A Closer Look at Interactive Writing

Abstract

love writing!" exclaimed Sarah as she put the finishing touches on her verb poster. All of the third graders in this class were busy working on their parts-of-speech posters during an interactive writing lesson. These are the words that all teachers desire to hear from their students. Who knew that Sarah, a struggling writer at the beginning of the school year, would ever utter such a positive statement about writing? "Interactive writing provides powerful demonstrations of writing that help young children make progress in their own writing" (McCarrier, Pinnell, & Fountas, 2000, p. xvi).Interactive writing can take on many different forms and is used in a variety of ways in the classroom. This type of writing helps build a bridge between writing and all other areas of the curriculum. In this process, students and teachers collaborate in the construction of text while building on prior knowledge. Students use what they know about language, conventions of print, and how words work to create meaningful writing. English-language learners (ELLs) especially benefit from collaborating with their peers when writing and revising (Hudelson, 1988). When ELLs interact socially and linguistically they develop greater language proficiency (Long, 1983).Attitude, motivation, and engagement are vital factors that contribute to reading and writing success. According to Partin and Hendricks (2002), reading achievement is related to a positive attitude toward reading. A primary concern of many teachers is that a lack of engagement is the root of the many problems they face in teaching (Edmunds & Bauserman, 2006). The teacher generating high expectations for reading and writing while providing time to share and discuss can expect a higher level of literacy engagement in students.Interactive writing can be a valuable instructional method that greatly enhances engagement in the classroom. This technique improves spelling knowledge, provides a letter-sound connection, and links the decoding process to writing. It reaches all students and ability levels by developing language and building schema. Classroom reading materials are created by children's language and experiences, which help to il-lustrate the connection between written and oral language (Rubadue, 2002). In particular, this is helpful when working with ELLs because it provides a purposeful writing task in a comfortable environment. As stated by Hudelson (1988), the classroom environment can notably stimulate ELLs' development as writers. Our Thoughts on Interactive WritingAs elementary school teachers in three different California schools, we each use interactive writing in our classrooms on a regular basis. This is not another mandated program but rather an easy-to-use technique we implement to enhance our curriculum. Not only does it engage our students, but it also improves their language development, writing, and spelling skills. In regard to ELLs, we have observed an increase in vocabulary, grammar, and writing skills as well as an increase in confidence from the continu...

Effects of Writing Instruction on Kindergarten Students’ Writing Achievement: An Experimental Study

“…The second identified writing instructional method, IW, is also frequently recommended for young students (e.g., Biddle, 2007;Button, Johnson, & Furgerson, 1996;McCarrier, Pinnell, & Fountas, 2000;Patterson, Schaller, & Clemens, 2008). IW is a "group experience that increases children's participation in the act of writing and helps them attend to the details of letters, sounds, and words while working together on meaningful text" (Pinnell & Fountas, 1998, p. 29).…”

The Alphabetic Principle and Concept of Word in Text: Two Priorities for Learners in the Emergent Stage of Literacy Development

“…During a shared interactive writing lesson, the teacher uses a large piece of chart paper or white board to model writing a message so students can see the process of spelling and writing (Patterson et al, 2008; Roth & Guinee, 2011). Similar to shared reading, the process focuses on learning concepts about print (e.g., “Where do I begin writing?” “How do I end a sentence?” “Where should I put a space?”) and the use of alphabetic information including handwriting (e.g., “Sssslowly.…”

From Sounds to Letters to Words to Sentences to Genres: Oral Language and Writing

“…Interactive writing is an effective means of promoting young children's early literacy (Button et al, 1996;Hall et al, 2014). Hall (2016) defines interactive writing as "an instructional technique that involves teachers and students engaging in discussion, sharing the pen to compose a group text, and orally rereading their authentic writing together" (p. 383).…”