1. Chapter 9 focused on language comprehension, reading & listening, and these two chapters focus more on language production. The ability of language as a whole is a complex and amazing process. Our working memory places such a large part in both language production and comprehension. In chapter 4 we learned about Baddeley's model of working memory. The writing process uses many of these same components. As we brainstorm and think to our self what we want to write, this is a procedure of the phonological loop. I make many models to hang in my classroom to help my third graders visualize what their writings will look like. They may not be able to use their visuospatial sketchpad to see the correct layout of a specific type of writing, so these posters help them with this. We have discussed how important the central executive is in so many chapters. Once again in writing the central executive coordinates the planning phase, it helps generate sentences, edits, and revises. What a complex process.
2. I am pretty clear on the information given in these two chapters. Our workshop presentation was on language development, so we had a chance to take the research even further. Writing was interesting to read about. It is amazing to me how many cognitive processes writing consists of.
3. We produce language in so many ways, conversations, writing, speaking, e-mail...... As the text states language is probably the most social of all of our cognitive processes which is why it is so important to our everyday life. Speaking is a difficult skill for young children. They may know what they really want to say, but getting it out is the struggle. They have to overcome limits from memory and attention in order to deliver what they want to say. I see this in the classroom daily as students retell what they have read or learned. To help with this, I will listen to what the student is trying to say and then have them repeat after me. Writing is not just important to students in school, but just as important to us in our profession of teaching. Writing and speaking share many cognitive components which is why when I teach writing we spend an equal amount of time sharing what we write each day. The writing process is difficult at the third grade level. I use many different ways of brainstorming and organizing thoughts before putting it on paper. Expectations seem to be getting higher and higher for young children and writing requirements. Free writing time is being taken from them and the fun of writing is hard to find when we worry about so many components at such a young age.
You brought up some good points with writing at a young age. I was taking another graduate class discussing the importance of reading to the writing process. I'm sure you spend a good amount of time reading already (in between preparing for ISAT's), but maybe writing on things that they enjoyed reading might bring some of the fun back to it. I know at the high school level, we pinpoint what we want our students to read and sometimes take the fun out of the whole process.
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