Children as writers

· The purpose of my paper was to research the steps children take to acq uire written language. While doing this research, I also chronicled how children perceive themselves in the process of developing their written language. Within this framework, I sought the answer to what constitutes writing to a child. As an elementary school teacher, I have been involved with students and their language development. During twenty-plus years of teaching from grade three to grade six, the wide range of language abilities has been a source of interest for me. I wondered why students of similar learning abilities would have major differences in their ability to write. I personally observed, interviewed, and gathered writing samples from the students involved in my study. The students were divided into three groups according to their writing proficiency. The findings section reported the results of my research. I outlined the steps students took during their acquisition of written language along with how students perceived they acquired language. My research also explored how students perceived themselves as writers. I wrote about the roles parents and teachers have in a child\u27s language development, and how adults can increase a child\u27s chances for success. Finally, in the implications section of this paper, I mentioned what we must-do to offer children the opportunities for continued improvement. Technology was also touched upon and how it can be used in the development of written language, and the opportunities it offers