Aboriginal Students' Writings

Lucy Howes, Sheryl Detchon, Sandra Harris & Bernice Odeen

Three elementary school teachers and a consultant in the Onion Lake Band school system designed a project to determine whether an integrated language arts approach enhances the writing of Aboriginal students.

The project provides a description of the use of writing process with three primary (Grades 1-3) classes of First Nations students, in the Onion Lake Band elementary school. The teachers and consultant are female and non-native.

In the study, samples of children's writing were collected over a time period of one year, and analyzed using a checklist to determine what the students were able to do. Other information was gathered using anecdotal records of incidents or specific observable behaviours during writing experiences and from teacher-students conferences, results from the regular schoolwork, a student interview, and a parent interview. Three case studies were prepared for each grade, representing students with lower, middle and higher abilities.

Among the results of the study are detailed descriptions of the teachers' approach to language arts instruction and the students' responses to the instruction. Effects on the students' writing abilities are described in individual case histories of three students and a classroom summary for each of the grades

We provide an example of description of classroom instruction, and excerpts from a case study and a classroom summary. All three examples are drawn from the Grade 2 data.

Classroom Instruction

The classroom setting varied regularly when writing. Sometimes children were grouped together so two or three rows were seated side by side and sometimes children were seated individually. Groupings could be random or teacher chosen.

The students were encouraged to write in a risk free environment, where all writing was valued. The environment had a variety of print materials. Words and ideas for writing were found throughout the room. Students could get words from lists on the wall, other students, word banks and a word book. Students got ideas from each other, personal experiences, past literary experiences, idea banks, classroom discussions, writing prompts, teacher prompts, or from the themes being explored in the classroom.

... At the beginning of the year students were encouraged to write freely about whatever they wished. Most preferred to use a journal format, centering on personal life experiences. Mini lessons were taught based on identified student needs. At the beginning of the year these included letter-sound relationships. Later, the focus shifted to content. Students were encouraged to write about more than just daily experiences. Various writing prompts, brainstorming, theme topics and idea banks were used to expand thinking and writing...

New forms of writing were introduced in formal lessons and the students were encouraged to use these forms in their writing. The forms included notes, messages, friendly letters, free verse and patterned poetry, chants, songs, pattern books, predictable books, fiction and non-fiction stories and a simple research paper.

After most of the forms of writing were formally taught (about January) the students chose what to write. Most students wrote stories although some ventured into poetry and some included songs and chants in their stories, similar to those of Robert Munsch, who was one of the authors studied.

Teacher modelling was used constantly to show ways of improving writing using steps in the process: editing, revising and publishing. The teacher demonstrated reading and writing strategies, pointed out spelling patterns, sound-symbol relationships and phonic principles in familiar poetry. Posted print materials included labels, instructions for classroom routine, word lists, webs that students generated around themes or topics. The teacher obtained reference materials and modelled their use.

Although conventional spelling was not stressed, the teacher taught the students how to approximate rough draft writing, then where and how to get the conventional spelling for the final copy. If the students used words repetitively in their journals they were taught and expected to use conventional spelling. Sight words, familiar words and any words that could be found in the room (theme words) were also expected to be spelt correctly by most students. A similar technique was used for sentence development.

Nancy

beginning of the year. She could read and write fairly well but lacked confidence. She was aware that writing was a way of communicating ideas. She was comfortable and relaxed if she could write about personal experiences and use words that were familiar to her. She often used patterned sentences. When she came to the end of a line, her sentence was done whether the thought was complete or not. Although sentence sense was evident, she did not use proper capitals and seldom put in a period. In September she wrote:

I like Pezza and It thast Yummy
I like SPaghetti and it thast
I like PoPcorn and it thast yummy
I like eags sometim it thast good

Nancy used words she felt safe using; words that could be found in the room, on a paper or in the word book.

In November Nancy moved from the simple patterned sentences to long run on sentences. She connected her sentences with "and" (Nov. Journal)

today I am Going to my friends BiRthDay Party up the hill and we are going to eat cake and Go to the Movies and Going to have fun and...

By February there was noticeable growth in her vocabulary. Her rough copies had few spelling errors. She edited her work for spelling and unnecessary capitals. She also eliminated some of her "ands" to make shorter sentences.

Winter is fun we Go sliding and sKating Skiing and we Play snowfight and some time I'ts cold and sometime I'ts warm and when we Go outsdie sometimes we slip down when we Go Back of the School...

By the end of March Nancy's rough copies contained more compound sentences and few that were run-on. She used more words that she didn't know how to spell. During editing she would correct her spelling and put in periods.

Once long ago a mother Dinosaur named Deby laded eggs and some different Dinosaur stold there eggs When the mother Dinosaur was gone when she came Bck she Got so mad then she called her husBen his name was Ted then Ted got mad to and they bot got mad...

By May Nancy appeared more confident in her writing as she did not hesitate to sit down and write. (May prompt)

I woke up and it was a Special day. Because I had a new bike. I was getting hiper and two PeoPle came to see it. There name is Sally Chief her class is 301 and Patricia Dion her class is 302 like 203 and my bike is all dirty all ready. Then I'd wash did. I like wasing my bike.

Nancy had to be encouraged to write an imaginary story. Although she began an imaginary story, she seldom finished it. However, when she wrote a story based on her own personal experiences or her family's life, she completed the rough draft and did simple editing, even if she did not publish it.

Nancy stated she is a good writer and expressed that you have to know lots of stories to be a good writer. Nancy got her ideas for writing from the themes discussed in the class and from home.

Classroom Summary

At the beginning of the year the majority of the students wrote patterned sentences... Two students still used random strings of letters.

By mid-year, student writing had progressed to the level where over half of the students wrote from patterned sentences but more students justified their statements. Although they used invented spelling, these were very close to conventional spelling... As well, half the students were beginning to edit their work...

In May student writing progress accelerated rapidly. Students were editing and publishing. By the end of the month most were publishing at least one and a few were publishing up to four short stories a week. Students were writing a rough draft, peer conferencing with two classmates and the teacher and finally publishing. At this point the majority of students were voluntarily writing and very relaxed about the process.

Conclusions

The researchers conclude:

The children in all three classrooms view themselves as writers. They are comfortable with the writing process and confident in their ability to write. At the beginning of grades two and three the children were almost totally teacher oriented, i.e. they wrote for the teacher or to please the teacher rather than themselves. By the end of the year these children were self-oriented and wrote to express ideas they wished to express.

Teachers who participated in the study have had the opportunity to examine their beliefs and practices about the writing process. They had the opportunity to reflect upon the results of actions taken during the student writing time and have made decisions about changes they will make in future teaching. This was probably the most important outcome of the research from the researchers' perspective.

Over the span of the project the researchers realized that the collaboration and discussion about the research and visiting each others' classrooms was the most worthwhile and beneficial part of the research. Because everyone was involved in the same process, there was a common ground for discussion. This discussion relieved anxieties and helped in planning future activities. Children benefited indirectly as teachers changed and modified their teaching to reflect their own growth.