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What is Composition and Writing?
Composition is the act of creating written works. Writing is the act of putting individual words and thoughts into a coherent and readable text.
There are three modes of writing:
(Britton, 1970), (Holdgreve-Resendez, 2010a)
Concepts in emergent writing:
(Holdgreve-Resendez, 2010a)
There are three modes of writing:
- Expressive mode- stream of consciousness, free flow of ideas and emotions
- Poetic mode- used as a form of art
- Transactional mode- used to persuade or advise the audience
(Britton, 1970), (Holdgreve-Resendez, 2010a)
Concepts in emergent writing:
- Recurring principle: the same moves repeated over and over again
- Generative principle: employing the same small set of letters combined in different ways
- Sign concept: a graphic display representing text
- Flexibility concept: letters varied to produce new letters
- Directionality: arrangement of print on a page
- Negative space: space between words
(Holdgreve-Resendez, 2010a)
Why is Composition and Writing Important?
Composition and writing is an essential tool in literacy, education, but most importantly communication! Composition and writing allows people to convey ideas, feeling, emotions, opinions, political views, arguments, and many other forms of communication. There would be no famous works of literature if they were not first composed and written down to be treasured and remembered by readers.
How does Composition and Writing Develop?
Composition and writing is learned through observation, discovery, and multiple strategies.Writing develops in the following stages:
Stages of spelling development are:
Composition develops before writing! Children can dictate verbally before they can write.
(Holdgreve-Resendez, 2010a), (Temple, Nathan, & Burris, 1993).
- Drawing
- Scribbling
- Letter-like forms
- Estimated spelling
- Conventional spelling
Stages of spelling development are:
- Prephonemic- stringing of letters together without attempting to represent speech sounds in any systematic way.
- Early phonemic- spelling in which letters are used to represent sounds, but letters are often written for only one or two sounds in a word.
- Letter-name- letter names are chosen to represent phonemes based on the similarities between the sound of the letter-names and the respective phonemes.
- Transitional- words look like English, but are often spelled incorrectly.
- Correct- majority of words are spelled correctly.
Composition develops before writing! Children can dictate verbally before they can write.
(Holdgreve-Resendez, 2010a), (Temple, Nathan, & Burris, 1993).
Assessments for Composition and Writing
Informal assessments:
(Holdgreve-Resendez, 2010a)
- Using your name to first learn how to write
- Tracing
- Copying
- Writing letters
- Making lists of letters
- Read and reread words as a student copies what is said
(Holdgreve-Resendez, 2010a)
Formal assessments:
MLPP Writing Assessment
MLPP Writing Assessment
mlpp_writing-a.pdf | |
File Size: | 218 kb |
File Type: |
Instructional Strategies for Composition and Writing
- Direct instruction
- Read aloud while the student writes
- Allow time for writing and composition development
- Give opportunities for students to learn new strategies of writing and composition
- Expose students to many types and genres of writing
This YouTube video gives instructional techniques to teachers!
Issues with Composition and Writing for Second Language Learners (SLL)
- If a student does not understand the language, they will not be able to compose or write in that language.
- Print in other languages may read differently. For example, Hebrew, Chinese, Japanese, and Arabic all read right to left instead of left to right. A student may have difficulties learning to write in a language that is vastly different from their native language.
Additional Journals, Articles, and Power Points for Composition and Writing
Articles and Journals (PDF)
audience_of_composition.pdf | |
File Size: | 1481 kb |
File Type: |
composition.pdf | |
File Size: | 1497 kb |
File Type: |
teaching_about_writing_righting_misconceptions.pdf | |
File Size: | 789 kb |
File Type: |
glce_mlpp_103796_7-1.doc | |
File Size: | 514 kb |
File Type: | doc |
Articles and Journals
Duran, L. (2010). An experimental study comparing English-only and transitional bilingual education on Spanish-speaking preschoolers' early literacy development. Early Childhood Research Quarterly,25(2), 207.
Dyson, H. (2010). Writing childhoods under construction:re-visioning 'copying' in early childhood. Journal of Early Childhood Literacy,10(1), 7.
Huot, B. (2010). A usable past for writing assessment. College English, 72(5), 23.
Jalilifar, A. (2010). Schematization in EFL students' composition writing and its relation to academic success. RELC Journal, 41(1), 31
Dyson, H. (2010). Writing childhoods under construction:re-visioning 'copying' in early childhood. Journal of Early Childhood Literacy,10(1), 7.
Huot, B. (2010). A usable past for writing assessment. College English, 72(5), 23.
Jalilifar, A. (2010). Schematization in EFL students' composition writing and its relation to academic success. RELC Journal, 41(1), 31
Power Points
composition_and_writing-fall_2010.ppt | |
File Size: | 1666 kb |
File Type: | ppt |
Holdgreve-Resendez, R. T. (2010). Composition and Writing Fall 2010. Extracted from www.angel.msu.edu on November 17, 2010. Composition and Writing.
References
Britton, J. (1970). Language and learning. Harmondsworth, England: Penguin Books
Downs, D, & Elizabeth, W. (2007). Teaching about writing, righting misconceptions:(re)envisioning "first-year composition" as "introduction to writing studies". National Council of Teachers of English,58(4), 1-33.
McKenna, M. C., & Stahl, K. A. D. (2009). Assessment for reading instruction, second edition. New York: Guilford.
Porter, J, & Farnsworth, R. (1981). The audience of the composition text: teacher or student?. Well Bounded Words, 1-8.
Temple, C., Nathan, R., Temple, F., & Burris, N.A. (1993). The beginnings of writing. Needham Heights, MA: Allyn and Bacon.
Trimbur, J. (1983). Literature and composition: separatism or convergence?. Composition & Literature: Bridging the Gap. pp 184.
Downs, D, & Elizabeth, W. (2007). Teaching about writing, righting misconceptions:(re)envisioning "first-year composition" as "introduction to writing studies". National Council of Teachers of English,58(4), 1-33.
McKenna, M. C., & Stahl, K. A. D. (2009). Assessment for reading instruction, second edition. New York: Guilford.
Porter, J, & Farnsworth, R. (1981). The audience of the composition text: teacher or student?. Well Bounded Words, 1-8.
Temple, C., Nathan, R., Temple, F., & Burris, N.A. (1993). The beginnings of writing. Needham Heights, MA: Allyn and Bacon.
Trimbur, J. (1983). Literature and composition: separatism or convergence?. Composition & Literature: Bridging the Gap. pp 184.