How do we support English Language Learners writing skills?

I had a meeting with Karyn and we had a discussion how do we support and develop the English Language learners writing skills. We discussed

• What are we expected to teach these learners?
• Where did we start in writing?

Now what?
I will need to do the following with my new learners

• provide suitable resources to make them understand before they start writing
• provide meaningful, relevant and needed language and learning opportunities

English Language Learning Progressions    

Foundation  Early

I like  cats I like  cats	I went I went to the park.
I am learning how to: Copy a sentence.	I am learning how to: Use a sentence frame.

I played on the slide.	we  go  the			I like playing (with) my friends.
I am learning how to: Draw a picture to help me write.	I am learning how to: Spell some words correctly.	I am learning how to: Write a simple sentence.	I am learning how to: Write the first and last sound of some words.	I am learning how to: Write a sentence putting the words in the correct order some of the time.

Foundation  Late

I am going to play with my friends.	slid	The cat has soft fur.	I ran to the park and I went on the slide.	I went to the shop. I saw a big apple in the shop.
I am learning how to: Write my ideas by myself.	I am learning how to: Write most of the sounds in words I don’t know how to spell.	I am learning how to: Write a sentence about a topic.	I am learning how to: Use words like ‘and’ to join my sentences.	I am learning how to: Correctly use high frequency words in a sentence.

fur       soft      cat The cat has soft fur.	I like playing [with] my friends.	On Saturday I went to the pak.	On Saturday I went to the park.
I am learning how to: use topic specific vocabulary when it is provided.	I am learning how to: use standard English word order, within my sentences most of the time.	I am learning how to: can attempt to underline words that I am unsure of how to spell.	I am learning how to: attempt to use capital letters and full stops correctly some of the time.

English Language Learning Progressions    

Stage 1

	birthday   school   this	I walked to the park with my mum. I had fun playing on the slide. Then I had a big swing.	I went to the park but I couldn’t go on the slide.	I went to the beach              Mr  McNeil and saw mr mcneil having a swim.  Then I walked home.
I am learning how to: Use topic words in my writing independently most of the time.	I am learning how to: I can use some lower frequency words some of the time.	I am learning how to: Can write my stories in the correct order.	I am learning how to: Use words like ‘and, but, so, or’ to extend my sentences.	I am learning how to: Use capital letters and full stops correctly.

I went to the movies and saw Batman, he caught the bad people.  The movie went really quickly. I liked the part when Batman was driving his car fast.	I saw a beautiful butterfly it had enormous, orange wings.	On Saturday I went  for a run with my dad. We saw my friend playing at the park.	Saturday On Stday   I went to                   buy the shop to by  a toy.
I am learning how to: Write 6 or more related sentences	I am learning how to: Add adjectives into my writing.     [beautiful, enormous, orange]	I am learning how to: Write in the past, present and future tense sometimes.[ran, running run]	I am learning how to: Correct some of my spelling errors using a dictionary

Stage 2  Early

Last Saturday my friend came over to play. First we watched a movie because it was raining. When it stopped raining we went outside to play.	Late last night my dad came home.  Hiding inside his bag was a present for me.	On Saturday I went  for a run. I took my dog because he was bored at home.	I wouldn’t like to leave my homework at school.
I am learning how to: Sequence my ideas.	I am learning how to: Use a range of sentence beginnings.	I am learning how to: Use a range of sentence structures [simple, compound, complex].	I am learning how to: Use contracted verbs correctly sometimes [wouldn’t].

Water is stored in a dam before it travels down pipes to the city.	On Saturday I rode my bike on the road to the river. Then I jumped in the boat and rowed fast down the river.	Friday                   to On friday   I went To my               the friends house.	my aunt gave me For Easter ^  two enormous      ^ Easter Eggs.
I am learning how to: Write using specific vocabulary that is appropriate to the writing.	I am learning how to: Choose the correct word when choosing between homonyms [rode, road, rowed].	I am learning how to: Proofread my writing to check for spelling, punctuation and grammar, most of the time.	I am learning how to: Attempt to edit my writing.