Tesis

TEACHING ISSUES

Nubia Cecilia Ruíz C.

Design of literacy activities to promote writing with children: An experience with second graders

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Nubia Cecilia Ruíz C.

Abstract In this paper, I would like to share my experience as a kidwatcher in a private school in Bogotá, Colombia while designing and implementing a variety of literacy activities to promote writing in English in an EFLcontext for second grade students. It highlights the importance of understanding writing as a dynamic process as well as the role kidwatching had in helping me become a teacher who understood, respected, supported, learnt, enjoyed and loved the active manner in which children construct knowledge of the written language. At the same time, I gained insights about childrenʼs thoughts, feelings, andconcerns about the world they live in. I hope, from this experience teachers are encouraged to explore their classroom contexts and make the best decisions that contribute to the development of their students as writers. Key words: writing, kidwatcher, kidwatching, possibilities as readers and writers, children as writers. Resumen En este artículo, deseo compartir mi experiencia como observadora deniños en un colegio privado en Bogotá, Colombia al diseñar e implementar para los estudiantes de segundo grado de primaria, una variedad de actividades de lecto-escritura para promover la escritura en Inglés en un contexto extranjero. Este artículo resalta la importancia de entender la habilidad de escribir como un proceso dinámico y valorar la observación, como herramienta útil en la enseñanza, lacual me permitió en llegar a ser la maestra que entendió, respeto, apoyo, aprendió, amo y disfrutó la manera activa como los niños construían el conocimiento de la lengua escrita. A su vez, fui privilegiada al tener un conocimiento mas preciso acerca de las ideas, sentimientos e inquietudes del mundo que rodea a mis estudiantes. Espero que esta experiencia anime a los maestros (as) a explorar loscontextos de sus aulas escolares y tomen las mejores decisiones para que contribuyan al desarrollo de sus estudiantes como escritores. Palabras Claves: escritura, observación de estudiantes, inglés como lengua extranjera, posibilidades como lectores y escritores, y niños como escritores.Introduction

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Received: 14–03–2004 / Accepted: 9–09– 2004

Universidad Distrital Francisco José deCaldas Facultad de Ciencias y Educación

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Design of Literacy Activities to Promote Writing with Children: An Experience with Second Graders

Introduction
This article aims to share my experiences while promoting writing in English among children from a private school in Bogotá, Colombia. It focuses on the variety of literacy activities I designed and implemented to enable second gradersto enjoy themselves while writing their world. My experience with second graders is the result of taking into account new perspectives that consider writing as a dynamic process, the incorporation of kidwatching in my daily teaching practice, and experiences I have learnt from with children who were engaged in a pedagogy of writing that focused solely on mechanics. First, I will concentrate on theliterature review that supports this experience. Second, I will present a brief description of the literacy activities I designed and implemented. Finally, I will state some pedagogical implications.

Understanding What Writing Is
Learning a language becomes easier when it is understood as an instrument of communication that mediates both personal and social learning among human beings.(Goodman, 1996; Cole & Griffin, 1983; Nieto, 2002; Vygotsky 1978). From this perspective special attention is given to social interaction because it offers human beings the opportunity to read and write about their worlds, experiencing the social conventions that oral and written language imply. Examining reading and writing development in first, second and foreign language contexts Goodman (1996),...