Kucer’s Model:
Kucer adds 5 features to Flower’s and Hayes’s model of the
Writing Process (which is seen below)
WriteràPlanningàWritingà Revisingà Surface Structure
Kucer's 5 Features:
- Knowledge Search: Writing simply conveys the meanings, ideas, and information the writer already knows. Writers must learn to reorganize what they know to fit into the writing task at hand. Students’ opinions and knowledge can change as they engage in the writing process.
- Context/Situational Dependency of Writing: Writing does not happen in a vacuum. Writers must consider their audience, purpose for writing, genre, and structure when writing. Answering these questions allows them to sift through their background knowledge, understand the context in which they are writing, and adjust their writing appropriately.
- Goals and Plans: The ultimate goal of writing is to build continuity and produce a coherent piece of writing that can be easily understood. Using mentor texts, allows student so rely on intertextuality as models for their own writing. Plans and goals should be fluid hypotheses that can easily change, but writers need some kind of goal or plan. Without a general direction, struggling writers’ work usually fall apart.
- Strategies: Strategies are cognitive activities to help writers construct meaning. Many strategies focus revision—adding, changing, substituting, and deleting. Editing and idea generation are also strategies employed. Writing is a dynamic process that should not be seen as a rigid, step-by-step recipe. Rather, teachers should allow children’s writing progress to be fluid and view the stages as guide for writing.
- Evolving Text: Text is always evolving because the writer is always trying to convey the meaning in his/her mind on paper. He/she is trying to have the surface structure match the deep, cognitive structure. Kucer quotes Pearson saying, “We never usually finish a text; rather, we decide to stop.”
Emergent Writing Model: 3 Domains
- Conceptual Knowledge: Writers must understand how writing works. The skills in this domain include knowledge of the universal principles of print (used to convey meaning), concepts about writing (understanding what a unit of writing is), and functions of writing (purposes for writing).
- Procedural Knowledge: Writers must have an understanding of the symbols (letters) used in writing and the conventions of writing in order to produce coherent text. Letter-naming, letter-sound correspondence, letter writing, spelling, and name writing skills are all included in this domain.
- Generative Knowledge: Writers must be able to create words and phrases. Children have to be developmentally ready to use the letters they know to convey meaning. Some skills that fall under this domain are the ability to compose more than a single word. This domain shows integration of skills from the other two domains.
Similarities between models:
One similarity between these two models is they both
recognize young writers must understand the purpose and reason they are
writing. These purposes also help the
writer choose an appropriate structure. These two ideas of purpose and
structure are addressed in Kucer’s area of Situational Dependency and the
Emergent Writing Model’s area of Conceptual Knowledge.
Another similarity seen here is the importance of conveying
meaning. The Emergent Writing Model wants preschool students to be able to
create meaning through a phrase or sentence. Kucer emphasizes this idea in his
area of knowledge search and helping children get the background knowledge from
their minds onto paper. The Generative Domain also ties into the Kucer’s idea
that text is always evolving. We know preschool children have a deep structure
in their mind, but helping them produce a phrase (surface structure) is the
trickier part.
Neither model emphasize a structured set of steps. Both
Kucer and the Emergent Writing Model see view writing more as a free-flowing
process. They allow children to move back and forth through the domains/areas
naturally.
Differences:
These two models differ in a few ways, but I think the root
of their differences is the demographic each model was created for. The
Emergent Writing Model is for preschool children who are 4-5 years old while
Kucer’s model is meant to include children as well as adults. One main
difference in these two models is that Kucer emphasizes the need for a child to
have a global goal or outcome in their mind as they write. They have a
direction of where they want their piece of writing to go. The Emergent Writing
Model doesn’t focus on that as much. This could be because the Emergent Writing
Model is really geared for younger students who may not be developmentally
ready for this yet. Revision is also not mentioned in The Emergent Writing
Model, whereas it is the focus of Kucer’s strategies. Perhaps the Emergent
Writing Model is concerned with helping younger children just generate ideas
and is less concerned with the quality of ideas.
Proficient and Struggling Writers:
What do the
differences between proficient and less proficient writers mean for teaching in
primary grades?
