Development models of written language acquisition

Reading and writing is one of the most important skills that a person must acquire in order to survive in a society like ours and not be excluded. Life without these skills is almost impossible and comes with a high level of complications and compromises.
In 2003, almost 862 million people were illiterate worldwide. One of the main tasks of a primary school teacher is that he teaches his pupils how to read and write and is able to understand the processes of writing development.

Especially in the last 20 years, experts have increasingly dealt with the topic of written language acquisition. It was not until 1976 that the term written language acquisition was introduced into the German discussion, first by Weigl and later primarily by Brügelmann. Not least because of the PISA studies, society was once again confronted with this topic and its related problems. But how do you actually learn to read and write? What are the requirements for a child to learn to read and write? What stages and phases does it go through?

I would like to deal with these questions in my paper. I will present three development models of written language acquisition in detail and then make a short critical review. I chose the models by Günther, Valtin and Spitta because they are among the most up-to-date development models and were also presented in the advanced seminar “Written Language Acquisition and Spelling”. I would also like to ask myself what development models achieve and why they were chosen for written language acquisition.

Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)

• 1. Introduction
• 2. Why development models? And what can they do?
• 2.1 Development model according to Günther
• 2.2 Written language acquisition according to Spitta
• 2.3 The step-by-step model of writing development according to Valtin
• 3. Critical review and conclusion

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)

This term paper explores the development models of written language acquisition, emphasizing their importance for educators in understanding the process of learning to read and write. The paper aims to present a detailed overview of three prominent models: Günther, Valtin, and Spitta. It further seeks to analyze their contributions to the field and examine how they can be used to support the development of literacy skills in children.

• The importance of understanding written language acquisition as a developmental process.
• The role of development models in explaining the stages and strategies children utilize in learning to read and write.
• The significance of recognizing individual differences and learning styles in children's acquisition of written language.
• The impact of "errors" as indicators of development and learning in the process of acquiring written language.
• The application of development models in determining individual student levels of development and designing tailored support measures.

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)

• Introduction: This chapter establishes the context for the paper by highlighting the crucial role of literacy in modern society and emphasizing the significance of understanding the processes involved in learning to read and write. It outlines the paper's objectives, focusing on presenting three development models of written language acquisition and offering a critical review.
• Why development models? And what can they do?: This chapter explores the rationale for utilizing development models to understand written language acquisition. It emphasizes their value in illustrating the temporal course of children's learning, highlighting the stages and strategies employed. The chapter further delves into the practical implications of these models for educators, including recognizing individual differences, interpreting "errors" as developmental indicators, and tailoring support measures based on identified levels of development.
• Development model according to Günther: This chapter provides a detailed presentation of Günther's "step-by-step model of written language acquisition," highlighting its connection to Uta Frith's work and its unique contributions. The chapter explores the five phases of Günther's model, emphasizing the interconnectedness of reading and writing and the sequential development of strategies that lead to higher levels of literacy.

Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)

The key concepts explored in this paper include written language acquisition, development models, literacy skills, reading and writing strategies, individual differences, and "errors" as developmental indicators. The work focuses on three prominent models: Günther, Valtin, and Spitta, highlighting their contributions to understanding the stages and processes involved in children's acquisition of written language.

Details

• Hochschule: Universität Münster
• Note: 2,0
• Autor: Isabelle Neuhaus (Autor:in)
• Erscheinungsjahr: 2006
• Seiten: 15
• Katalognummer: V1172319
• ISBN (eBook): 9783346587237
• Sprache: Englisch
• Schlagworte: development