1 Teacher support for a P6 student in the pre-writing stage Brainstorm and suggest useful words/phrases Style: register and tone With teacher support, the student can: use appropriate opening and closing in a complaint letter give brief ideas use some useful words relating to noise pollution write simple sentences Style: register and tone

2 A P6 student’s work—elaborating ideas (a complaint letter) Style: register and tone The student can use a range of sentence patterns to express ideas provide relevant information and ideas organize ideas in paragraphs use a range of vocabulary use a topic sentence use ‘which’ to add information about a thing use ‘because’ to give reasons give one’s opinion use ‘when’ to express two things happen at a time

3 Progressive development across levels in learning to write --- e.g. story writing Story WritingP1P2P3P4P5P6 - able to complete stories by providing words/filling in speech bubbles for pictures/cartoons/comics  - able to complete stories by providing captions with supporting ideas for pictures/cartoons/comics  - able to create a new ending for stories or create stories with the help of picture cues  - able to create short and simple stories basing on a story framework—characters, setting and events  - able to create simple stories basing on a story framework—characters, setting, problem(s), events and resolution(s)  - able to retell familiar stories or create simple stories adding illustrations and making a cover 

4 P1 student work Writing genre: story - able to complete stories by providing words/filling in speech bubbles for pictures/cartoons/comics Module: Places and Activities Unit: U5 At the beach Tom is writing a story ‘A lion and a mouse’. Help Tom write the story. The lion and the mouse The following words may help you. positions senses sentences Do not …Please … I am …I can/cannot … It is …It can/cannot … Thank you. Go away. Help!Help! OK!You are welcome. seehearsmelltouch inonunderbehindnearin front of

5 Look at the pictures. What do they say? …go near… mice …behind… … cannot see … mouse … on … mouse … can smell … lion I am hungry. I want to eat you. lion … … mouse … do not eat … mouse …… lion … help … lion OK! We can help you. mouse … … lion You are welcome. mouse

6 P2 student work Writing genre: story - able to complete stories by providing captions with supporting ideas for pictures/cartoons/comics Module: Using my five senses Unit: U4 At the beach Story writing Kelly is reading a story in the library. Look at the pictures and finish the story with the words below. swimflyskip singplaydance Place: in the sky on the moon on a cloud in the park on a rainbow on a beach

7 Using graphic organizer to generate ideas Can: produce simple sentences involving repetition and lists use basic sentence punctuation e.g. comma, full-stop use appropriate cohesive device

8 P3 student work Writing genre: story - able to create a new ending for stories or create stories with the help of picture cues Module Places and activities Units U1 Buying gifts U2 Visiting Hong Kong Look at the pictures. shopping centre mother and Sally This dress is beautiful! mother I want to go to the toy shop. Sally Where’s Mum? Mum? Sally ?

9 Using a flow chart to show sequence of events

10 P4 student work Writing genre: story - able to create short and simple stories basing on a story framework—characters, setting and events Module: We love Hong Kong Units: U3 Promote Hong Kong U4 A day in a recreation centre Using a story framework

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12 Students’ perceptions on their own writing A mini-survey was made in June 2008 Target group: P5 students (No. of students: 64) P5 students had the following reflections comparing their performances between their writing at the beginning and at the end of the school year

13 Students’ perceptions on their own writing A mini-survey was made in June 2008 Target group: P6 students (No. of students: 61) P6 students had the following reflections comparing their performances between their writing at the beginning and at the end of the school year

14 Students’ reflections: ideas in writing

15 Students’ reflections: language use

16 Students’ reflections: learning strategies

17 Teachers’ reflections on students’ performance in writing There has been positive change in some weak students’ attitude towards and confidence in writing. Using the elaboration strategies, average and able students could provide more supporting details to talk about people, things and events. The students only took the guided questions/content organizers for references. They had a clear picture on what to describe, explain and express on a familiar topic. In group writing, students learnt to exchange/share/ negotiate on the contents, organization, vocabulary and sentence patterns. Through progressive practices, students understood the language features of a range of text-types and presented them accurately in the writing tasks. School percentage of P6 achieving full marks in content & language were well above the territory-wide percentage.

18 Afterthought  Design of the progressive development writing framework As the outlines for students’ progressive acquisition of the knowledge and skills in writing As teachers’ references and mutual understanding when designing the writing activities As the assessment descriptors of the school-based writing curriculum  Shared views EFFORT, PATIENCE and CO-OPERATION

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