The main difference between the proficient and struggling
writers is that proficient writers have a plan in their minds of where they
want their writing to end up. Teachers can implement brainstorming, webbing,
list-making activities to help students practice coming up with global ideas to
write about. I have also seen teachers who do daily, continual writing which
gets kids in the habit of coming up with writing topics on a regular basis.
Emphasizing the importance of getting out your ideas over correct spelling,
grammar, and punctuation is also a helpful teaching point for struggling writers.
Teacher should also teach the strategies listed in Table 8.9 and 8.10 to
help struggling writers overcome mental blocks. To avoid some of these mental
blocks, primary educators should also emphasize the process of writing, not
the stages. Hopefully this will help blocked writers to see writing as fluid
and dynamic instead of rigid steps. Modeling and thinking aloud the mental
processes associated with writing also helps struggling writers.
Discussion Questions:
1. One part of Kucer’s model of writing includes
situational dependency of writing. How do you implement this concept (writing
for different audiences, different purposes, and different forms) in this
classroom?
2. Do you believe the use of computers/technology
helps or hinders the writing process? What have you noticed in your experiences
in the classroom and with yourself?
3. What activities and strategies have you used or
seen to help struggling writers?
1. For young children I have a journal for each day of the week (abc, science, free write, and poetry). This was a way to introduce to young writers there are different purpose for writing. I also modeled writing letters/ dialogues on the giant post-it paper. We would write authors, principals, students, characters,etc. I demonstrated how to begin addressing those people and how how our language changes with each person.
ReplyDelete2. I didn't use computers to help assist writing because my students couldn't type. They did use computers for play or large group instruction. I think younger grades need to focus on the process and grammar of writing. When they are writing their final draft I think using the computer is a great tool. But for learning the process the students should have foundation of skills before going to an assisted computer program. All this changes when they are older and understand the process. They can then choose which strategies for writing work for them. Some students may draft on paper, while other use the computer.
3. For young children telling them it's okay to mess up is one of the best things you can say. Also explaining inventive spelling to children helps them realize they don't have to be perfect. I struggled a lot with just getting kids to write something on their paper, but after I hounded them to just get something on there the words came. I also used the emergent writing model to show parents and students where their child was on the continuum. This helped parents know that scribbling was actually writing. Children loved to see the progress they made. By showing them a sample at the beginning of the year and a mid semester writing, they could visibly see their improvement.
1. With my older kids, we talk about genres and the different types and purposes for writing. I think that this would work with younger children too. Teaching them that how they use language in different situations and with different people will help them to better grasp this concept. You teach the features for each type of writing, and explain how these guide meaning, and why they are different. Young children are very good imitators. I think that you can use imitation strategies that show them how to recreate the structure, organization, and language features
Delete2. In my personal experience, I think that computers can be helpful in the writing process. I think that my own writing process generally works better electronically. However, in the classroom, I believe that technology use should be postponed until children are more familiar with the writing process. This is more efficient if computer use for the writing process is delayed until students are proficient at typing. Young children need to develop their skills and processes before using the computer.
3. I agree with Kaitlin, I think that acknowledging that mistakes are okay, and that we can use these to learn. My hope is to encourage students to think about themselves and a variety of topics. I think that building up background knowledge is crucial to building up confidence. I think that focusing on content and positive aspects of a child's writing makes for a good foundation. Students need to know that writing is a process, and that growth is the goal. I also like to use sentence expanding activities and model texts.
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DeleteComprehensive, Jenny. Marti and Courtney, looking forward to your responses as well. Don't forget to address ideas Jenny has brought up as well as her questions.
Delete1. How I have taught situational dependency, or different purposes for writing to younger children, begins with reading. We read different kinds of pieces like correspondence, notes, lists, expository paragraphs, poems, etc. After children read different genres, those examples can be used for them as model texts to imitate in their own writing. I think reaidng and writing processes are intertwined, not separate. Young children understand certain obvious forms of print, like magazines, newspapers, notes, birthday cards, notes to Santa, and email. Using this as background knowledge, I have helped them draft pieces that are similar to the examples we find around us in the classroom and at home. The letters we write to Santa wouldn't contain the same kind of information that we'd include when we write about whales, for instance. Contrasting two types of writing genres helps, I think.
