1
TEACHING WRITING DESCRIPTIVE TEXT BY COMBINING SENTENCE STEM STRATEGY WITH FLOWER STRATEGY AT JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL
By:
Septia Fitri*)
**) Belinda Analido, M.Pd Staff Pengajar Program Studi Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris STKIP PGRI Sumatera Barat
ABSTRAK
Writing merupakan salah satu keahlian yang harus diajarkan dalam mata pelajaran bahasa inggris (menulis). Pengajaran writing diharapkan dapat menjadikan siswa–siswa mampu mengekspresikan ide-ide mereka kedalam bentuk teks descriptive. Namun kenyataanya masih banyak siswa yang mengalami kesulitan dalam menulis. Flower dan Sentence Stem merupakan strategi pengajaran menulis yang dapat digunakan oleh guru dalam proses belajar mengajar di kelas. Dalam makalah ini penulis membahas tentang bagaimana mengajarkan menulis dalam Bahasa Inggris.
Dalam makalah ini, penulis membahas bagaimana pengajaran writing melalui pengabungan Sentence Stem strategy dan Flower strategy. Strategy ini mempermudah guru meningkatkan keinginan siswa untuk menulis dan mempermudah siswa menyampaikan ide, pikiran, dan perasaan mereka dalam bentuk tulisan.
Tujuan penggabungan dua strategi ini adalah membantu siswa dalam menulis sebuah teks descriptive serta dengan menggabung kalimat. Penulis mengharapkan agar penggabungan strategi ini bisa memecahkan masalah siswa dalam pelajaran writing.
Key word: Teaching writing, Sentence Stem, Flower
* Penulis
** Pembimbing Introduction
Writing is writen communication and also one of communication tools. Through writing can express and explain own ideas. It is also a comprehensive ability that involves some aspect such as grammar and vocabulary. In writing activity, the students must learn how to comunicate his or her idea. In addition, writing is one of the four skill that should be learned by students in English class. Writing is also categorized as a productive skill. It is called productive skill because students try to create and produce idea which is derived from the mind.
Teaching writing is a process where the teacher helps the students to develop the ideas into a sentence, and some sentence into a paragraph. Thus, students can respond their writing that they have and create ideas based on what they think. For example, they can share their experiences with others in the written from.
Based on the writer’s observation in Junior High School . It was found that there where still many problem that are faced by teacher and the student. The first, the student had difficulties in getting idea for the writing. It was caused the teacher could not help the student to generate their idea. This problem also make the students had difficulties to recognize the words and they also had limited vocabulary so that they do not know what they could write and how to write it. Second, the student had difficulties to expose their ideas because at junior high school student had difficulties to select, combining, arrangir and developing ideas into good sentence and paragraph in the paper. Then, it is related to the teacher, the teacher still has problem in selecting the appropiate strategy. Usually in teaching writing, the teacher only give the student the text and make summary without leading the student on each steps of writing.
In writing, students follow some steps to be a good writer, the steps are prewriting, drafting, revising, editing and publishing. The process of writing the students should have enough background knowledge related to the topic that they want to write by having enough background knowledge, the students can
2 develop their ideas reasonably into good writing
In solving the problem above, it is important for the teacher to find the appropriate strategy to improve student’s writing ability. There are many strategies in teaching writing such as ; fist learning strategy, sentence stem strategy. The writer used strategy is called a sentence stem strategy is an strategy that allows children to capture a particular moment in a story. Is a good way to the student the write because this strategy can make student to be creative and active.
Review Of Related Literature
Writing is described as a process of sharing ideas and communication in the writing, there are some definition of writing that given by experts. According to Leo (2007: 1), writing is the process of thing and how to express idea in written from. If the students want to express their ideas or their thinking about something, they can write in a paper and share it to the others. So that, there will be different ideas and from of each writing result from different writers.
In teaching writing teacher must be sure to select resources and support materials that not only aid them in teaching how to write, but that will also be the most effective in helping their students learn to write. In teaching writing ,the students hope to be able in communicating and compose ideas into written form.
Teaching Writing
Teaching writing is not easy, both teacher and students should give full concertration on this subject. According to Harmer (2003:7) teaching writing to students of english as a foreign language included reinforcement, language development, learning style and most importantly, writing as a skill in its own right. It means that although many reason for teaching writing class, but it more important things is the students can understand what have the teacher taught to the students in teaching learning english, especially in teaching writing skill for students
Senior high school. If the teacher have many style or strategy in teaching writing skill but, the students can not understand about what the teacher teach, it is imposible and nothing.
Sentence Steam Strategy
Stem strategy is one of the writing strategies that can be applied by the teacher in teaching English writing because by using this strategy students will motivate in formulating the idea. Klentschy (2010:113) defines sentence stem strategy is a strategy prompts students to think about and express beliefs and opinions on important issues, experiences, and emotions. This strategy put the teacher in the role of classroom as guider rather than motivator. Stem strategy also improve student’s brainstorming about opinions on important issues or experience and emotions to motivate student’s to get idea.
