Multiliteracies and Writing in Grade One
Interweaving proven practices in the 21st century classroom
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Writing and Social Practices in Grade One
Mathematics
In the 190 days I teach in the school year, we rarely, if ever, miss a math lesson. Mathematics has been a subject I did not excel at in elementary school or high school, but I love teaching it! I find it fun to dissect a problem, visualize what the problem is saying, and then work through the solution potentially in a variety of ways. Learning about Multiliteracies has made me a better math teacher in that I make sure the students truly understand what the problem is asking of us. We are participating in Sumara's (2002)"close reading practices" as we read and re-read the problem (p. 123). The students then discuss with their partner what tools and strategies they will use to solve this problem.
In the Multiliteracies classroom, students are writing across the curriculum. Wilson and Chavez (2014) detail how providing multimodal math problem solving creates a deep understanding of math concepts as well as fluency and efficiency with mathematics (p. 74). Using interesting, real life problems the teacher incorporates multimodalities as they guide and support their students through the problem-solving process. In the early primary classroom, I like the idea of a visual framework for working through these problems, so I transformed the multimodalities presented in Wilson and Chavez (2014) into an infographic (see below). Rather than asking the students to choose one math strategy (e.g., ten frames, draw a picture, 100's chart), the students are required to use several modes to construct and represent their thinking.
By framing student responses to include multiple modes, we are asking them to participate in meta-cognition. The intention is for students to reflect, at each stage, if their answers make sense (Wilson & Chavez, 2014). When I implemented this multimodal process with my grade one class they did not experience success; however, once they were provided with manipulatives (e.g., linking cubes, rocks, jewels) that they could move they were quickly able to solve the problem. With the problem stated on the infographic, students gathered thirteen cubes, separated the seven Montreal Canadians cards and then counted the remaining cubes. After students had completed their solution, they could then draw out how they solved their problem.
When do the students write?
Students write during visual representation and in recording their responses and questions. Key vocabulary is available around the room and students are also being encouraged to spell the words they need independently.
Students can work collaboratively or independently, and record their questions on large pieces of chart paper. Ideally, teachers do not want their writing ability to get in the way of their math ideas (e.g., a student who does not record a question because they lack literacy skills), so if needed, the teacher can print their questions using a yellow highlighter and then the student could trace over their words with a marker.
Collaboration Across the Curriculum
Grade One students collaborate to write complete sentences across the curriculum.
When students first enter grade one they usually require support to write a complete sentence on their own. After teaching grade one for six years, it is my observation that very few students enter with the confidence and willingness to write independently. In Ontario, the written language curriculum goal is to have students writing three or four sentences independently by the end of grade one. As educators we need to provide opportunities for students to practice writing daily. Implementing a balanced literacy approach in the classroom, where students read and write across all areas of the curriculum, has certainly facilitated student written literacy development.
I agree with Boyle and Charles (2011) when they posit “collaborative writing is one of the processes in the social construction of learning" (p. 10). Having students collaboratively write diminishes pressures they may feel about writing because “the cognitive load is a critical aspect in children’s language development and one in which the ‘load’ is lessened when collaboration is utilised as a legitimate strategy” (Boyle & Charles, 2011, p. 10). When students work together in writing they show greater improvements (Boyle & Charles, 2011). Students have more fun when they can create together!
Finding opportunities for students to collaborate is simple when you consider “shared classroom experiences such as field trips, class visitors, read-alouds, and class projects” (Copp, Cabell, & Tortorelli, 2016, p. 447). Copp et al. write about classroom experiences providing “great opportunities to solidify and reinforce children’s content knowledge "(Copp et al., 2016, p. 447). When students collaborate they write with markers on sentence strips cut up from chart paper. We have an ongoing supply so that when they make errors (and they always do) and wish to self -correct, there is a stack of sentence strips ready for them to use. Boyle and Charles (2011) describe this situation well when they state “the teacher has to provide the links and the development of oral and written language and in a particular conducive environment, which promotes social learning through collaborative writing” (p. 11). Sumara (2002) believes "good teachers understand that if people are to become committed to one another they need a shared project" (p. 119). Collaborating with peers through writing provides opportunities for them to know each other socially as well as support each other academically. Teachers need to be cognisant of how they will set students up for success by having them collaborate with their peers. Bolye and Charles (2011) describe four possible models of collaboration:
Child working alone then joined by another child as a collaborator (p. 12).
Child working alone then joined by the teacher as a collaborator
(p. 12).
Child working with a peer collaborator with minimal teacher intervention
(p. 12)
Child working with a peer but with major teacher intervention
(p. 12).
"Good teachers understand that if people are to become committed to one another, they need a shared project" (Sumara, 2002, p. 119).
