Each subject writes differently. Strong history writing balances evidence to reach conclusions about significance, cause and consequence or similarity and difference.
“On the other hand, the Anglo Saxons always wanted to settle in Britain because their lands kept on flooding and they needed land to grow crops.” Year 7 History.
Strong science writing links concepts by joining clauses together effectively. E.g.
“Smoking damages our cilia, which move mucous around, causing blockages and problems in breathing.” Science Year 8
Weak writing though all shares common features.
The Characteristics of Lower Attaining Students’ Writing at KS3
Vocabulary
Technical subject vocabulary (tier III) is not used with confidence or accuracy. Higher level general vocabulary (Tier II) is often absent.
Fossil fuels were dead animals are at the bottom and have died so we dig them up and they turn into oil and fuel after 100 million years. Science Year 7
Sentences
Clauses are typically simple or joined with and or then. There is little use of conjunctions (e.g. because, but, so) to communicate reasoning. Students commonly write using run-on sentences.
Life in Soviet Russia was really bad, it had very poor conditions. History Year 9
Writing for Purpose
Retelling sequences of events is not well rewarded in mark schemes, but weaker writers focus on the narrative. Sentences in all subjects are dominated by short sentences or long chains of and then… and then…
To prepare for your practical you must first set up the microscope and then plug it in and switch it on and then go to get some goggles to protect your eyes and then go to the teachers desk to get a thin layer of onion and collect the iodine. Science Year 9
The Good News
Because the errors are the same, we can use the same strategies across the curriculum to support weaker writers. I would start with:
- Freyer Models for vocabulary and
- Sentence combining and sentence starters for developing sentence skills.
Ben
Reading for Learning 