Becoming curious about cats: A collaborative writing project
Citation
Export citationDix, S. & Amoore, L. (2010). Becoming curious about cats: A collaborative writing project. Australian Journal of Language & Literacy, 33(2), 134-150.
Permanent Research Commons link: https://hdl.handle.net/10289/4141
Abstract
Students’ interests and achievement in writing are often debated and located in theoretical and pedagogical arguments. These issues can polarise understandings of effective teaching practice. This article describes one teacher’s classroom practice in a New Zealand primary school. It outlines a collaborative project between a local teacher and a university lecturer. The two educators were concerned about political and educational changes and the influence this had on teachers’ writing pedagogy. They were concerned about the differences between the children’s reading and writing achievement evident in this year three classroom. As researchers they were keen to explore the ‘power of literature’ as a way of enriching children’s oral and written language experiences. The writers argue that by using quality literature in the classroom, with an explicit focus on authors’ literary techniques, students develop an awareness of how authors craft and construct texts. The young writers were apprenticed to experts and developed a metalanguage, which enhanced their own writing skills.
Date
2010Type
Publisher
Australian Literacy Educators' Association
Rights
This article has been published in the journal: Australian Journal of Language & Literacy. © 2010 Australian Journal of Language & Literacy.
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- Education Papers [1422]