Writing by Me

Every beginning writer needs an opportunity to scribble and have us attribute meaning and assume competence.

There is an increasing amount of information about supporting early emergent and emergent students to develop as writers – and an understanding that this scribbling doesn’t have to happen with traditional pens and pencils for writing development to occur.

Here is a presentation from the 2019 Angelman UK Communication and Literacy Conference where I explain what we are working for in emergent writing.

As well as the video above, here are two blog posts on emergent writing that explain the background to why we do what we do:

Writing Tools

As part of good writing instruction, we also need to figure out the best writing tool for each student.  Our aim is for each student to use the tool that requires the least physical effort, which then gives them more capacity to focus on the cognitive side of writing.  If you want to see a range of writing tools see Tools for Writing a Suggestion and Selection Guide.

Writing Tools for download and use

There are a range of different flip charts and other writing tools to download from the Writing Tools page.

Charlie (and his brother) scribbling on a typewriter

In writing with emergent students we would support them slightly differently depending on their level.  We can use the Writing with All Tools Continuum to assess and support a student’s writing level.

Beginning Emergent Writers (Writing with All Tools Continuum A.1 to A.3)

A beginning emergent writer doesn’t yet know that they are a writer and/or they don’t yet understand that there is a difference between print and picture. They need an opportunity to scribble with print and have us attribute meaning and assume competence – which then teaches them that print has meaning and that text is a code for speech. We also give them lots of positive reinforcement because they need to develop a strong self-image of themselves as a writer. Students at this level are also often receptive communicators and we need to modelling AAC lots!

Suggested guidelines are:

  1. Select a topic for writing – you might use the activity or game that the student is currently engaged with.
  2. Get the student to use a writing tool (e.g., sensory pencil or flip chart) to select letters; record or write down the letters as they choose them.
  3. Use the student‘s AAC system to attribute meaning – follow up any indications they might make in attributing meaning themselves.
  4. Write the attributed meaning under their writing and point out any similarities/celebrations. Give them lots of positive encouragement for writing.
  5. Use their writing tool yourself at least once per week to model the use of it for writing outside of this writing task.

A demonstration video for this level is available below.  Thanks to the student’s family and Claremont Special School. 

Emergent Writers (Writing with All Tools Continuum A.4 to A.6)

Emergent writers at this stage are learning more about the form of writing. They are learning that text is composed of letters grouped into words.

Suggested guidelines are:

  1. Establish topic/purpose e.g. photo of student doing something, curriculum topic, writing about book of the week. Student should choose from a few options. Use AAC to talk about this with them.
  2. For students using comprehensive AAC systems – ask them if they have something to say about the photo/activity. If they don’t, model something you might say, and then ask them if they have something to say again. For verbal students – get them to discuss what they are going to write about it. Agree on something they are writing with the student. If needed you can co-construct to make the writing target more than one word to give you the opportunity to model using spaces. If you don’t get any language selected or generated then move onto the next step. Don’t over prompt students!
  3. Get the student to use the flip chart, or other writing tool, to select letters. Make sure their tool has a “space” button. Record or write down the letters as they choose them.
  4. Write their target language (or the meaning you are attributing) under their writing and point out any correlations, using a phrase like “now let me show you how I would write it…”.
  5. Use the student’s writing tool yourself at least once per week to model the use of it for writing outside of this writing task. Make sure you model using spaces.

A demonstration video for this level is available below. Thanks to the student’s family, Kidman Park Primary School and Leanne Shane.

Late Emergent Writers (Writing with All Tools Continuum Group B usually)

​Late emergent students are learning even more about form and are focusing more and more on letter selection.  These students are usually in Group B (sometimes in D or even E) on the Writing with All Tools Continuum.

Suggested guidelines are:

  1. Establish topic/purpose e.g photo of student doing something, curriculum topic, writing about book of the week. Student should choose from a few options.
  2. For students using comprehensive AAC systems – ask them if they have something to say about the photo/activity. If they don‘t, model something you might say, and then ask them if they have something to say again. For verbal students – get them to discuss what they are going to write about it. Agree on something they are writing with the student.
  3. Get the student to use a writing tool to select or generate letters. Students at this level who know most of the letters of the alphabet, most of the time should be using a QWERTY keyboard. Record or write down the letters as they choose them.
  4. Write their target language under their writing and point out any correlations, using a phrase like “now let me show you how I would write it…”
  5. Use their writing tool yourself at least once per week to model the use of it for writing outside of this writing task. Make sure you model thinking of initial sounds in words.

Let’s Write

The handout Let’s Write is designed to provide guidelines for writing with students at different levels on the Writing with All Tools Continuum.

Let’s Write v1.2 Updated December 2023Download

Blog Posts from Jane Farrall Consulting related to Writing by Myself

Other Resources