Developing Factual Writing: An Approach through Scaffolding.

Most teachers would agree that children should undertake a wide range of types of non-fiction writing, but there are many questions about how this aim should be achieved and about how teachers can help children learn about the various structural demands of particular writing forms. "Writing frames" are one strategy which can help children use the generic structures of recounts, reports, instructions, explanations, persuasion, and instructions until they become familiar enough with these written structures to have assimilated them into their independent writing repertoire. A writing frame consists of a skeleton outline to scaffold children's non-fiction writing. The writing frames concentrate on the six types of non-fiction genres identified by the Australian genre theorists, Christie (1989), Martin and Rothery (1986), and Rothery and Callaghan (1989). Children experience problems in practicing non-fiction writing. Writing frames are helpful to children of all ages and particularly useful with children of average writing ability and with those who find writing difficult. Use of a writing frame should always begin with discussion and teacher modeling, and not all children in a class will need to use a writing frame. Contains 21 references and some sample writing frames. (NKA)