English in the New Zealand Curriculum
Level 1: Writing Functions
Poetic Writing: Students should write on a variety of topics, beginning to shape ideas.
Levels 1 and 2: Reading and Writing Processes
Exploring Language: Students should be able to explore choices made by writers, and identify and use the common conventions of writing and organisation of text which affect understanding.
Thinking Critically: Students should be able to identify and express meanings in written texts, drawing on personal background, knowledge, and experience.
English in the New Zealand Curriculum, pages 35–36
http://www.tki.org.nz/r/language/curriculum/contents_e.php
This class worked for two weeks on a language and art study of cats.
During the first week, the students were immersed in a wealth of cat-related literature through their personal reading, shared reading, and stories and poems read to them by their teacher. The titles included Greedy Cat stories from the Ready to Read series, Fat Cat Tompkin by Diana Noona, and Cat's Whiskers by Bronwyn Tester from the Voyages series, Scallywag by Jeanette Rowe, Big Cat Dreaming by Margaret Wild, and Pawprints in the Butter by Joy Cowley and friends.
The class assembled a list of content words and dynamic verbs from their reading throughout the week. They also created art works that emphasised the ways cats move.
During the second week, the students worked in pairs to discuss their own cats. The teacher encouraged them to question each other for clarification and to elaborate on their ideas. The students then shared particular experiences with small groups and finally with the whole class.
Over several days, the teacher modelled a draft of her own cat story and emphasised the use of precise and colourful verbs and adjectives. The students then wrote an initial draft, paying special attention to vocabulary, while the teacher moved about and conferenced with individuals. The students shared their drafts in small groups or with the class and received feedback. They revised and proofread their drafts.
The teacher checked each piece for spelling and punctuation before the students published them.
Teacher-student conversations
On the first day:
| Teacher: |
That's a good start to your story. I like how you've told how you felt. What happened next? |
| Cameron: |
We had a funeral. He got put in the dirt. I'll put that in. |
On the second day:
| Teacher: |
Why was he like Greedy Cat? |
| Cameron: |
Because he was a golden colour when he had all of his fur. |
| Teacher: |
Can you add that to your piece? |
| Cameron: |
Yes, his golden colour. |
| Teacher: |
Shall I do that, because you're tired? |
| Cameron: |
Yes. |
Integrating reading and writing
A reading programme, featuring a range of cat-related texts, originally motivated this story.
Reading programmes provide opportunities for students to read a range of texts that draw upon and relate to their own knowledge and experience. In guided and shared reading, there is scope for students to explore and discuss the choices that writers make about vocabulary and language features.
Students can be usefully engaged in sequencing activities using sets of illustrations. They can progress to simple text pieces that have been cut up.
To move Cameron towards the next learning step, the teacher could help him to focus on:
- Structure – developing logical sequencing of ideas.
- Language features – possibly using such features as similes.
- Spelling – recording all dominant consonant and vowel sounds.
- Punctuation – using full stops, capital letters, and speech marks consistently and with greater independence.
These skills could be modelled during shared writing sessions. Specific feedback during conferencing times will help Cameron meet his learning goals.
References
Cowley, Joy and friends (1991). Pawprints in the Butter. Wellington: Mallinson Rendel.
Ministry of Education (1994). English in the New Zealand Curriculum. Wellington: Learning Media.
Noonan, Diana (1994). Fat Cat Tompkin. Santa Rosa, California: SRA (Voyages series).
Rowe, Jeanette (1990). Scallywag. Sydney: Ashton Scholastic.
Tester, Bronwyn (1997). Cat's Whiskers. Santa Rosa, California: SRA (Voyages series).
Wild, Margaret (1996). Big Cat Dreaming. Toronto: Annick Press.
Titles and other details for the Ready to Read books featuring Greedy Cat (including those in big-book format) can be found in the Ministry of Education's online catalogue at http://www.learningmedia.co.nz
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