Delete2. Computers. Well. I have my opinions about them. I think using keyboarding skills and computers for writing should wait until little ones have developed fine motor skills to hold a pencil and write legibly. They need to understand about composition first, before they click away on a keyboard. I think a lot gets lost on a computer screen. Writing is thinking coming out of a pen, and there's something organic, authentic about taking a pencil to paper. I have known of older children (fourth grade and older) who have expressed themselves more freely on the computer keyboard, primarily because their handwriting and spelling skills are poor. In addition, there is access to many ways of presenting information on a computer, that's for sure. But, in relation to emergent writers, I would not use computers to teach them writing, no, whether it's handwriting or composition. (As an aside, I would like to do a study on older students using Dragon-Speak instead of handwriting, to compose text, and see if there truly is a difference in their writing/composition ability. This is an idea I'd like to develop further with Dr. Griffith.)
3. Struggling writers need many of the same kinds of strategies struggling readers do. For one thing, they need modeling. They need to see what they're being asked to produce so they have a clear understanding of the purpose of their writing. A second strategy is to use a high-interest purpose for writing. For instance, I've written letters to Santa with emergent writers and they simply glow with wonderment and excitement that someone (Santa!) will be reading their letters! A third idea is to use different kinds of writing implements and papers. It's amazing how much this influences a child's writing. So experimentation in this area is key, I think. I use a color-coded editing checklist, which is quite simple for emergent writers. This gets them into the habit of checking their own work and involves them with rubrics. There are a number of other ideas, but for the sake of space, I'll stop here. Those are some of the ideas I've tried with some degree of success, I love Nancie Atwell's style of teaching writing to writers of all ages, and one day I hope to be able to imitate her lessons.
I will post another comment shortly, comparing and contrasting last week's reading of text complexity to this week's readings. Need to take a break.
DeleteMarti,
DeleteI like how you use magazines and other environmental print and then you imitate the writing. I going to be using this idea! I also like how you said the reading and writing process are intertwined. For young children it's pretty easy to see how well they are reading based on their writing. This is a quick way to assess students writing and reading ability. It's clearly not a formal assessment therefore big decisions shouldn't be based on it.
I'm not familiar with Nancy Atwell but I'll be googling her later and learning about her methods!
Megan,
DeleteI think talking about the different text types is great! I need to definitely incorporate more of this in my teaching, even know children can benefit from this!
I also think computers help me with my writings, but, personally, I wasn't comfortable with using them until I had a solid foundation of the writing process. I still make an outline on paper before I begin writing. I'm old school, but working on converting over to the digital world. I still use a paper planner because I like to see and feel the paper. I know if I ever completely switched over I would see the benefit! But now that I write this I am thinking about how 3rd graders will have to take the test on the computer. This makes me think we should begin teaching the writing process even earlier with the computer. I'm still very torn by this issue. What do you guys think?
*young children can benefit.
DeleteI completely agree that emergent writers should learn the fine motor skills to write with pencil and paper. But, I also see the value in getting young children acquainted with computers and keyboarding skills quickly. My 5th graders come to me with ZERO keyboarding skills, and they really struggle when they type their essays and poems. I feel that keyboarding instruction should start in 2nd-3rd grade especially in this iPad generation. Though they are competent on touch screens, they are very unfamiliar with word processing.
DeleteOn computer-based testing, I have a favorable opinion. My 6th graders take the reading OCCT online. I have noticed over the last few years that these 6th graders do better in the computerized test because they find out their raw score at the end. Knowing that you will find out what you make at the end (opposed to 6 months later) is very motivating for them!
Marti,
DeleteWhat is Dragon-Speak? That sounds fascinating. As someone who struggled/struggles with handwriting, I am interested in learning about different methods.
I do think that students need to be taught how to type, navigate basic computer tasks, and to use the computer for the writing process. I think technology is going to continue to be part of children's lives at younger and younger age. I think that we should embrace this to a certain extent and use it to their advantage.
Dragon-Speak is a commercial computer program that allows the user to speak into a microphone, then it types what the person is saying. I can only imagine how helpfu it could be to children who have learning differences.
