Writing framework

1. TEACHER EDUCATION COURSE
PRIMARY | ANOS INICIAS DO ENSINO FUNDAMENTAL
A FRAMEWORK
FOR WRITING
LESSONS

2. The stages of a writing
lesson for primary learners:
1. Warm-up
2. Lead-in
3. Model analysis
4. Pre-writing
5. Writing

3. WARM-UP
A warm-up is a quick activity used at the beginning of the
lesson to get learners settled and in the mood for the lesson.
This usually a game or fun activity.
Careful:
A warm-up should not take longer than 5 minutes.

4. LEAD-IN
A lead-in is another quick activity used to set the context of
the lesson. This stage usually consists in:
● discussion questions;
● exploring pictures;
● using music clips or video snippets;
● working with realia;
● a quiz;
● an anecdote;
● etc.
Careful:
A lead-in should not take longer than 5 minutes.
A lead-in should not focus on language, but in the topic of
the lesson.

5. MODEL ANALYSIS
This involves exposing students to a model text of the genre they are
going to write. They can:
● answer simples questions about the content of the text;
● explore the language of the text;
● explore the structure of the text;
● explore the purpose of the text;
● etc.

6. PRE-WRITING
The main difficulty with writing activities is starting the
text, that is, going from nothing to something.
Sometimes students do not know what to write about,
or how to say what they want to. Students need to
spend some time thinking about what they are going
to write and how, and some activities are helpful in
this sense.
A few things you can do here are...

7. PRE-WRITING
• talk about the subject with the students, promote a
discussion;
• brainstorm key words that can be used in the
text;
• use pictures to elicit ideas and language that can
be used in the text;
• etc.
The activities can be controlled, guided or freer.

8. WRITING TASK
This is when students write the actual task. The activity can
be controlled, guided or freer.
Dos:
• focus on content first;
• make sure this springs natually from the previous work of
pre-writing and language;
• praise what students produce;
• encourage;
• display the material students create whenever possible;
• keep all the students’ writings.

9. WRITING TASK
Don’t:
• expect students to write something out of the blue
without lots of support and preparation;
• set writing as homework without preparation in class;
• correct all the mistakes you find, be selective;
• set work which is beyond students’ capabilities at the
moment.