School discourse : learning to write across the years of schooling / Frances Christie, Beverly Derewianka.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Christie, Frances.

Contributor:

Derewianka, Beverly.

Series:

Continuum discourse series

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Children--Language.

Children.

English language--Written English--Study and teaching.

English language.

Language and education.

English language--Written English.

Physical Description:

ix, 267 pages : illustrations ; 25 cm.

Place of Publication:

London ; New York : Continuum, [2008]

Summary:

Writing development has been a key area of research in applied linguistics for some time but most work has focused on children's writing at particular ages, for example, at the early primary, late primary or secondary stage. Christie and Derewianka draw on extensive research in both primary and secondary years to trace the developmental trajectory from age 5 or 6 through to 18. Using a systemic functional grammar, they outline developmental changes in writing in three major areas of the school curriculum - English, history, and science - as children move from early childhood to late childhood and on to adolescence and adulthood. The book considers the nature of the curriculum at various stages, discussing the interplay of curriculum goals, pedagogy and developmental changes as children grow older. It also explores how emergent control of the different subjects requires control of various subject specific literacies and considers the pedagogical implications of their findings. It will be of interest to anyone involved in the writing performance of children in schools, particularly applied and educational linguists.

Contents:

1 A Functional Approach to Writing Development 1

2 Writing Stories in Subject English 30

3 Writing to Respond to and Evaluate Other Texts 58

4 Reconstructing the Past: Recording and Describing Historical Events 86

5 Reviewing the Past: Interpreting, Explaining, Arguing and Debating Historical Events 114

6 Observing and Writing about the Natural World 149

7 Interpreting Phenomena of the Natural World 182

8 The Developmental Trajectory in Writing 212.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages [245]-255) and index.

ISBN:

9780826499929

0826499929

OCLC:

245564053