Richard Ward
University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand
The paper includes a critical appraisal of existing criteria for responding to writers is offered and an alternative that is more applicable to current writing approaches and those for the new millennium is described. It offers a framework for responding to writing and writers. It is based on a paradigm that encompasses a range of writing functions for Early and Fluent writers in terms of their control of the process, or responding to script, the product.
Within the theme of assessing writing or responding to a writer, the proposed paper contributes to an awareness of language because:
- it clarifies the developmental stages in writing in terms of the characteristics of Emergent, Early and Fluent writers
When these three variables are posted in a matrix, the flexibility of response opportunities is significantly broadened. In this way the paper offers a novel approach to assessing and responding to writing that incorporates the latest findings from field research.