Procedure of Sentence Stem Strategy
There are some teaching procedures of sentence stem strategy .the first is according gentry, et al (2012: 83 ) the procedure of sentence stem strategy as follow :
1. Explain that sometimes authors, use sentence or phrase patterns to capture their readers attention 2. Review a mentor text if desired,
and emphasize the repetitive phrases
3. Tell students, ‘ today I will show you how to use a sentence stem and link a couple of idea together
‘explain that you will begin with a sentence stem, and then strengthen the sentence so it is more interesting, show students sentence builders and tell them they will each get a copy to put in their writing folders.
4. Model how to use sentence stem from sentence Builders to begin sentence
5. Engage ask students to Heads- up, stand-up, partner-up to orally practice using one of the sentence stems with a partner.
6. Apply distribute more sentence builders for students to add to their writing folders.
3 7. Write / conference Provide time
for students to write. When students seem to be involved in their writing begin conferencing with individuals or small groups 8. Spotlight strategy sentence stem
usage for example brilliant writing, notice how Rachel has used a sentence stem from the chart as an idea and has included three additional details that support it. Great work’
9. Share, have two students share their work in the author’s chair.
Remind students to be ready to pay compliments or ask questions.
From the procedure above, it can be concluded that Sentence Stem strategy is uses to draft and revise written work. This process can be use before writing. Besides that, this procedure repetitive phrases and sentence support student as they begin to add quantity to their writing.
Flower Strategy
According to Burton (2006: 52) flower strategy is a writing strategy involves writing down the central idea supported by the details around that have connection to make a complete paragraph. Its means that the student can develop the idea base on the topic that teacher given. The student helped by teacher use a media.
Procedure of Flower Strategy
There are some procedures of sentence Flower Strategy which are proposed by the experts, the first is according to Burton (2006:52) the procedures of Flower Strategy as follow :
a. Introduce the flower strategy before begin the lesson
b. Select the main idea / topic that will be discussed
c. Find the supporting detail which is related to the topic
d. Construct a good paragraph by combine the topic and detail to be an essay.
In conclusion, the writers get the point procedure of flower can help the student to make a paragraph. This strategy is easily to apply in the class. Firstly, the teacher make a graphic like a flower in the white board as media. Next, teacher ask students to develop supporting ideas.
Discussion
Writing is an essential skill to communicate besides speaking. In speaking, the process of communication involves speaker and listener, but writing is a process of communication that takes place between the writer and reader. The teacher usually uses some strategies in teaching learning process in the class. It purposes to help the students to be more understand about what they are studying.
Strategy which is used in each school is not the same because, it should match with students’ need and students’ interest in studying. The writer will discuss about teaching writing by combining two strategies.
A. Combination of Sentence Stem and Flower Strategy
The writer combines sentence stem strategy and flower strategy to help this students to be more interested and focus in learning writing. Sentence stem strategy and flower strategy activity use in whilst teaching part. The different is sentence stem strategy used in exploration part and flower strategy is used in elaboration.
Combining Sentence Stem strategy and Flower Strategy in teaching writing for Senior High School.
1. Select appropriate material which is related to lesson at the day
2. Tell students, today I will show you how to use a Sentence Stem and link a couple of idea together explain that you will begin with a Sentence Stem, and then strengthen the Sentence so it is more interesting, show students Sentence builders and tell them they will each get a copy to put in their writing folders
3. Explain that sometimes authors, use Sentence or phrase patterns to capture their readers attention
4 4. Review a mentor text if desired, and
emphasize the repetitive phrases 5. Introduce each component of the
writing pieces ( the pistil or center of the flower and petal around the flower) using the flower graphic organizer
6. Model how to use Sentence Stem from sentence Builders to begin sentence
7. When initially introducing the strategy, the teacher will first give a sample writing piece for students to model work from formulating a thesis statement and the general topic areas that students will use to support their position.
8. Spotlight strategy Sentence Stem usage for example brilliant writing ,notice how Rachel used a Sentence Stem from the chart as an idea and has included three additional details that support it. Great work.
9. Engage ask students to Heads- up, stand-up, partner-up to orally practice using one of the sentence stems with a partner
10. Apply distribute more sentence builders for students to add to their writing folders
11. Together the class will analyze the problem structure of the text
Main idea / introduction (the topic that will be describe)
Detail (all the supporting sentence to the topic)
Transition word
12. Students write the essay using the steps that the strategy provided
13. Share, have two students share their work in the author’s chair. Remind Students to be ready to pay compliments or ask questions
14. Write / conference Provide time for
students to write. When students seem to be involved in their writing begin
conferencing with individuals or small groups
15. Students will complete the teacher generated flower graphic organizer to plan piece to ensure that all elements are included.
