ABSTRACT
Young children need to be offered the time and space to use different forms of writing in imaginatively engaging contexts, in which their early attempts at mark making are recognised as acts of communication and their words and meanings are valued. As Vygotsky (1978: 118) suggested, ‘an intrinsic need should be aroused in them, and writing should be incorporated into a task that is necessary and relevant for life’. When writing to express themselves, to communicate information of personal significance, to reflect upon their lives and voice their views, children should be affectively and cognitively engaged as young authors, not as scribes. This chapter focuses upon teaching early writing creatively, focusing primarily on developing the compositional skills of young writers aged 5–7 years. It highlights, in particular, the role of improvisation in early writing, the importance of play and imaginative engagement, the value of teaching grammar, appropriately and in context, and the teacher’s role as model writer. In addition, the importance of fostering young writers’ authorial agency and independence is examined.
