Designing a teaching fiction writing curriculum for young learners: a perspective for a school-wide effort

Abstract

ABSTRACT Writing is often considered one of the most difficult skills both to engage in and to teach. Many models of teaching writing have been offered over the years. However, the tendency is for one to enact these teaching frames solely within the confines of a single classroom or a grade level at best. In addition to this, terminology for the same reference points can differ drastically (e.g., Beginning vs Introduction vs Orientation). This can lead to confusion on the part of young learners and hinder their efforts to manoeuvre the complex terrain of writing. This paper offers a way for schools to think about designing a cohesive writing curriculum that cuts across grade levels to develop students’ fiction writing skills in a more structured manner. It advocates a shift to view teachers as a community supporting students’ progress in writing rather than a focus on individual classroom teaching.