Talking through writing¹

1. This is a revised version of a paper presented at the International Convention on Oracy, University of East Anglia, 1987.

Abstract

The Foundations of Writing Project was set up by the Scottish Committee on Primary Education to develop strategies to support the development of writing competence of children in the first three years of primary education. There was general agreement amongst participating teachers that there had been a significant improvement in children's writing ability. Teachers reported that the ‘writing‐led’ curriculum adopted by the project had led to improvement in most curricular areas and in the children's ‘ownership’ of their own learning.

Teachers appreciated that there had been a previous underestimation of the potential of children in their classes.

A significant factor in this general improvement was perceived to be the relationship between the written language and cognitive functioning, the language acting as a cognitive amplifier, contributing to the children's capacity for literate thinking.

Teachers also reported on the children's improved performance in speech situations. This improvement was attributed to the children's incorporation into their speech of certain characteristics of the written language.

The paper examines the factors which contributed to these perceived improvements.

Notes

1. This is a revised version of a paper presented at the International Convention on Oracy, University of East Anglia, 1987.