How Children Grow as Writers: Understanding the Stages

HOW CHILDREN GROW AS
WRITERS
JAMES EVANGELISTA ROBISON
(PRESENTER)

Stages of Writing Development
• Kindergarten
• First Grade
• Second Grade
• Third Grade
• Middle Grades

How does a child get to know writing
• Environment
• Printed materials
• (newspapers, magazines, journals, books)
• Labels
• (food wrappers, bottles, boxes)
• Signage
• (street signs, building names)
• People
• Family members
• Neighbors
• Teachers
• Technology
• Cellphone
• Television
• Computers
• Internet access

Early writing and why it matters
• Early writing, often used synonymously with the term emergent writing,
encompasses the following:
• (a) the manual act of producing physical marks (i.e., mechanics),
• (b) the meanings children attribute to these markings (i.e., composition), and
• (c) understandings about how written language works (i.e., orthographic
knowledge; Berninger, 2009).
• Although mechanics and composition are important features of early writing, we
focus our attention on orthographic knowledge—how children's marks reflect
growing understandings of the writing system.
• These understandings include both general conventions (e.g., print goes from left
to right on a page) and understandings of specific features (e.g., speech can be
represented by individual sounds, which can be written down using letters).
• We use the term early writing to refer to children's representations of their
knowledge about the writing system (i.e., orthographic knowledge).
• Early writing is one of the best predictors of children's later reading success
(National Early Literacy Panel [NELP], 2008).
• Early writing is part of a set of important foundational literacy skills that serve as
necessary precursors to conventional reading (Whitehurst & Lonigan, 1998),
including developing understandings of both print (i.e., print concept and alphabet
knowledge) and sound (i.e., phonological awareness).

Early writing and why it matters
• Print knowledge includes general understandings of how print works (e.g., left-to-
right directionality) and the names and sounds of the alphabet.
• Knowledge about sound, or phonological awareness, includes the ability to attend
to and manipulate sound structure of language, progressing from awareness of
larger chunks (e.g., sentences, rhyme, beginning sounds) to blending and
segmenting individual units of sound (i.e., phonemic awareness)
• for example, the word cat is made up of /c/, /a/, and /t/
• As children integrate their knowledge of print and sound, they begin to grasp the
alphabetic principle, a critical achievement in early literacy.
• The alphabetic principle is the understanding that oral language is made up of
smaller sounds and that letters represent those sounds in a systematic way.
• Children can grow in their understanding of how print and sound work
together through experimenting with writing.
• Writing serves as a type of laboratory, in which even very young children are
actively creating and testing hypotheses about how writing works (Bissex,
1980).
• Children notice print in their environment and use their experiences to invent
and revise ideas about the rules that govern writing, “cracking the code” of
literacy one piece at a time.

• Preschool to Kindergarten
• Stage 1
• Random scribbling (ages 2-3)
• Child makes random contact with the paper and exhibits little
muscular control.
• Stage 2
• Controlled scribbling (age 3)
• Pretend writing is produced as child scribbles across paper in a linear
fashion. Patterns may be repeated over and over. Shows increased
muscular control.
• Stage 3
• Mock writing (ages 3-4)
• Writing includes letter-like forms, often arranged in groups or word-
like strings. Mock letters may include characteristics of familiar letters
but may be misshapen, combined, reversed, or inverted. Children
often write for a purpose, and a distinction is made between drawing
and writing.

• Stage 4
• Writing letters (ages 4-5)
• Children name and write recognizable letters, although letters are
frequently reversed. They write their names and other words that
have personal meaning. These writers show an awareness that
letters match sounds.
• Stage 5
• Writing words (ages 5-6)
• Using inventive spelling, children group letters to write many words.
Mature writing grip has developed. Children write letters, including
lowercase letters more smoothly and automatically. Dominant hand
and use of other hand are well-developed.

• First Grade
• Students in first grade develop all aspects of their English language arts skills
through daily exposure and practice.
• In Grade 1, students strengthen their understanding of how print connects with
spoken language.
• First grade students understand that spoken language is composed of
sequences of sounds and that letters represent the sounds.
• In first grade, students can recite the letters of the alphabet in correct order
and know the sounds associated with each letter.
• It’s this knowledge of the common letter-sound correspondences that
helps students “decode” written words or figure out words as they read.
• First grade students listen to, read, and respond to a wide variety of children’s
literature, including stories, poems, and nonfiction, and begin to connect their
experiences with information presented in print.

