ABSTRACT

For a number of reasons, writing was one of the first aspects to be significantly affected by the development of personal computers and other new technologies. The vast majority of the writing that gets done in the world – at least the commercial world – today is done through the medium of information technology. The sheer prominence of screen-, as opposed to paper-, based writing means that we need to familiarise children with the skills and possibilities of this new medium if they are to use it confidently in their lives. But ICT also makes possible a number of beneficial approaches to the teaching of writing. Evidence suggests that the use of computers as tools for writing can significantly enhance children's understanding of, and competence in, all forms of writing. The National Curriculum requires teachers to make sure that ‘pupils should have opportunities to plan and review their writing, assembling and developing their ideas on paper and on screen’.