This week I gave my students their first lined book. They’ve only been at school for a total of eleven weeks so it’s early. We usually use dotted thirds in my area of Australia, but this year I decided to give my students plain lines before dotted thirds and earlier in the year. Some teachers might question these very young children using lines at all, but as a number of students are writing more than one sentence they actually need a line to encourage them to not confuse one sentence with another. I was wondering how they would handle lines but they loved it. Very grown up… and if they don’t sit their letters on the line it really doesn’t matter. They will eventually.
What will the children understand, know and be able to do? WALT – We are learning to… Short, sharp and focussed
- Write a simple text – personally significant
- Write for their own purpose & share
- Use their understanding of the alphabet and its sound system when writing
- Use conventional letters ( transfer of taught letters)
- Use some simple punctuation i.e. full stop, and capital letters with understanding
- Begin to talk about how writing is used to share or note ideas, feelings and information
- Understand the purpose of their writing
- Form letters correctly – transfer of taught letter and letter families
- write a simple Recount / Information text
Independent Journal Writing Samples – a range is shown here.
The children were introduced to their first sequencing scaffold i.e. On Saturday…On Sunday… This is helping to extend their writing. My students are all travelling their own journey but all are moving forward and I can see the transfer of teaching and learning into their writing. I’m revisiting the Early Years Literacy strategies and would say to everyone keep revisiting – Modelled Writing, Shared Writing, Interactive Writing, Guided Writing & Independent Writing.
Cheers Nina
Nina Davis: Teaching & Learning in Australia 
