Original article: LINK
By Elizabeth Jaeger
Jaeger’s study discusses the unique collaborative writing experience of a group of primary-aged students have during their writing lessons. Rodrigo, Ryan, Sam, and Paul, among others, spontaneously co-authored a superhero story over six weeks, which was distinguished by its intensity, creativity, and influence on their peers. This phenomenon occurred in a classroom environment focused on meaning-making and student agency, consistent with a communicative approach to teaching writing.
The purpose of Jaeger’s study was to explore the possibilities for student-centered co-composing practices in primary classrooms by analysing the children’s collaborative processes, their interactions, and the multi-voiced texts they produced [LINK]. The paper argues that the boys’ work was characterised by both heteroglossic (multi-voiced) discourse and a complementary outcome, demonstrating the potential of more fluid and responsive writing processes in education.
Interactions among co-writers:
The paper describes various ways young writers interact, including planning, negotiating, narrating, and using nonlinguistic modes of communication [LINK]. Students often engage in ‘reactive writing’, a process characterised by minimal planning and instead focus on frequent modification of texts. Turn-taking is also seen as essential, and negotiation of content, roles, and revisions is common. Conflict is ultimately seen as beneficial as it encourages deeper thinking and the refinement and justification of certain writing ideas. Keeping track of the evolving text is also a priority with frequent re-reading aloud together [LINK]. Finally, sound effects and drawings may also contribute to the creative process [LINK]. Occasionally, young writers will discuss and reflect on their writing process too.
Benefits of co-authoring:
The review identifies several benefits of co-authoring, including enhancing each other’s writing processes, improvements in final written products, better decision-making, and positive affect (feelings). Students tend to work harder and produce stronger texts when supported to co-write compared to writing alone. The process also promotes a community of writers and situational motivation in the writing classroom. This is because co-authoring naturally facilitates both cognitive and social development, as students must consider, reflect, justify and reconcile their authorial differences. Additionally, it offers affective benefits, such as pleasure, care for peers, and emotional support, which in turn can foster creativity [LINK].
Further CPD articles:
- Developing children’s talk for writing [LINK]
- A quick guide to class sharing and Author’s Chair [LINK]
- The impact of oral language and transcription skills on children’s early writing [LINK]
- The relationship between oral language, content knowledge, cognitive skills and writing [LINK]
- Comparing children’s oral and written storyretelling: the role of ideation and transcription [LINK]