Wordprocessing and Desk Top Publishing

Access to word-processing and Desk Top Publishing (DTP) software means that children's writing can be more varied.

• Templates for different genres of writing can be created;
• Less able or less willing writers can be prompted by the use of writing frames with word banks containing appropriate vocabulary - examples (Textease files as compressed Zip archives):
  • Henry VIII (henry_8.zip 185 kb)
  • Neil Armstrong (neil_a.zip 385 kb)
  • Invaders and Settlers - Romans (roman _c_e.zip 76 kb)
• Writing frames are particularly useful for scaffolding children's efforts when they are being introduced to new types of writing (for example, reports or explanations). They should be dispensed with as soon as children are familiar and confident with the new form.
• DTP software enables children to experiment with different layouts of text and pictures on a page;
• Use of some DTP software (such as Textease) or multimedia authoring packages (such as Opus Headstart) enables users to present information using text, pictures, sound and even video.