Friday, October 2, 2009

Topic: Oral Activities into Writing Activities

10-second review: The students begin with giving oral directions to drawing a triangle or octagon, etc. They note the techniques they used orally in giving clear directions and then write directions for drawing or making or assembling other objects. Next, they read stories aloud and discuss the meaning of the story and then, after the teacher reads a story aloud, the students discuss the meaning in writing. Each time the teacher tries to draw from the students the steps to take in completing the writing assignment. Finally, the students tell stories and then tell the same story in writing.


Title: “Oral Communication as Pre-writing Activities.” JN Golub and RW Reising. English Journal (December 1975), 60-61. The secondary publication of the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE).


Sample activity for story telling:

In groups of five or six, one student begins a story orally. After two minutes, the next student continues the story and then the third student, etc. All of this story telling is done orally. Now the students do the same thing, but this time on paper. One student begins the story for two minutes, then passes the paper to the second student who continues it, etc.


Comment: Of course, the idea behind this technique is rehearsing a writing assignment by first trying to complete it orally. Should students talk out what they are going to write before writing? It seems to me that that is one of those techniques that might work for some students and not for others. No harm in having students try it on for size. RayS.

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