Explain the importance of modelled writing in the primary English classroom

"Most teachers accept that children learn to read by reading. It is equally important that children learn to write by writing" (Evans, 1991, in EDU 282 Reader, 2005, 260). It would be unreasonable, then, to assume that children are born with an innate ability to write, as "writing is essentially a cultural artefact" (Green and Campbell, 2003,131). Happily, (and hopefully) the teaching of writing has moved on from the days where, embedded in the skills approach to literacy, it was …

…the process of modelled writing will provide them with the opportunities to make critical connections between speaking, reading and writing language. (Evans, 1991, in EDU 282 Reader, 2005, 261). Many issues, concepts and understandings of the way in which children learn to write must be taken into consideration when planning to teach writing in the classroom, and as modelled writing covers a large number of them, it will be an asset to include in any primary English literacy program.