DeleteKaitlin, I love journaling. It's a great way to get children to open up and get comfortable with writing. What a cool idea to have different journals for different purposes or genres. That can clearly delineate the writing purpose --- great idea! It makes it concrete to little ones why they're writing and what they should be thinking about.
DeleteI agree with you that it's OK to let children know it's OK to mess up. Writing is very hard work.
I started keyboarding in kindergarten. I think it really helped me. Then throughout my years of school I used computer assisted programs to teach and drill keyboarding. One really cool thing I remember about learning computers and keyboarding was the special ed students taught us. The school system had worked a lot with using computers with these students and in return they buddy taught the younger kids! It was a neat program and I remember in in awe of how fast they typed.
DeleteI think scheduling bi-weekly computer classes starting in pre-k at the computer lab is a great idea. I did this with my kindergartens, our class time was scheduled right after a 5th grade class so they'd help get my kiddos signed on.
What a cool program that gave the special education students a way to contribute to the school! I think using older kids as mentors for lots of different writing and reading tasks, including keyboarding is an interesting area to research. A few of the articles I am reading mention using peer buddies and older buddies to help with writing feedback and reading comprehension.
DeleteKaitlin,
DeleteYES! I love that you encourage invented spelling. Any writing experience is good writing experience at that age. It was so hard for me while student teaching to not answer every students call for "how do you spell such and such"... but it was a lesson that I had to learn. We can see what students really know if they don't have our assistance, and then we can know where to focus instruction. :)
Dragon Speak sounds so cool!! I am also thinking about how we can use Siri in the classroom if we have even just one iPad. Students can talk to Siri and see how to spell words and have Siri define the words for them! Students can also say a sentence and it dictates it on the screen, so students can copy that sentence for their writing if they desire. Students can also check spelling of a sentence written without teacher assistance.
DeleteI completely agree with Marti's assertion that reading and writing are intertwined. Good readers are good writers. The use of mentor texts and teacher modeling of various texts are invaluable for both proficient and struggling readers.
ReplyDeleteSituational Dependency of Writing:
One genre I find easy to practice is thank you notes. Anytime we have parent volunteers for a field trip, test monitoring, or bringing treats I have the students write a thank you note as a class or individually. My colleague has students write a letter to the student of the week every week. The letters are bound in a book for the student of the week. Students must include certain grammar/usage/vocabulary concepts in their letter depending on what is being studied that week. This routine writing gives struggling writers practice each week and also introduces proper friendly letter writing procedures.
DeleteThat is a wonderful practice, Jenny! Thank you notes are becoming a lost art, but they are very important. It's really sweet that they do that for the student of the week; I'm sure those are treasured!
Such a good idea, Jenny. Thank you notes are such a lost art! Good for you! I'm going to do that, too.
DeleteAfter reading your ideas about using the computer, Megan and Jenny, I understand that they are here to stay and children need to learn to use them. I'm trying to adapt. Keyboarding skills are critical. I agree with that. I just think emergent writers, preschoolers, need to learn the old-fashioned way first. It's analagous to using a calculator but not learning to compute in math. There is definitely a place for computers in writing, I just think preschool and K are too young. They get all that at home (and in their SUV's!).
DeleteGratitude and writing practice! LOVE IT!
DeleteI think the kids really love writing to an audience that they know--whether it's a parent volunteer or a classmate. We should keep that in mind with all our writing assignments. We need to give the kids a specific audience, so the writing task seems authentic and necessary.
DeleteQuestion: Writer's Block is a real thing! How do you help your students overcome writer's block? Do you use the strategies Kucer mentioned? Or, do you have others?
ReplyDeleteHey Jenny! I know writer's block is real because I've experienced it! Ha! I think one of the best things for me is to let kids take a break. In my classroom, if possible, I want a corner with a bean bag chair that students can go to when they just need to get away from their desk for a minute. It shouldn't be looked at as a negative but rather a way for students to gather their thoughts (or gather themselves if they are having a difficult moment). Hopefully they can come back with a new idea or be a bit refreshed! Also I think we could encourage students to use ideas from books in the classroom!
DeleteOK, I've reviewed all three pieces --- Kucer's model of writing, the Emergent Writing model, and the former article we read on text complexity to see what the similarities and differences are.
