Editors' Note: When this article was posted in Reading Online in May 1998, readers were invited to comment on it through a bulletin board feature that was discontinued when the journal was redesigned in July 2000. Following are the comments posted to that bulletin board.

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Post 1

Author: Robyne Ridge
Date: 08-18-1999 07:06

Has anyone as yet tried this activity?

I am working with a group of Year 7 students (first year at high school; 8th year of formal schooling) whose literacy skills are weak. These students are still coming to grips with the concept of a full stop (period?) and a sentence.

Basing our work on the Recount Frame we worked out the "history" of an island in our short story, "The Axe of Bronze".

This was a very useful activity as it modelled correct sentences, correct punctuation and the logical development and sequencing of ideas.

Next week we are moving onto some work in Science. I will again use the recount frame to help them analyse their topic, which is based on rivers.

Overall, I am finding this a very useful tool to initiate Year 7 students into the intricacies of written responses.

Has anyone else used it?

Reply 1a

Author: carol_borsheim
Date: 12-17-1999 20:53

I am fascinated. What is the "recount frame"? Where can I find out more? It sounds like a retelling format of some kind suited to older students. Help!

Reply 1b

Author: Robyne Ridge
Date: 12-17-1999 21:49

Carol,

You may have my reply now.

If you don't, check out the archives articles on this site. You want "An Approach to Factual Writing" -- it tells you all about the frames and discusses their use.

Address is http://www.readingonline.org/articles/writing/index.html

The work I did with them with my year 7s was very good. By the end of the year a number of them were beginning to write in paragraphs, WERE organising their thoughts and were comfortable about writing.

Hope it works for you.

Robyne

Reply 1c

Author: Gail_Cohen
Date: 04-11-2000 20:56

I read this article as part of a graduate course entitled " Literacy in A Technological Age". As a Basic Skills reading and writing teacher working with 2nd, 3rd and 4th grade struggling students, I found a few of the ideas presented of possible use. We do a lot of retell/recount writing, procedure writing in conjunction with sequencing acitivites (writing directions on how to make something, go somewhere, following steps) , persuasive writing ( the 4th graders wrote a letter to the editor of our local paper regarding their concerns over littering and pollution and possible solutions). I agree with the article when they state that inexperience is why elementary children have difficulty writing more than recounts. In their regular classrooms they do write reports for social studies and science. I think that they revised apprenticship model of teaching writing is a great model and intend to share this with my peers. Teaching children how to write, what to write and to enjoy writing is not an easy task. ANy help we can get in this area is truly appreciated. I printed out the recount frame and discussion frame for future use wit h my fourth graders. I intend to try to do more factual writing with my students even though they would prefer fictional writing. A good mix of both will be beneficial for them especially in this world of State content standards and state proficiency testing!

Reply 1d

Author: Robyne Ridge
Date: 04-12-2000 03:35

I've been working with the writing frames for a while now and we are adapting them for the different types of factual writing.

As the children become more adept with the frames they are able to branch out and add additional arguments.

I find that the frames really do give them both a sense of security (what should I do next?) and also a sense of direction -- the question is answered for them.

My boys, in particular, love to explore this

We work with reading material downloaded from the NASA site (Thursday's Classroom) and both boys and girls enjoy the topicality of this. Even in the southern hemisphere we look up into the heavens to see what has been described for us.

Then they practise writing that derives from the work sheets -- imitation of style. The improvement can be seen.

Robyne

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