Beginning Writers in the Zone of Proximal Development

Beginning Writers in the Zone of Proximal Development

Author: Elizabeth Petrick-Steward

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2012-10-12

Total Pages: 279

ISBN-13: 1136478752

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How do young children bridge the gap between "writing" a story with pictures and writing with words? How children learn to use written words to tell a story is a topic important to both cognitive development and early literacy instruction. Using the theoretical framework developed by Vygotsky, the behavior of a group of prekindergarten children as they author two consecutive pieces of writing is analyzed. The children tell their stories at first with spoken words and pictures. As they discuss their work-in-progress in public conferences, they discover how to build on and combine existing skills to produce a new skill -- telling stories with written words. Current descriptive and theoretical perspectives on beginning writing are presented in this volume, with a particular focus on Vygotsky's concept of the zone of proximal development, a period of sensitivity in which learning advances. The proposed mechanism of change is verbal mediation -- talk among peers and teachers as they discuss work-in-progress -- which moves the children through the zone of proximal development. An open, whole-language approach to literacy instruction makes the classroom in this book an ideal arena in which to observe verbal mediation in operation. Children are free to question, criticize and argue; and in the process they collectively advance their developing ability to use written language. The work is unique in that the rich and comprehensive data record is reproduced in its entirety. More than 400 illustrations of the children's products -- two "books" apiece, pictured before and after the children's revisions -- are included, along with transcripts of the conferences about each of the pages, permitting direct observation of the effects of verbal mediation. This dynamic study documents change during a period of time when specific learning is occurring, and provides strong support for the value and power of Vygotsky's theoretical framework.


Beginning Writers in the Zone of Proximal Development

Beginning Writers in the Zone of Proximal Development

Author: Elizabeth Petrick-Steward

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2012-10-12

Total Pages: 280

ISBN-13: 1136478825

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How do young children bridge the gap between "writing" a story with pictures and writing with words? How children learn to use written words to tell a story is a topic important to both cognitive development and early literacy instruction. Using the theoretical framework developed by Vygotsky, the behavior of a group of prekindergarten children as they author two consecutive pieces of writing is analyzed. The children tell their stories at first with spoken words and pictures. As they discuss their work-in-progress in public conferences, they discover how to build on and combine existing skills to produce a new skill -- telling stories with written words. Current descriptive and theoretical perspectives on beginning writing are presented in this volume, with a particular focus on Vygotsky's concept of the zone of proximal development, a period of sensitivity in which learning advances. The proposed mechanism of change is verbal mediation -- talk among peers and teachers as they discuss work-in-progress -- which moves the children through the zone of proximal development. An open, whole-language approach to literacy instruction makes the classroom in this book an ideal arena in which to observe verbal mediation in operation. Children are free to question, criticize and argue; and in the process they collectively advance their developing ability to use written language. The work is unique in that the rich and comprehensive data record is reproduced in its entirety. More than 400 illustrations of the children's products -- two "books" apiece, pictured before and after the children's revisions -- are included, along with transcripts of the conferences about each of the pages, permitting direct observation of the effects of verbal mediation. This dynamic study documents change during a period of time when specific learning is occurring, and provides strong support for the value and power of Vygotsky's theoretical framework.


What's Next for This Beginning Writer?

What's Next for This Beginning Writer?

Author: Janine Reid

Publisher: Pembroke Publishers Limited

Published: 2012

Total Pages: 145

ISBN-13: 1551382741

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This book starts with an inclusive definition of writing and suggests simple ways to introduce students to the purpose of writing. It discusses the key relationship between reading and writing, and the importance of oral language in building strong writers. Based on the work of real K-2 students, the book shows teachers how to interpret student work, identify what they know, and build naturally on the strengths their work displays. it argues for consistent teaching that includes a delicate balance between direct instruction and independent learning. Children will thrive as writers if they experience success. This book offers the tools teachers need to put that success in the hands of every young writer.


The Bloomsbury Handbook of Early Childhood Transitions Research

The Bloomsbury Handbook of Early Childhood Transitions Research

Author: Aline-Wendy Dunlop

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2024-09-19

Total Pages: 621

ISBN-13: 1350109142

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Research into early childhood transitions has become a field in its own right. It is increasingly understood that a positive start in any new setting can influence the child's engagement, sense of belonging, well-being, progression in learning, and agency, and may be dependent on the insight of educators and families, and yet there is no research methodology or research methods book dedicated to this growing field of study. Including 27 chapters written by researchers from the UK, New Zealand, the USA, Sweden, Iceland, Australia and Canada this handbook presents an overview of the field exploring its current debates, reflects on its history, and offers suggestions for the future of the field. This book is an essential reference point for anyone studying or undertaking research into transitions in early childhood.