• First Grade…
• First graders are able to read easy books by themselves.
• First graders also become writers.
• Students learn to differentiate between words, sentences, and
paragraphs, and are able to write complete sentences using subjects and
verbs, basic capitalization, and punctuation.
• Students develop the ability to write brief compositions that describe and
explain familiar objects, people, places, events, or experiences.
• In 1st grade, students are taught a large number of high-frequency words and
their vocabulary increases significantly.
• Penmanship control also increases, and students become proficient at printing
letters.
• They are noisy writers—they talk as they write and try out or rehearse what
they want to say.

• First Grade…
• They enjoy the writing process more than the output.
• They are prolific writers.
• They write more about themselves rather than others.
• They get to write about:
• Television programs
• Toys
• Personal experiences
• Foods
• Places

• Second Grade
• By second grade, most students can read and write at a basic level. They
tackle more and more texts in and out of the classroom as they work to
become rapid and accurate readers.
• At this stage children also become better story writers as they learn to write
basic sentences and short narratives about an event or a character.
• Children’s handwriting often becomes smaller and neater, and the cursive
alphabet may be introduced.
• Second graders may experiment with different voices, writing some stories
from a personal viewpoint, and others in the third person.
• They more frequently use the correct spelling of words that they know, and
use punctuation more regularly.

• Second Grade…
• Second graders are polishing a wide range of basic writing skills, including
writing legibly, using capitalization and punctuation correctly (most of the time),
and moving from invented spelling to more accurate spelling.
• For most, handwriting becomes automatic, so they can concentrate more on
the content of their writing rather than on the mechanics.
• Second graders can organize their writing to include a beginning, middle, and
end.
• They can write a simple essay with a title and introductory sentence, provide
examples and details that support their main concept, and write a concluding
sentence.
• They start to write for an audience.
• They are interested in the output and spend more time revising and editing.

• Second Grade…
• Second graders’ written outputs tend to be less creative and interesting than
those of the first graders.
• They should overcome the dilemma in identifying, choosing, and exploring
topics.
• They write precisely and in details.
• Gone, for the most part, are the phonetic spellings with missing vowels
between consonants — “ct” for cat and “becs” for because, for example — that
characterize “invented spelling.”
• Instead, they will learn to correctly use and spell irregular plural nouns
(e.g. mice and feet) and the past tense of irregular verbs (e.g. hid, sat, told).
• They will begin to understand the concept of root words and how a word’s
meaning can be modified by adding a prefix (e.g. happy/unhappy) or suffix
(e.g. clear/clearly) and how words can be combined to create compound
words (e.g. lamppost and playground).

• Third Grade
• During third grade, children are really flexing their “idea” muscles and learning
to express those ideas in more sophisticated ways.
• Sentences are getting longer and more complex.
• Kids are learning to use a dictionary to correct their own spelling.
•
• Grammar improves; for example, you'll see appropriate punctuation,
contractions, and correct subject-verb agreement.
• Third graders can write an essay with a simple thesis statement, examples
and supporting details, and a thoughtful concluding sentence.
• They are building skills in the writing process — research, planning,
organizing, revising, and editing (with help from teachers and peers).

• Third Grade…
• Some third-graders may find the prospect of planning and writing an entire
paragraph daunting, but with the proper instruction and tools at their disposal,
they’ll be paragraph pros in no time.
• Third graders learn what it takes to be a good reader. They have a better
handle on what to do when they don’t understand a word or passage, like
looking at pictures in a book for clues. They’ll often discuss books in small
groups and ask questions about what they’re reading. They’ll summarize and
use graphs to organize their thoughts about the books they read.
• Third graders also learn organizational methods that help them prepare for
more complex writing assignments.
• They’ll create maps, webs, and Venn diagrams (diagrams used to
compare and contrast two things) to plan their work.
• They’ll write reports, creative fiction, and personal narratives.
• They’ll also be asked to take more responsibility for the writing process,
including revising, editing, and proofreading.

