Grade 7: W r i t i n g Philiosophy Our first language is learned orally. Later we learn to read and write. It is important to follow the same process when teaching and learning a second language. When I introduce a new grammatical structure to the students, I provide lots of opportunities for them to become familiar and proficient with the new structure orally before I expect them to begin to use it effectively in their writing. So, we do lots of talking and play oral games often. The repetition of games helps students develop correct habits when speaking. Once the students become familiar with new grammatical rules, they are ready to apply these skills to their writing. Writing Process It is important that students value the writing process. Even the most famous novelists, essayists and poets throughout history have spent much time and energy revising, editing, changing and improving their works. The writing process includes pre-writing, drafting, revising, proofreading and publishing. The image below provides more information.  Writing Conference A writing conference is a conversation between a teacher and a student about a piece of writing. The dialogue may include discussion of style, organization, creativity, vocabulary, voice, audience, grammatical accuracy, spelling. It is a time in which the student's questions can be answered and writing technique can be improved. I require each student to have a writing conference with me for each writing assignment. Some students value conferences and make time for 2 or 3 conferences for each writing piece. Role of Teacher / Role of Student Unlike many other teachers, I do not usually circle or underline errors in pieces of writing that my students are submitting for evaluation. I have found when I make it a habit of identifying their mistakes, that they never refine their editing skills. They soon conclude that it is my job to point out the mistakes, and theirs to fix the mistakes. I find it more profitable to give an individualized mini-lesson to each student based on mistakes that he or she makes often. This enables them to avoid the error in the future and equips them to edit more independently. Some students like me to count the errors in a certain paragraph or on a certain page or even on every line. Others prefer to ask specific questions about sentences that they are struggling with. Having said all that, I am very willing to help student in their writing by circling errors on writing pieces that they are not handing in for evaluation. A short paragraph, for example, can be submitted to me at any time. I will circle the errors and help the student understand the errors and how to correct them. Family Members who Help at Home I would ask that if there are family members who help my students with their writing, that they follow the same process that I have outlined above. It is most beneficial to be consistent. Providing explanations, answering questions and counting errors are useful tools to help students internalize grammatical structures. My experience tells me that circling their errors for them does not help them gain the independence that we are striving for. I liken this to a Math test. We would agree that it is not appropriate for a parent to sit beside a child during a test and make corrections or even point out errors. A major writing piece is like a Math test: it is a showcase of the child's writing skills at a given time. Two or Three Pieces per Term Students in my classroom will be evaluated on 2 or 3 writing pieces per term. When I say that they are "major" I do not mean long. It is important for me that students write concisely and accurately . In fact, writing long pieces in a second language promotes writing whose quality is weakened, both grammatically and thematically. It is difficult to sustain a refined quality of writing in a second language. Students will write often for all their subjects in French, whether it be a Geography project, a History reflection or Math Journal entry. These activities will not usually be evaluated for writing skills. Peer Editing I do not encourage peer editing of written work for several reasons. First of all, I have observed that the strongest students often do not have time for their own writing as many students ask them for help. Secondly, students sometimes are convinced that they are helping, when in fact, their "editing" creates more errors than in corrects. Finally, students find it easier to have others correct their work than to improve in their own writing. That being said, in structured settings, I have students help one another improve in their writing by reading each other's work. They often give feedback on organization, creativity and vocabulary. This helps students set goals for their writing in the future and ultimately improves thier writing in French. Evaluation Students in Monsieur Stuart's class are evaluated for several criteria on their major writing pieces. The most important sections are the three in the middle: Grammar and Spelling, Vocabulary, Organization and Content. The first and last sections (Writing Process and Use of Resources) are also important, but they serve more as an indication as to why the other marks are as they are. If a student does not follow the writing process carefully, or is not adept at editing or the use of resources such as dictionaries and verb books, then the grammar, spelling, vocabulary and organization of the writing will be poor.  ResourcesDictionary: It is useful for students to have a French-English dictionary. I would suggest that the students do not purchase a small dictionary. Whereas a small dictionary may be useful to check up on spelling and gender of common words, it will not likely provide much in the way of specific vocabulary or idiomatic expressions that we often use in grade seven French Immersion. Verb book: The Bescherelle is the most famous verb book. It is very good, but is also complicated to use. There are others that are simpler to use such as 501 French Verbs fully conjugated. I like this resource because it provides many useful tools such as English definitions, similar verbs, expressions that include the verb in question as well as a number of other useful resources. Online resources: Click here to go to my Inquiry / Enquete webpage. Suggestions Students who struggle with writing in French are not unusual. Even Francophones find it difficult to master the grammatical rules of the language. Here are few suggestions to help students improve.
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