Some poor readers will really feel at disadvantage while writing. They will not be able to express their ideas or show their knowledge. It is crucial to decide whether the goal of activity is to show how much they have learned, or to actually physically write letters, holding a pen against a piece of paper. If it is the former, we might do the activity orally, or artistically, i.e. the student might give a presentation, draw or create something relateable to whatever he has learned. Another option is to record the answers to the question by voice recorder. Typing can also be an alternative to traditional writing. However, if the goal is to use the wrist motions and demonstrate handwriting, the teacher should not expect or even insist on perfect spelling. It might be helpful to provide a piece of paper, perhaps not white, lined with two different colours widely apart. Felt-tip pens are easier to maneuver than pens and pencils. A short finger/wrist/hand movement exercise before writing might prepare the student physically (see coordination). The cognitive preparation and encouragement will be in the form of scaffolding: giving a precise direction about the form, length, and even the sentence structure. In any writing task, it is of utmost importance to give instructions one by one. Only when the student has completed the first step, we will instruct him how to take the next one, and so on. In our child classes, the book provides some cut-outs and stickers at the back. I like to connect those with a writing task. For example, first step is to choose five stickers they like. The second one is to stick them in their notebooks in whichever arrangement they wish. Third step is to write one sentence about each sticker according to the template that I write on the board. If we are learning about animals, it will be: (name of the animal) can (verb) . If we are learning about clothes, I am/'m not wearing (a piece of clothing) . For paragraphs or even texts, similar scaffolding may be provided. We should focus on the preparation, making sure that the student has gathered all ideas and that he knows in which order he will present them. Using word processing software will make it less frustrating because there will be no visible traces of errors on the page. I would like to point out that the act of writing, i.e. moving the wrist, contributes to the enforcement of memory and development of hand-eye coordination. The writing is in a way a kinaesthetic approach to language learning, where the muscle movement enhances spelling as well as visual perception of the words being written.
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AuthorMartina Matejaš is a teacher of English and Yoga. She is keen on understanding the mind-body connection as well as cracking the 'code' of thoughts-emotions-behaviour matrix. Archives
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