• Third Grade…
• Third grade students write more independently than in any previous grade and
spend significant blocks of time engaged in writing on their own, as well as in
assigned projects.
• Students hone their paragraph writing skills and write multi-paragraph
compositions.
• Students learn to organize their work using a beginning, middle, and end,
focusing on sequence of events.
• Students are also taught to use descriptive detail and literary devices, such as
dialogue, point of view, and figurative language (metaphors and similes).
• Third-graders continue to expand their knowledge of grammar, spelling, and
mechanics, as well as how to evaluate writing and conduct research.

• Third Grade…
• Students write in different forms for different purposes, and communicate with
different audiences.
• Students write compositions that describe and explain familiar objects, events, and
experiences.
• Narrative: Students provide a context for the action; include well-chosen
details to develop the plot; and offer insight into why the incident is
memorable.
• Descriptive: Students use concrete sensory details to present and support
unified impressions of people, places, things, or experiences.
• Informational/Expository: Students write summaries, rules, procedures,
recipes, notes/messages, labels, and lists.
• Persuasive: Students write persuasive text (e.g., advertisement, paragraph)
that attempts to influence the reader.
• Personal and formal letters, thank-you notes, and invitations: Students
show an awareness of the audience and establish a purpose and context.
• Creative (e.g., short stories, poetry, skits, lyrics): Students may employ
figurative language (e.g., simile, onomatopoeia), rhythm, dialogue,
characterization, plot, and appropriate format.

• Middle Grades
• Writing with a greater understanding of the writing process, fourth-graders are able
to select a focus, an organizational structure, and a point of view based upon
purpose, audience, and length of assignment.
• Their writing takes on style and voice.
• Writing is assigned in all subject areas, and by the end of fourth grade, students
should be able to write clearly and effectively including using complete paragraphs,
transitional sentences, and a theme throughout the composition.
• Fourth grade students learn to write a five-paragraph essay and continue to
expand upon their knowledge of grammar, spelling, and mechanics, as well as how
to evaluate writing and conduct research.
• Students write compositions that describe and explain familiar objects, events, and
experiences.

• Middle Grades…
• Fifth grade students refine and build upon previously learned knowledge and skills
in increasingly complex, multiple-paragraph essays.
• Essays by fifth-graders contain formal introductions, ample supporting evidence,
and conclusions.
• Students learn writing techniques and experiment with various types of essay leads
(e.g., an astonishing fact, a dramatic scene).
• As they learn different techniques and write for different purposes, their writing
takes on style and voice.
• Fifth grade students use every phase of the writing process and continue to build
their knowledge of writing conventions.

• Sixth grade students are expected to produce cohesive, coherent, and error-free
multi-paragraph essays on a regular basis.
• Sixth-graders write essays of increasing complexity containing formal introductions,
ample supporting evidence, and conclusions.
• Students select the appropriate form and develop an identifiable voice and style
suitable for the writing purpose and the audience.
• Sixth grade students’ writing should demonstrate a command of standard
American English and writing skills such as organizing ideas, using effective
transitions, and choosing precise wording.
• Students in the middle grades manifest considerable individual variation in their
development.

• They develop the ability to read, to reread, to reflect on their writings, and to revise
and edit them.
• They are more in control of how are they going to write a specific output.
• They can write in different perspectives.

How do they develop as writers throughout and
how to help them be better?
•They all move through and come across all phases of the writing process such as:
• Prewriting
• Composing
• Revising
• Editing/proofreading
•Their progress, growth, and development in writing vary because of the following
factors:
• World (changes through time)
• Reasoning (purpose)
• Intelligence (mental capacity)
• Time or Technology
• Environment (objects, places, and people around them)
•Parents and teachers must always reinforce them with necessary activities which
would develop their skills and maintain their interests. (conferences, games, reward
approach, interactive activities with the integration of ICT or multimedia resources)

REFERENCES
• http://www.themeasuredmom.com/stages-of-writing-development-help-kids-move/
• http://www.readingrockets.org/article/how-do-i-write-scaffolding-preschoolers-early-
writing-skills
• http://ywcanb.org/2016/04/stages-of-early-writing-development/
• http://www.pbs.org/parents/education/going-to-school/grade-by-grade/second/
• https://www.greatschools.org/gk/articles/second-grade-writing/
• http://www.readingrockets.org/looking-at-writing/third-grade-writing-sample-1
• https://www.time4writing.com/writing-resources/writing-standards/third-grade/

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