In chapter 11 of Acts of Teaching: How to Teach Writing by Joyce Carol Armstrong and Edward E. Wilson, the authors discuss the process of writing from birth until adulthood. Typically, we think of processes in terms of steps or stages, but the authors use the term “arenas of writing”. There are seven arenas, some of which overlap each other. The seven arenas are as follows: rhythms, gestures, initial visual signs, symbolic play, symbolic drawing, transitional writing and spelling, and standard writing and spelling. Rhythm is the first arena and it is said to begin at birth. The authors use the example of children’s nursery rhymes to convey this arena. The second arena, gestures, describes a “language” that almost everyone can identify, regardless of their actual spoken language. Typically, a gesture such as clapping shows a person approval or praise, regardless or his or her spoken language. The third arena is called initial visual signs. The author identifies those signs as random scribbles, like a child drawing on a foggy window with his or her finger.

Example of Random Scribbles

Figure 1: Created in Paint By: Christina Moore

Symbolic play is the fourth arena described, and it consists of controlled and named scribbles as well as the writing of random letters. The authors suggest encouraging children to duplicate their drawings. The fifth arena is symbolic drawing, and the authors identify pictographs and ideographs as a part of this arena. An example of a pictograph may be a child drawing his or her brother with brown hair and glasses. The child does not currently see his or her brother, but the child knows that he has brown hair and glasses.

My Brother

Figure 2: Created in Paint By: Christina Moore

Transitional writing and spelling is the sixth arena of writing. It is in this arena where words are sounded out and all letters have a sound. Thus a child may spell “candy” as “candee” or “calf” as “kaf”. Standard writing and spelling is the last arena. In this arena, writing contains proper grammar and follows rules like punctuation and capitalization.



Overall, I found the idea of arenas of writing to be helpful in explaining the writing process. I think the choice of the word arena is better than using the word step or stage. Using arena shows that a writer may go back to earlier developed skills like including pictures in his or her writing. I think the idea of gestures as an early form of writing is excellent; I never thought of it that way. I especially liked how Carroll and Wilson used Vygotsky’s quote stating “gestures are writing in air …” (p. 271). In addition, I can now see how a child’s scribbles can certainly be seen as an early form of writing. When a child scribbles on a wall or writes with his or her finger on a foggy car window, he or she is trying to say something. Although it may not be in the traditional sense, those scribbles may very well be a story about the family dog! I also like how the authors suggested we ask children what their scribbles are all about. Typically, I would have dismissed those scribbles on the wall as a child misbehaving, but the authors have made me think twice about that idea. Children soon go from scribbles to more meaningful pictures about things they know to be true. From the examples provided in Acts of Teaching, children can draw a very simple thing, yet have a very elaborate story to go along with it. We just have to ask them about it! After drawing, children will then progress toward more traditional writing. Initially, a child will spell words exactly as they sound. Eventually, the child will reach the final arena and begin using correct spelling and proper grammar.




References:


Carroll, J. A., & Wilson, E. E. (2008). Chapter 11: Early literacy. Acts of Teaching: How to teach writing (pp. 262-304). CT: Teacher Idea Press.