Focusing on word

choice in writing
Sheena Cameron and Louise Dempsey

ffective writers draw on a range of skills to

enable them to create appropriate content
for their audience and purpose. One of these
skills is the ability to select words that fit the writing
purpose. Supporting students to consider and select
suitable words is one way to improve students
writing.

students can work in pairs or small groups and

record their ideas on mini-whiteboards, tablets,
laptops, sheets of paper or in writing books. This
creates opportunities to practise applying these
skills in a supported environment.
Emergent writers can generate ideas orally with
the teacher acting as a scribe.

Where does word selection fit into the

writing process?

The basic structure for a mini-lesson

When engaging in the writing process, students

need first to identify their writing purpose and
audience, and have some knowledge of their topic.
They can then draw on the two toolkits.

The Knowledge Toolkit what

good writers know
There are two key concepts that writers need to
know:
1. Many of the generic features and conventions for
good writing are consistent in most writing forms.
2. We write for a range of different purposes, and,
when the purpose changes, so does the text form.
The second toolkit includes the range of skills that
writers need to develop over time.

The Skills Toolkit what good writers do

Many of the skills in the Skills Toolkit can be taught

during mini-lessons. During a mini-lesson, the

Using WOW words

Materials
Images from known books (for example, shared
books) or photos
Mini-whiteboards/tablets/notebooks/laptops or
sheets of paper

PR IM AR Y

A model for teaching the skills

in the Skills Toolkit

In addition to learning skills in mini-lessons, it

is powerful to identify these skills in a shared and
guided reading session so that the students can see
how authors use the skills in context and the impact
they have on the writing.
You can either identify the skill in context first
and then teach it as a mini-lesson, or teach the skill
first and then find examples in reading time.
Some of the skills in the toolkit could be the focus
of the whole writing session; for example, generating
ideas, organising ideas and editing. Others will fit
into short mini-lessons. It is important that after
mini-lessons the students study the skill during
reading time and then apply it in their writing.
Here is a mini lesson to encourage students to
choose interesting words.

PR AC TIC ALLY

Effective writers draw on a range of skills to enable

them to create appropriate content for audience and
purpose.
generating ideas for writing
organising ideas so that they are sequenced and
coherent
selecting words carefully
writing in sentences that make sense, are
grammatically correct, and flow well
applying spelling knowledge
applying punctuation knowledge
editing
N.B. Editing can be broken down into two skills:
proofreading (checking spelling and punctuation,
and that the writing makes sense) and re-crafting
(making changes to the text to improve the content
and message).

1. Introduce the skill to the students.

2. Use an example so that students can analyse the
features and discuss the impact on the reader.
It may be useful to list the features as criteria to
refer to during writing time.
3. Compose one example on the board together (link
this to your writing topic).
4. Ask the students to complete an example in pairs.
Encourage them to talk first and agree on what
they are going to write. One student can record,
while the other checks against criteria. Swap roles
after each example.
5. Share examples from the students. Review the
impact on the reader and check against the
criteria.
6. Repeat with another example.

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Procedure

Procedure

1. Explain to the students that they are going to

write interesting sentences about an image. Think,
pair, share: What do you know about sentences?
How could we make them interesting?
2. Record the students ideas as criteria that can be
used to review the sentences. Tell the students
that using WOW words in sentences makes the
sentences interesting to the reader. Explain that
a WOW word is a word that makes the reader go
WOW! Find examples in a book if necessary.
3. Show an image. Write a sentence to go with the
image that doesnt include a WOW word.
4. The owl is flying to the nest.
5. Check the sentence against the criteria.
6. Ask the pairs to improve the sentence orally: Can
you add a WOW word to the sentence? Discuss
their ideas and identify the WOW words.
7. Ask the students to work in pairs and to write
a sentence about the image that includes WOW
words. Prepare the sentence orally first, then write
it. (One student is the checker.) Swap roles after
each example.
8. Pairs share their sentences and circle their WOW
words.
9. Review some sentences and celebrate the WOW
words.
One way of revising and
practising skills is to have
students complete a quick
write.

1. Project a picture of an object or show the actual

object. Alternatively, show a short clip of the
object in operation.
2. Discuss in pairs or small groups how this object
works. Write notes or scribe a sentence on the
board to scaffold the activity.
3. The students write a short explanation of how the
object works.
Here are some ideas for objects:
scissors stapler key bike bow and arrow
door knob pencil sharpener can opener bottle opener
egg beater see-saw spray bottle knife clothes peg
wheelbarrow Lego brick.

These are shorter writing activities that could be

used as starter activities or one-off writing lessons.
Quick Writes support students to apply a range of
skills and knowledge in different contexts, and are
a great way to revise previously taught skills. Quick
Writes will also support reluctant or underachieving
students to feel successful as writers, and offer all
students variety in their writing programme. Here is
an example to support students to use precise words.

How does it work?

Materials
Mini-whiteboards/paper/writing books/tablets or
laptops
Images

Variations
Emergent writers could complete this Quick Write
orally and the teacher could scribe.
Draw and label the object to establish a bank of
precise vocabulary.
Draw a diagram, and label it to show how the
object works.
Write a script for an advertisement to sell the
object, pretending it is a new invention.

A downloadable version of this lesson and a

sentence opener ladder student support chart is
available on www.thewritingbook.com

Sheena Cameron and Louise Dempsey are both

experienced teachers and literacy consultants in New Zealand.
They have recently published a book called The Writing Book to
support teachers with the teaching of writing (see review Ed).
Sheena Cameron: sheena@sheenacameron.com
Louise Dempsey: louise@learningsmart.co.nz

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