Writing: meeting the needs of children with a range of children with special educational needs
Writing presents significant challenges for many children in the primary school including those formally identified as having SEN and those not formally identified. Recent research has demonstrated that reading, texts, discussion, drama and role play can play a significant role in supporting writing development (Barrs and Cork, 2001; Safford, O’Sullivan, and Barrs, 2004; UKLA, 2004). Use of teaching approaches such as drama and role play can help children to enter the world of a story and inspire them to write from a particular point of view or for a particular purpose. In the Boys on the Margin project (Safford, O’Sullivan and Barrs 2004), boys who were very reluctant and low-achieving writers were encouraged to write emails, in role, based around a poem, What has happened to Lulu by Charles Causley. The boys wrote emails from Lulu, the character in the poem who had run away from home, explaining to their family why they had left.
These projects also demonstrated that planning units of work round a text which involve a range of speaking and listening, reading and writing activities provided a strong foundation for developing children’s involvement in writing. (Barrs and Cork, 2002; UKLA 2004; Safford, O’Sullivan and Barrs, 2004) In Raising Boys’ Achievement in Writing (UKLA, 2004), teachers found that ‘a three-week block was a new way of working, which was challenging but was seen to reap considerable benefit.’ One teacher stated: ‘I hadn’t done 3 week blocks before but was able to carry ideas from one week to the next and this gave the children a more coherent learning experience’. The authors of the report comment ‘Some felt in the past, in trying to cover a range of short-term objectives, their work had been fragmented; they enjoyed what they perceived as increased flexibility to respond to the needs and interests of the children, whilst still being guided by the overall intention of the unit’ (UKLA, 2004, p 35). The Boys on the Margin project also demonstrated particularly for children experiencing difficulties, that the longer the time spent on activities which prepared for writing, the greater involvement in writing and the more successful the outcome.
It is also important to consider, as in the case of speaking and listening, that the broadest definition of writing or composition needs to be employed when considering the inclusion of children with a wide range of SEN. The notion of writing should include: adults scribing for children, voice recording, use of keyboard technologies, symbols and signs, computer word banks, use of objects, collaborative writing – adults and children and children working together, ICT texts, and digital video. (See section on Writing difficulties.)
The following teaching approaches emphasise the interlinked role of reading, talk, drama and preparation for writing result from a number of classroom-based research projects.
Before writing
- Hearing books and stories read aloud
Children at all levels of experience learn a great deal about writing by hearing texts read aloud and discussing them. Hearing a text read over and over enables children to become familiar with the tunes and patterns of written language (Barrs and Cork 2001). For many children, including those with special educational needs this enables children to shuttle ‘between spoken resources and an increasing store of forms internalized from their reading’ (Britton, 1982).
- Basing writing around texts
Texts can be used where possible as the basis for planning a wide range of writing. For very inexperienced writers, this might include simple retellings or adaptations of a well known, repetitive story or picture book eg ‘Run, run as fast as you can, you can’t catch me I’m a gingerbread man’. For others it might include writing in a range of genres around the same text. Children in the Boys on the Margin project, working on the poem Lulu, wrote: descriptions of Lulu’s room based on drama and visualisation activities; notes left behind by Lulu on the night she left home; additional stanzas of the poem, based on reading, re-reading, discussion and shared writing demonstrations from the teacher; letters and emails from Lulu to her family; letters to the poet, Charles Causley.
- Drama, role play, writing in role
Drama and role play activities based on texts allow children to enter the world of the text and ‘enter the story world’. The use of drama has been found to be particularly motivating for children who are reluctant writers. Use of drama techniques such as hot-seating, and freeze-framing, as part of an overall unit of work can help children to enter the world of the text or story at several points. This allows children at all levels of experience as readers and writers to begin to engage with the text in new ways. Teachers have also found these approaches helpful in working with information writing.
- Discussion
Class and group discussion as preparation for writing is essential for sharing ideas about a text and for discussing aspects of writing. The teacher or adult can note useful ideas, words and phrases on a flip chart which then become part of shared ‘work in progress’.
- Use of visual stimuli
Images from pictures books or paintings can be scanned and laminated or projected on an interactive whiteboard or computer screen to provide strong support for discussion, drama and writing in role. Visual images can also play a significant role as starting points for information writing.
- Drawing and mapping
Inexperienced writers can be helped to ‘see’ the story by mapping it out – the adult can take this role initially, working on a large sheet of paper, or alternatively, children may prefer to draw the story initially, before writing.
- Storytelling
Oral storytelling – particularly based on the structures of traditional stories – is helpful for developing children’s sense of literary language. Such stories have strong patterns and often have repeated refrains which support children’s involvement.
During writing
- Multi-modal texts
Drawing was used extensively by children in the above projects as part of their writing. Reluctant writers respond to use of ‘newer’ forms of writing such as emails, text messages and use of presentation software to create multimedia texts which include pictures, text, sound and speech. These forms can often be integrated into teachers’ plans for a range of writing around a text.
- Word lists
As discussed above children’s ideas and responses can be noted and collected in order to develop and enrich use of language at both word and sentence level eg collections of words that describe particular feelings, characters or story settings, or particularly interesting phrases or sentences. Less experienced writers can draw on these to support their writing.
For further suggested support during the writing process, see Children with writing difficulties.
After writing
Publishing children’s work can take a variety of forms, all of which enhance children’s sense of purpose and enjoyment as writers. Effective approaches include:
- Bookmaking – from simple, individual forms to group and class books. These can be illustrated, photocopied, put in the class library and taken home.
- ICT forms for publishing children’s writing include use of presentation software such as PowerPoint to make an electronic story or topic presentation, web publishing or use of animation programmes.
References
- Barrs M. and Cork V. (2001) The Reader in the Writer: the Link Between the Study of Literature and Writing Development at Key Stage 2, Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
- Britton, J. (1982) Prospect and Retrospect, Selected Essays of James Britton, ed G M Pradl, Heinemann Educational
- Grove, N. (1998) Literature for All, Developing Literature in the Curriculum for Pupils with Special Educational Needs, David Fulton Publishers
- Safford, K., O’Sullivan, O. and Barrs, M. (2004) Boys on the Margin: promoting boys’ literacy and learning at Key Stage 2, Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
- UKLA/PNS (2004) Raising Boys Achievement in Writing, United Kingdom Literacy Association, Primary National Strategy
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