Teachers are often warned that transcription is a cognitive bottleneck in writing. The argument goes like this: because young writers must devote so much attention to letter formation and spelling, asking them to compose their own writing creates cognitive overload.
There is truth in this claim. We want children to master transcription as a matter of priority. While children are still learning transcription skills such as handwriting and spelling, these processes can place heavy demands on children’s working memory. When this happens, children’s compositions will not be as good as they could be. This is one reason why explicit instruction in handwriting, phonics and spelling is so important.
However, a misunderstanding often follows from this insight. Some educators conclude that children should not compose their own texts until transcription has reached a certain level of mastery. In other words, transcription becomes a necessary prerequisite for composition.
This conclusion is not supported by writing research.¹
Writing development does not happen in a strict sequence
This confusion often arises when ideas from reading theory are applied directly to writing. The Simple View of Reading explains that reading comprehension depends on two components: decoding and language comprehension. But this model does not prescribe how writing should be taught.
Research on writing points to a different relationship between transcription and composition. In the Simple View of Writing, transcription and composition are understood as interacting processes that develop alongside each other over time.
While weak transcription can certainly constrain composition, the solution is not to delay composing. Instead, research suggests that both capacities should be developed concurrently.¹
Children improve their transcription not only through explicit instruction but also through frequent and meaningful writing opportunities.²
When transcription becomes a barrier
Ironically, we can create the very bottleneck we are trying to avoid! Transcription becomes a barrier when educationalists expect children to write like adults. When this happens, children receive an implicit message:
- Only write words you can spell correctly
- Limit your vocabulary use
- Keep your ideas simple
The result is predictable. Writing becomes constrained and demotivating.
How young children already solve this bottleneck problem
Studies have shown that young writers actually develop strategies that allow them to express ideas before their transcription is fully fluent. These include:
- Emergent writing. Young children may combine drawings, marks, letter-like forms and some conventional letters to communicate meaning.³
- Informed spelling. Children attempt spellings based on their ever developing understanding of sounds in words (for example, writing TRNSRS for tyrannosaurus).⁴
- “Kid writing”. A mixture of lines and conventional spelling within the same text.⁵
All these strategies are rich with evidence of learning.
Research shows that children’s early spellings often reflect their developing phonological and morphological knowledge. When teachers invite children to attempt spellings in this way, they gain valuable insight into what children currently understand about sounds, letters, morphology and orthography.
Incidentally, children who are encouraged to write using these strategies go on to become stronger readers and writers than those who don’t.⁴
If you don’t want transcription to become a bottleneck for your pupils, don’t allow it to be.
Why allowing these strategies matters
When classrooms allow these forms of early writing, several important things happen.
- ALL children can begin composing immediately. A child who wants to write about a tyrannosaurus does not need to know the conventional spelling before attempting the word. Every child can begin their writing journey from their very first day of Nursery.
- Children write more, and more happily. More writing means more opportunities to connect sounds with letters and to apply their transcriptional knowledge in meaningful contexts.
- Children’s ideas no longer need be constrained by their transcription. Children can experiment with ambitious vocabulary and compositions without fear. they can get it all down on paper.
- Transcription continues to improve. Through explicit instruction in phonics, handwriting and spelling and frequent writing opportunities, children continue their journey towards mastering transcription early in their school lives.⁴
In other words, transcription develops by:
- Providing explicit instruction in letter formation, handwriting, phonics and spelling.⁶
- Teaching children strategies for encoding words, including writing ‘informed spellings’.
- Using emergent and ‘kid writing’ as temporary scaffolds while transcription is being developed (in earnest).
- Planning loads of meaningful, motivating and engaging writing opportunities so children can compose their own texts.
When these elements are in place, transcription does not prevent children from becoming writers. Instead, it develops alongside their growing joy and ability to express their ideas.
References
- The research on developing children’s transcription and compositional skills [LINK]
- Visualising The Science Of Writing: The Writing Map Explained [LINK]
- Debunking edu-myths: ‘Emergent writing’ isn’t necessary before teaching children to write [LINK]
- Supporting children’s early word writing [LINK]
- Debunking edu-myths: Children should only write words they can spell [LINK]
- Spelling and handwriting provision: A checklist [LINK]