FIVE STAGES OF WRITING INSTRUCTIONThe five stages of writing instruction reflect the development of emerging readers and writers as they grow to discover that written meaning is conveyed through letters, that letters correspond to particular sounds in spoken language, and the phonetic code that is used to encode the meaning of spoken language in written text. The five stages are defined below, along with suggestions for instruction developmentally appropriate for each phase of development.

Phase of InstructionDefining CharacteristicsIdeas for Instruction

0The prewriter uses writing approximations rather than recognizable letters (Gentry, 2006, p. 76).Use adult underwriting to model written words, introduce and explore language concepts like word, letter, sound, and syllable by stretching words to emphasize initial sounds in words, echo and repeated reading of words with fingerpoint reading (Gentry, 2006, p. 76-77).

1The precommunicative writer uses recognizable written letters to communicate meaning, but there is no correspondence between the letters written and the sounds of the writers intended message (Gentry, 2006, p. 29). Use adult underwriting to model conventional English spelling, emphasize voice-to-print match with echo and repeated readings of words with fingerpoint reading, explore rime and onset with families of short rhyming words (Gentry, 2006, p. 78-79).

2The semiphonetic writer begins to exhibits phonemic awareness by creating abbreviated spellings which feature correct initial and final consonants (Gentry, 2006, p. 31).Use adult underwriting to model conventional English spelling, encourage writers to develop written phrases into complete sentences through story writing, support phonetic decoding with sound stretching and finger spelling (Gentry, 2006, p. 79-80).

3The phonetic writer exhibits full phonemic awareness by creating invented spellings which feature letters for all sounds in words (Gentry, 2006, p. 33).Encourage writers to develop stories through use of sequential text structures, support phonetic decoding with sound stretching, hand spelling, and letter boxes (Gentry, p. 82-83).

4The transitional writer exhibits a knowledge of chunking systems for spelling by using combinations of letters to represent sound elements of words rather than one letter for each phoneme (Gentry, 2006, p. 34). Refine decoding through study of spelling patterns (CVC, CVCe, CVVC, etc.) in meaningful reading and writing contexts (Gentry, 2006, p. 83-88).

ReferencesGentry, J.R. (2006). Breaking the code: The new science of beginning reading and writing. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.