Write it Right

Write it Right- Published in Education Times, TOI, 17th November, 2008 by Meeta Mohanty

Writing forms an integral focus of language instruction in classrooms. It is sad to witness that in most Indian schools writing is equated with formation of alphabet, symbols and handwriting. Evidence of this narrow view of writing is visible in language textbooks and pedagogy in early childhood education. Texts reinforcing pattern writing, drills focusing letter formations, standing and sleeping lines, flood the market and take preference over writing to communicate.
What clearly misses from these texts is the fundamental premise of writing as Krishna Kumar quotes ‘purpose of writing and the sense of audience’. He cites that the ‘alphabet has no meaning and therefore excessive or isolated emphasis on the alphabet can discourage children from seeing writing as a means of meaningful communication’.

A perspective
Writing is communicative. We all write with a purpose. The purpose of this article is to persuade readers to re-evaluate writing instruction in classrooms. The organization of this article is in form of problem-solution structure. Thus before writing, a writer selects the purpose of writing and the text organization amongst several other factors. Let’s examine these features.
M.A.K. Halliday (1975) identified seven functions or purposes of writing. A writer writes for different purposes. These can be to inform as visible in reports, to persuade as in speech, to regulate or monitor as in orders and commands, to interact and form relations as in letters, to inquire as in interrogative logs, articles. Writers might use personal language to opine about a subject or use imaginative language as visible in stories and poems.
The various purposes of language as identified by Halliday may overlap. As an educator it is important to understand the various functions of language and ensure that children receive ample exposure and opportunity to use various functions.
It is also important to expose children to various types of text organization structures like compare and contrast, sequence, cause and effect, problem- solution etc. Exposure to different text structures and various functions of language builds children’s background knowledge which they apply while writing. An educator needs to provide exposure of these diverse texts through reading, writing, listening and speaking. A close look at the texts for children in primary shall reveal predominantly informative (expository) texts or stories and poems.
Most people believe that language skills develop in a linear fashion from listening, speaking, reading and writing. However A child begins to use language long before he or she enters school. Children babbles are speech, reflexes are signs of listening, drawings & scribbles are early forms of writing, picture reading are signs of early reading. We need to acknowledge these inherent capacities of child in school and nurture these. The entire pedagogy falters as we begin with false premise that they do not listen, read, write, speak and we need to teach them through graded instruction.

Suggestions
Listen to language: Narrating stories, poems, personal experiences, audio tapes can help. Inviting different people like peers, family, community members to share their experiences extends children’s audience.
Language Experience Approach: Children can narrate personal experiences about his/her breakfast in the morning, what he/she saw on the way to school and the teacher listens and inscribes verbatim for the child in print. Through this approach the child connects personal experience with print and sees it as a means to communicate. He/she shall gradually begin to identify key words. One must refrain from correcting grammar while inscribing as this is de-motivating.
Real opportunities to write: Teacher can write morning message on the board. He/She can begin to write about a special event, announcement, short riddle, words about the weather etc. There are no hard and fast rules about the morning message board. It can take any shape as per the class dynamics. An educator can gradually assign each child turns to write morning message and read it aloud. Only she/he needs to tell the child to write in large font. There is no need to ask the child to spell correct or check grammar. What eventually shall happen are peer corrections in the most unobtrusive manner. Children can write daily messages to their friends thus reinforcing interactional language. They can be involved in taking down observations while visiting different places like a pond, park, canteen, swimming pool, library etc. Places for visits need not be museums always.
Reporting news: Children can be divided into groups and collect news from nook and corners of the school. They can take turns to narrate their experience. This activity can culminate in a class news bulletin or newspaper. Shift emphasis from editing, correct products, at first, as children need to organize ideas and write drafts.
Graffiti corner: Paste a chart paper within the child’s reach and let it be their graffiti corner where they write what they want and when they want.
Maintain writing folders: Encourage children to write messages, stories, words, labels, poems, anything what they feel and place it in their writing folders. Over a period of time you can see progression in writing and assess them on realistic parameters.

The whole idea is give them ample and real opportunities to use language. You can incorporate these as regular class routines or as energizers. Children will love these small breaks and routines and you shall witness high reading-writing levels in classroom.