The development of young writer in an English classroom

Bali, R. (2015). The development of young writers in an English classroom: Opening up dialogue with Year 8 students. Changing English, 22(2), 176-188. doi: 10.1080/1358684X.2015.1026183

Background

Research has indicated that students with low levels of literacy are often not confident about writing. If students do not have a sense of ownership for their writing, they are unlikely to feel engaged or motivated.

Aims

The aim of this article was to explore how students developed their writing in a secondary English classroom.

Sample

The participants were the author who was the English teacher in a secondary school in West London and her students.

Method

The author used narrative accounts to gain insight into her students’ writing experiences in class. At the start of a creative writing unit, the author collected data on students’ enjoyment of writing, how they perceived themselves as writers, what a good writer was to them, how confident they were as writers, and whether they preferred writing about other authors or writing their own creative texts. She then designed writing activities that helped to engage students by stimulating their imagination. The first activity asked students to imagine a door, and describe it and what they saw and heard after opening the door. She then asked them to write about how they felt about the experience and had them discuss the activity as a class. The next day, the students read out their work in a circle-time activity. Finally, they engaged in a peer assessment activity by commenting on what they liked about each other’s work on a given topic.

Findings

The author found that, previously, she might have undermined students’ confidence and enjoyment of writing by having them write about certain topics. She felt that she needed to create a learning atmosphere where students could excel in writing because they felt comfortable and did not have concerns about making mistakes. After the first activity, some students discovered that they enjoyed writing and were more confident of themselves as writers. In the circle-time activity, students felt safe and free and did not feel that their teacher or classmates judged them as they shared their writing. In contrast, most students did not enjoy the peer assessment activity because they found it distressing to have their peers comment on their writing.

Implications

The author recommended that teachers should understand the attitudes, thoughts, and feelings of their students. She underscored the importance of confidence and enjoyment in students’ writing experiences and development. She recommended that students should experience writing as part of a community.

Original article retrieved from Taylor and Francis.