Writing, Speaking and listening, Reading
Bands A,B,C

What is it?

Joint construction is a collaborative writing process involving the students and the teacher in constructing a text, individually, in small groups, or as a whole class.

What is its purpose?

It is an effective tool in teaching students about;

• The process of writing
• The forms of writing
• The conventions, skills and behaviours of writing

How do I do it?

• The teacher selects a particular genre/text type which she or he wishes to explore and demonstrate using the contributions of the class
• The teacher takes on the role as a guide asking questions, confirming responses and offering necessary explanations about the purpose of the text, the form of the texts and the writing conventions required from the text
• The teacher with input from students constructs an example of the text form or genre. During the process the teacher ‘thinks-aloud’ about the decisions and reasoning behind those decisions ,modelling and explaining the processes involved in researching the topic, sharing and putting ideas together, and scaffolding the students’ understanding of the structure of the genre or text type, whether it be for example, narrative, report, letters, or poems
• The joint construction is published and share with the students
• It may then become a model for independent construction

How can I adapt it?

• use similar process for teaching specific learning strategies for revising and drafting, spelling or proofreading, beginning with an appropriately constructed text in progress
• an excellent strategy for teaching older students how to write literary essays and reviews of the type which might be expected in Year Twelve TCE courses

How can it be used to evaluate students’ language learning?

The joint construction process supports ongoing monitoring and assessment of students’ writing processes and use of specific strategies.

Where can I find out more?

Education Victoria, (1998) Keys to Life Teaching Writers, Longman

Department of Education, Tasmania, (1995) Tasmanian Literacy Outcomes support materials, g1/2

Bev Derewianka, Exploring How Texts Work , PETA