Dr Livingstone, I presume?

Teacher Modelling

Modelling both factual and narrative texts enables a teacher to focus students' attention on different writing forms and to develop a shared language. 

Modelling empowers students to observe, discover, classify and organise their knowledge about written language and apply this knowledge to their own reading and writing 

Provide opportunities for texts to be constructed in front of the students. Planned modelling may include a particular text, based on the teaching focus that is to be developed, and the planned reading and analysis of the text, with the students. 

For example, the teacher may read a range of reports to introduce the students to the structure and language features found in report writing. The teacher demonstrates how to write in this particular form, through the construction in front of the students, discussing the structure and the process as the report is written. 

Modelling is a powerful way of demonstrating 

·	What was the author's intent? 
·	What would the author need to know?
·	How was the information organised?
·	How did the author write the text?
·	Who was the audience for the text?
·	How authors go about writing. 
·	How they plan for their writing. 
·	How they work and rework their writing (editing/proof reading). 
·	How different writing forms are used for different purposes and audiences. 

© Ministry of Education, Wellington, New Zealand (First published 1998)