Writing Convention

1. Jeaninne Joy M. Narte
Writing Conventions
OVERVIEW of writing conventions
 Writing conventions are the mechanics of writing, like capitals, punctuation, and
handwriting. When students can apply these mechanics without effort, they are able to
give their attention to the higher order aspects of writing like idea generation and word
choice. For students to communicate their ideas effectively in writing, they need to be
taught how to use writing conventions effectively.
TEACHING writing conventions
 Students benefit from explicit instruction in writing conventions, including letter
formation and punctuation and capitalization rules. Modeling is one effective tool in
which teachers verbalize their thought processes about writing conventions while they
write. Statements to use during modeling might include “I know that I need to put a
capital letter here because I’m starting a new sentence.”
ASSESSING writing conventions
 One of the best ways to assess students' knowledge of writing conventions is to look at
their writing. By doing so, teachers can observe students' use of punctuation and capitals,
and the size, spacing, and legibility of their printing. It is also helpful to watch students
write during small group instruction. Observe the way students form letters, since letter
formation is as important as neatness, and monitor student progress throughout the
school year.
What the experts say about writing conventions:
If students are to become good writers, we need to help them become strategic,
knowledgeable, and motivated writers who are not hampered by inefficient or faulty
transcription and sentence construction skills.
~ Steve Graham
When students let the reader know to pause or stop at punctuation, it’s a head nod. When they
use accurate spelling, it’s a big smile. A capital letter used correctly is the equivalent of direct
eye contact that urges the reader to keep going. When conventions are used incorrectly, or not
at all, it baffles the reader.
~ Ruth Culham
Children use writing to share information with others. By watching an adult write, they are
introduced to the conventions of writing.
~ Derry Koralek & Ray Collins
What are Writing Conventions?

2. The phrase “writing conventions” may sound unfamiliar to some, but everyone knows what
they are when they see them.
The four pillars include:
a. spelling
b. grammar
c. punctuation
d. capitalization
Spelling
Spelling has taken some serious hits in the era of the internet. While it’s a cause for concern to
some, others don’t pay too much attention to it.
 You’ve probably read a misspelled tweet or text message without flinching. That’s
because, according to research, as long as the first and last letter of the word is at the
correct place, the reader will be able to understand the text.
Punctuation
Imagine if you’re reading: “I don’t know what I’m reading how about you do you think she
knows.” That’s is not an easy string of text to follow. How many sentences are there? Where do
they begin, and where do they end?
 You would have to apply extra effort to understand what the person who wrote it was
trying to say. Punctuation gives you pause and provides rhythm to reading and writing.
Correct punctuation also dictates the intonation.
Capitalization use
Of course, you should know that you need to capitalize people’s names and rivers and mountains.
But capitalization is often confusing when you’re supposed to write a title or indicate something
unique in the text. Topic sentences can be a bit confusing here too.
 However, that doesn’t mean that you should randomly distribute capital letters. And one
of the most important rules to follow here is to always capitalize the first letter of a
sentence.
Grammar use
There are many uses of grammar, and it would probably take an eBook to highlight them all. But
one of the more frequent areas of grammar is the definite and indefinite article distribution.
 For people with a degree in English language, this can often be a sore spot. But for people
who are learning English as their second language, that can be a downright nightmare.
 However, for making your sentences sound smoother and more accurate, learning where
to place articles is vital.
Punctuation use
Punctuation matters because it helps us understand the exact meaning of a sentence. And as we
know, a misplaced or omitted punctuation can drastically alter the meaning.
 Commas allow you to pause and quickly absorb the information. A dash, for example,
indicated a significant break in the thought of a sentence. One thing to keep note of is
that the comma is often used improperly. If you expect to be able to follow proper writing
conventions, knowing how to use a comma is about the first thing you should learn.
 And quotation marks are also relevant because they signify direct speech. Adding the right
punctuation mark in the right place can make all of the difference.
References:
https://www.oise.utoronto.ca/balancedliteracydiet/Writing_Conventions.html#:~:text=Writing%20conventions
%20are%20the%20mechanics,idea%20generation%20and%20word%20choice.
https://codeless.io/writing-conventions/