Strengthening The Writing Link Between Classroom And The Home

 

An extensive national survey of ‘Writing Practices in Australian Primary Education, Years 1-6 ‘ conducted by Malpique, Valcan, Pasternak & Ledger, and published in May 2022, revealed, among other matters, the following information regarding writing’s links to the home environment and current teacher practices.

‘Results assessing reported teaching practices to extend writing to the home environment showed that the majority of teachers (64.8%) never asked students to write at home with the support of a parent/guardian. 

The majority of teachers (77.4%) also reported that they asked parents/guardians to read/share their children’s written work as infrequently as once a year, or never. The majority of teachers (63.9%) reported never, or infrequently encouraged writing, as a home task. 

Communicating with parents/guardians to discuss students’ writing performance and needs, was reported as an infrequent practice by the majority of participating teachers (71.9%). ‘

These practices are concerning and contrast markedly with the findings of Clark, C. (2016). ‘Children's and Young People's. Findings from the National Literacy Trust's annual literacy survey. London: National Literacy Trust.’ who found that 'Children who write at home are five times more likely to progress beyond school expectations in writing than those who don’t.' 

Clark's finding highlight a need for immediate action that addresses this glaring disconnect. -Action to enhance the authenticity of writing pedagogy. -Action that promotes a greater sense of agency and self efficacy among young writers.

I have encountered numerous young writers who wrote in multiple notebooks in order to overcome the limitations some schools impose on taking writer’s notebooks out of the classroom. One young writer had three notebooks, adopting the Goldilocks theory- small, medium and large. The large notebook was for school. The medium sized notebook was for writing at home and the small notebook was used exclusively to write poetry –at home. A most organized young writer.

Some schools have been proactive in setting up a Take Home Notebook initiative, where a dedicated writer’s notebook housed in a backpack, messenger bag, or briefcase, is taken home by individual class members on a rotating schedule. The notebook becomes a public document shared across that class. 

Entries in these class notebooks often display a pleasing diversity in subject matter and presentation. A diversity beyond individual notebook entries. Teachers have frequently remarked how the quality of writing recorded in the class notebook is often of a superior quality to that of individual notebooks. I suspect the answer lies in the public nature of the shared notebook. In some classes, one take home writing kit proved insufficient and a second kit had to introduced -such was the popularity of the kit and the urge to write in the notebook at home. 

I have written at length regarding this ‘school to home’ writing idea. Should educators be interested in implementing this initiative in their classroom, more information is available by following this link:

 Take Home Writing Kit.

The writer’s notebook has the potential to be the perfect bridge between school and home. Unfortunately, such portability is often discouraged. The notebook, in some classrooms is confined within those four walls. It is not allowed to leave that particular space. 

Some teachers become fearful of the notebooks not returning to class. I would contend that if the integrity surrounding notebooks is high, young writers will be more inclined to ensure their home writing efforts come to light, back in the classroom. Should the notebook fail to come back, then simply suggest to the writer that they write on a piece of paper and paste it, or transcribe it, into their notebook upon its return. 

Joyfulness descends when young writers articulate a desire to liberate their notebooks and take them out into the world. Requests to write in the playground, to take their notebook on holidays, or to take them home to continue a writing piece initiated in classroom are demonstrations of a compelling urge to write. Such urges deserve  enthusiastic support. These young writers are beginning to view writing as something more than a ‘school thing.’ Writing, like reading can be a form of portable magic. Writing breaks free of the classroom confines and is viewed as possessing something worth embracing for a range of purposes. 

This process of extending writing locations can begin by initially finding various writing locations around the school -inside and outside.  Writing in these various school locations makes an appeal to the senses as well as adding a different perspective to the writing that might emerge in the selected space.

It is when student writers begin to value the places from which they are from, that their writing changes. No doubt about it. They write about what they know, developing a voice possessed of increasing expertise. They write using words and grammatical conventions they understand, rather than trying to fit their ideas into some pre-ordained template.

Their writers’ voices become less contrived and they find it easier to write longer pieces, revealing greater understanding of the topics and issues addressed. They begin to connect to these topics because they can appreciate the real world surrounding their thoughts and they write in a space that is less likely to possess distractions.

When classroom discussions revolve around place, the writer with knowledge of that place becomes the expert. They begin to realize their writing matters. This empowers students as stakeholders within their writing community and strengthens a connection to a place. They may  may carry that connection with them, their entire lives. 

The home presents as an eminently suitable place to begin this transformative journey. It is a safe and familiar setting from which to begin thinking more broadly about writing. From home, the writer can begin to venture further afield. I would use the analogy of a stone being lobbed into a lake. The ripples move out from the centre, just as the writing focus moves out from the home as the base.

Erin Donovan, from Coastal Carolina University reported on ‘Learning the Language of Home: Using Place-based Writing Practice to Help Rural Students Connect to Their Communities.’ 

Donovan noted, ‘Increasing the amount of time students spend writing, both at home and school, has significant implications for improving writing outcomes. Providing students with many and different opportunities to write builds familiarity with the writing process. If students are comfortable with writing, they are likely to become stronger, better writers.’

Some benefits of writing beyond the classroom:

 It makes learning more engaging. 
 It increases the relevance of learning. 
 It nurtures creativity and imagination. 
 It develops learning through experimentation. 
 It exposes young writers to new opportunities and possibilities for writing.
 It broadens the scope of possible writing locations and ideas.
 It nurtures awareness of environments and wider surroundings.

Alan j Wright