Australian Curriculum (ACARA, 2013) document for their view of literacy as a supporting reference. Effective teachers put literature at the centre of their instructional programs and they combine opportunities for students to read and write with lessons on skills and strategies. 7.Effective teachers scaffold or support children's writing as they demonstrate, guide, and teach, and they vary the amount of support they provide according to their instructional purpose and the children's needs. 8.Your concluding paragraph needs to summarise your views concisely and point out what you believe a effective teaching of writing is all about and how it can be achieved. Be mindful that no new information is included in your conclusion. Explaining why writing is important will be based on theory and how to teach it effectively will be based on classroom practice. You also need to show the link between reading and writing but focus on the writing. Please keep writing simple but still of high quality the marker is really tough on grammar, punctuation and certain format. If the format ask for essay stick to essay format. The theories should be discussed during the paper and not on its own. So for example during writing students construct (remembering the words using their schema) knowledge using words from their reading ........ if any questions please just email me !! I do have a deadline and struggle with an other website to finish my paper but send it back for the 5th time not happy with it and I am under a lot of stress to get an A for this paper. So please any questions let me know per email. It is 5.30 in Australia right know so in case you need more info about this paper I will be online for the next 5-6 hours and then off for the next 24 hours because of work and other commitments. Please use my Text book Tompkins, Rod, Campbell, and Green (2012) Literacy for the 21st century and please use this link for the Australian Curriculum http://www(dot)australiancurriculum(dot)edu(dot)au/English/Rationale and http://www(dot)australiancurriculum(dot)edu(dot)au/English/Curriculum/F-10 - Pick grade one to make links please there\'s more also use the Annandale, K., Bindon, R., Handley, K., Johnston, A., Lockett, L., & Lynch, P., (2005). First steps writing map of development. Port Melbourne: Rigby - to link it with I will send you the file you need. these 3 is really the most important of them all. Thanks Amanda