Learning for Life in the 21st Century

Learning for Life in the 21st Century

Author: Gordon Wells

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons

Published: 2008-04-15

Total Pages: 320

ISBN-13: 0470752084

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United by the belief that the most significant factor in shaping the minds of young people is the cultural setting in which learning takes place, the twenty eminent contributors to this volume present new thinking on education across the boundaries of school, home, work and community.


Transitions to School - International Research, Policy and Practice

Transitions to School - International Research, Policy and Practice

Author: Bob Perry

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2013-11-04

Total Pages: 301

ISBN-13: 9400773501

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This book provides an important compilation and synthesis of current work in transition to school research. The book focuses strongly on the theoretical underpinnings of research in transition to school. It outlines key theoretical positions and connects those to the implications for policy and practice, thereby challenging readers to re-conceptualize their understandings, expectations and perceptions of transition to school. The exploration of this range of theoretical perspectives and the application of these to a wide range of research and research contexts makes this book an important and innovative contribution to the scholarship of transition to school research. A substantial part of the book is devoted to detailed examples of transition to school practice. These chapters provide innovative examples of evidence-based practice and contribute in turn, to practice-based evidence. The book is also devoted to considering policy issues and implications related to the transition to school. It records a genuine, collaborative effort to bring together a range of perspectives into a Transition to School Position Statement that will inform ongoing research, practice and policy. The collaborative, research, policy and practice based development of this position statement represents a world-first.


Varied Voices

Varied Voices

Author: Linda Lonon Blanton

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2012-11-12

Total Pages: 194

ISBN-13: 1136504427

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"I can say with certainty that this book will add a compelling sense of depth and texture to the existing body of research in first and second language literacy." --Patricia Richard-Amato, California State University at Los Angeles Varied Voices is an ethnographic study of language and literacy learning in a culturally and linguistically diverse Moroccan school. There, children and teachers turn classrooms into social spaces as they work to build learning communities. Suitable for MATESOL courses and in-service training, Varied Voices is a must-read for all instructors working with language minority students at the elementary and secondary school levels.


Basic Tools for Beginning Writers

Basic Tools for Beginning Writers

Author: Betty Schultze

Publisher: Pembroke Publishers Limited

Published: 2008

Total Pages: 143

ISBN-13: 1551382210

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This practical book offers effective and creative activities that help young students master the skills they need to grow as writers. Among the topics discussed, the book thoroughly explores the important beginning steps, such as: putting pencil to paper;identifying and printing letters of the alphabet; exploring sound-symbol matches. Basic Tools for Beginning Writers recognizes that story and image are good ways to introduce students to concepts. The making of a simple word such as "go" is told as a story, the combining of onsets with rhymes seen as a slide, and the learning of the alphabet is shown as a rap or jive. Game formats designed to stimulate learning incorporate all aspects of language--talk, phonemes, words, and sentences. Throughout the book, teachers will find "Making It Simpler" and "Increasing the Challenge" sections to help adapt activities to the needs of both struggling and more accomplished students. Teachers will find many opportunities to incorporate essential skills in everyday routines that range from the four stages of the Morning Message to techniques for promoting printing, writing and reading in learning centers.


Apprenticeship in Literacy

Apprenticeship in Literacy

Author: Linda Dorn

Publisher: Taylor & Francis

Published: 2023-10-10

Total Pages: 240

ISBN-13: 1003838944

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Grounded in social and cognitive learning theories, the second edition of Apprenticeship in Literacy: Transitions Across Reading and Writing, K-4 still details the seven principles of apprenticeship learning and helps K -4 teachers implement and assess guided reading, assisted writing, literature discussion groups, word study lessons, and literacy centers across an integrated curriculum. The new edition also features the following: Updated research emphasizing the importance of early reading as a road map for successInformation on how behaviors, from emergent to fluent, align to the Common Core State StandardsDozens of new classroom examples-;students' work, photographs, transcripts, teacher-student conferences, and reproducible resourcesLanguage prompts that promote self-regulated learnersSchedules for implementing a workshop framework in whole-group, small-group, and one-to-one settingsSuggestions for incorporating information texts into a balanced literacy programStronger emphasis on the importance of the writing processAdditional ideas on establishing routines and organizing the classroomThe theme of apprenticeship in literacy resonates throughout the book: children learn from teachers and teachers learn from one another as they promote children's transfer of knowledge across multiple contexts. The final chapter provides real-world examples of teachers working together to ensure that all children become literate.Since its original publication in 1998, Apprenticeship in Literacy has become a teacher favorite, covering all aspects of a balanced literacy program in an integrated manner and showing how all components are differentiated to address the needs of diverse learners. An apprenticeship approach to literacy emphasizes the role of the teacher in providing demonstrations, engaging children, monitoring their understanding, providing timely support, and ultimately withdrawing that support as the child gains independence.