Stages of Writing Development - 'The Emergent Writer'

 

(Source: http://jewelautismcentre.com/jewel_blog/stages-of-writing-development-and-ages/)

As a teacher, I regrettably must say that previously, I never gave any thought as to how writers develop much less what I could do to assist them. This is why the Lit sessions on Stages of Writing Development were real eye openers. I now know the stages that writers go through, some characteristics they display and how I can help them. 

Some educators like Rog (2007) refer to the stages as:

• Emergent
• Early
• Developing 
• Fluent

I was particularly interested in the Emergent Writers as I have never taught students at that stage. These writers represent their stories through scribbling, drawing and a random string of letters. Their scribbles may appear anywhere on the page but eventually directionality emerges.

(Source: https://twowritingteachers.org/2019/09/25/the-scribble/)

Additionally, their drawings may initially be an invented version of the objects they represent but gradually they become authentic. 

(Source: https://funchildhood.com/a-childs-drawing/)

Further, they have short attention spans and may fidget during writing / reading and usually prefer to stand during writing activities.

Gaining insight into the abilities of Emergent writers helps me to appreciate and better understand my role as their teacher if I ever get the opportunity to teach students at this stage. As a teacher of Emergent writers, one must encourage their initial attempts to write (scribble) as doing this will help their love for writing to bud. Also, these students must be given the opportunity to read their composition and be praised for their efforts. When we as teachers praise them, they experience on a smaller scale the fulfillment that best sellers feel when critics praise their work.

(Source: https://funshineblog.com/2019/03/14/developing-emergent-writing-skills/)

It is also important for teachers of these writers to display their work in conspicuous places. Seeing their work on display will no doubt encourage them to continue working when they realize that they are able to create something they can be proud of and display to others. Reading from a variety of genres and modelling good reading are also effective strategies to use with these students as this helps them learn from a young age the writer's craft, widens their vocabulary and improves their pronunciation (especially given the 'first language situation' which exists in Caribbean classrooms).

Are you a parent or teacher of an Emergent Writer? What other strategies have you used to assist these writers? In the video below REACH classroom teachers model best practices for emergent writing instruction.

https://youtu.be/CRpHqksGSkY