To create a good situation in the classroom, teacher and student have to follow several procedures. They are pre teaching activities, whilst teaching activities, and post teaching activities. First pre-teaching activities, pre teaching activities are activity at the beginning at the class. Function of pre teaching activities is to explore the students’
background knowledge. Second whilst- teaching activities, in this stage any two divides the first in explanation we will using Sentence Stem Strategy and in elaboration we will using Flower Strategy and that is related to the topic that is related to the topic that will teach to the student and in the confirmation teacher will discuss the material and checks students tasks. The last post teaching activities, post teaching activities are the activity at the end of the lesson. Post teaching activities also provides a review and an evaluation of the material.
1. Pre-teaching Activity
To stimulate the students background knowledge, the teacher has to do pre teaching activities at the beginning of the class. The purposes of these activities are to make students do not nervous, they keep spirit to star studying and the teacher can motivate them.
The procedures of pre teaching activities are:
A. Greeting
B. Checking students attendance
C. The teacher brainstorms the students by giving picture
2. Whilst teaching activity
Whilst teaching activity is the activity. In whilst-teaching activity, the writer applies the procedure of Flower strategy and stem. The procedures in whilst-teaching activity as follow:
a) (Exploration)
a. Teacher asks the students to sit in group
b. The teacher shows the sheet of Flower strategy. The teacher c. The teacher and students
discus how to make a text by using Flower strategy
d. The picture leads the students to find the main idea/ topic based on the picture that students see. The teacher leads
5 the students by giving the questions that are related to the picture.
b) (elaboration)
In elaboration part, teacher uses Flower Strategy some procedures as follow ;
e. After that, the teacher leads the students to find the characteristic of the picture by giving some questions that are related to the picture
f. This is example of diagram flower strategy
g. Before going to make the text, the teacher teaches the students about the conjunction word:
And, so, then, after that, but, or, yet, for and nor
h. After completing the diagram, the teacher arranges the sentences in the diagram into a good descriptive paragraph.
i. The teacher and the students discuss some difficult words that are found by students in the story. It will help the students to find the meaning of the text by grouping the difficult words.
j. After the teacher explains how to make the text by using Flower strategy, then the teacher asks the students to make a text by them self based on the picture that is provided by the teacher.
c) (Confirmation)
k. The teacher asks the students to choose one of the pictures above that will be written into text by using flower strategy l. The teacher leads the
students to write the main idea based on the pictures that the students get. The teacher gives the some questions that is related to the main idea of the picture
m. After that, the teacher lead the students to find the
characteristic of the picture by giving some questions that is related to the picture
n. After students make text from the sheet, the teachers asks the students to check their paper by exchanging with another.
They revise it based on the teacher’s guideline.
o. After revising the friend’s paper, the paper are given back to the owner
p. After getting the paper, the students edit and revise the mistakes on their text
q. The teacher asks the students to rewrite the text and collect I to the teacher
3. Post-teaching activity
Post-teaching activity is an activity that is done after pre-teaching activity and whilst- teaching activity. There are activity in post- teaching activity:
Evaluation
Evaluation is done by teacher to know and measure the students’ understanding about material that has been taught by the teacher. The teacher can evaluate the students by giving homework. Students are given three pictures of the artist and asked students to make descriptive text based images within an exercise book.
Conclusion
Writing is the most important skill that must be mastered well by all students. Because by writing, the students can communicate with the other people indirectly.
To develop students writing skill, teacher should give interesting strategy in teaching.
There are many strategies that make students interesting in writing activities. In this paper
6 the writer combining Sentence Stem Strategy and Flower Strategy.
Sentence Stem Strategy is a strategy that helps to respond as fast as you can, without thinking or worrying about the practicality of your answers. The assumption is that the ideas that matter most are already inside us and will come out spontaneously. Teacher often uses this strategy as a way to get feedback about students written understanding. The students can write a lead easy by explore their idea as well as.
Then Flower strategy, this is a great and simple writing strategy for helping students explain their thinking process and creativity in order to make support logical argument in making a complete paragraph. The teacher guides the students to write paragraph based on the steps and point that are provided by this strategy and this strategy will make the students can creative and easy to explore and write their ideas.
References
Gentry, Richard. 2012, Getting to The Core of Writing. Huntington Beach : Shell Educational Publishing. Inc
Jacobson, Julie, Kelly and Diane. 2011.
Effective instruction For English Language Learners. New York : Guildford press.
Jones, David C. 2011. Teaching Strategies that Really Works. Endicott College :[email protected]
Klentschy, Michael. 2010. Using Science Notebooks in Middle School : National Science Teachers Association
Murphy, Debby. 2010. You Can’t Say It Louder : Differential Strategies Comprehending Nonfiction.
California ; Shell Education Publishing, Inc
Mursyid . M. 2012 . Learning descriptive text.
Karangdadap : University of California Berkeley Extension.
Schiraldi, Glenn R. 2007. 10 Simple Solution For Building Self – Esteem ; New Harbinger Publications, Inc
Schacter, John. 2008. The Master Teacher Series descriptive Writing. To Purchase the Book and CD-ROM go to www. Teaching doctors.com
Silberman, Shoshana. 2009. Active Jewish Learning : Torah Aura Production