ReplyDeleteAll three are theoretical models. Kucer adds to what other researchers (Flower, et. al.) began. He defines the writing model in terms of knowledge search, situational dependency, goals & plans, writing strategies, and evolving text, and expands it, as Jenny pointed out, to include all age writers. Generation of meaning is his model's primary aim of writing. Factors influencing the writing vary, and the writer's control varies.
The Emergent Model of writing is designed with young children in mind, as Jenny said. It was a complete study that included a large preschool population in Florida. This model wanted a way to evaluate emergent writing skills; so the goal of this model was not to see what meaning was generated, as Kucer's was, but to identify the steps needed so evaluation could happen. In addition, it was a longitudinal study that compared preschool writers with elementary writers. It did not include sociocultural factors as Kucer's clearly did.
The text complexity model was a conceptual essay, not a study. The authors reviewed research in an attempt to form the beginnings of a theory about understanding text complexity. They identified four variables ---read, activity, text, and sociocultural context --- as vital to understanding text complexity as it relates to the early grades. So the scope would include preschool and early elementary writers. These authors also took an existing study, as did Kucer, and extended it with their analysis.
Jenny, you did an excellent job on these pieces. Your synthesis was concise yet complete. Thank you for a job well done.
ReplyDeleteSuper job! Is there a model ya'll are more drawn to or that speaks to you more? For me it's the emergent model of writing. Since I've worked in young children I've seen these idea in action. Love to hear what you guys think.
DeleteThanks, guys! I am pretty committed to Flowers's model that goes through planning, writing, revising, and products. The thing I want to work on that Kucer mentioned is not making the Writing Process so rigid, and not making my students grow through each stage as a class (Ex: Prewriting Day, Editing and Revising day). Because I only have them for 45 minutes, I don't feel as much freedom to have Writer's Workshop where everyone works at their own pace. I feel like by the time I got that going, they would have 15 minutes before they switch classes.
DeleteBecause I've only had experience with older kids, I haven't been able to try my luck with the Emergent Writing Model. I do think it has great value for younger writers, especially when we don't expect them produce error free writing products/pieces. I also process big tasks into steps, which is why the Emergent Model seems hard to me. Too loosy goosy :)
1. One part of Kucer’s model of writing includes situational dependency of writing. How do you implement this concept (writing for different audiences, different purposes, and different forms) in this classroom?
ReplyDeleteI would probably teach each type of writing as it's own lesson. We could focus on formal letters one week (written to an authority figure). The next week we could focus on informal letters to a friend. The next week we could concentrate on poetry. The next week we could focus on a how-to writing, and so on. Kids need to know that writing is different depending on who it is for and its purpose. I think that breaking each type into its own lesson can help them develop this situational awareness for writing. I also think would be important to read books that follow the type of writing throughout the week!
2. Do you believe the use of computers/technology helps or hinders the writing process? What have you noticed in your experiences in the classroom and with yourself?
I think as long as students understand the difference between social and academic writing, technology can be a wonderful tool to learn about writing! I think we need to show students different types of writing. An example text might include "wanna come hang with sara n me". We could talk about what type of writing this is (informal), and when you would use this type of writing. We could even talk about what we could change in the text to make it more formal! We could also show them an example of an email that is more professional, such as an example email of one that I would send to my boss. We could then talk about why this type of writing is more appropriate.
I think that technology can be great for starting discussions about writing types and purposes!!
3. What activities and strategies have you used or seen to help struggling writers?
I think providing story prompts or sentence prompts can be helpful to get writings going when they don't know what to say. For the ones who have issues with spelling, word walls can be helpful for them to pick words and make sentences. I think that it all starts with exposure to text. This helps students learn components of sentences and vocabulary. Also, students need to see what good writing looks like! Copying words or sentences, although not original work, can help students learn writing habits! In the beginning stages, we need to encourage any sort of writing.
I like what you said about writing starts with exposure to various kinds of texts. I couldn't agree more. Mentor texts and classroom read alouds are invaluable resources to encourage and model ideas, modes, purposes, and the structure of writing.
DeleteThat's a good point that we can use technological/computer lingo as a starting point to discuss different kinds of writing. I like that idea.
ReplyDelete