Persuasive kinds of language present the case for one viewpoint and include advertisements and political propaganda. Visual texts can also be powerful in pressing one way of looking at things. In the UK in the renewed Framework (2006) a distinction is made between ‘persuasive’ texts which present one side of a case and ‘discussion’ texts which set out more than one viewpoint. Both of these kinds of writing involve argument and come late on in The Framework – in Year 5 when children are aged nine to ten years. This reflects a general assumption that developmentally narrative precedes argument and that ‘recounts’ will be the main kind of non-fiction writing before about nine years.
There have been some convincing challenges to this view. Mallett and Doyle found five year olds were alert to the environmental issues when learning about whales. The picture book The Whales’ Song by Sheldon and Blyth contrasts the view of Uncle Fred that whales are valuable for their blubber and oil with the belief of Lucy and her Grandmother that whales are unique and beautiful creatures which should be protected. It is never too soon to discuss issues! (Mallett, 1999, p. 164). Riley and Reedy also used a picture book, Anthony Browne’s Zoo in this case, to help children organise the arguments for and against keeping animals in captivity. They conclude that there are good reasons for including ‘argument’ in our teaching from the earliest years. The kind of thinking used in spoken and written forms of argument and persuasion seems to develop much earlier than was once thought. Where children are deeply interested in a topic their enthusiasm can be harnessed to acquiring a form to express it (Riley and Reedy, 2000, Chapter 8).
There are some things to bear in mind in developing this kind of thinking, discussing and writing throughout the primary years. First of all we need to plan the work round something likely to engage the children’s interest and arouse strong feelings. Riley and Reedy’s Zoo work came about within a bigger theme – ‘Living Things’. Some kind of new experience can awaken a line of thinking – a letter, a picture or story. In the Riley and Reedy case study, a picture book was the trigger to thinking about some rather troubling issues. In Browne’s book the mother thinks the lion looks ‘sad’ and children begin to reflect on why this may be so. The second thing to consider is how we support children’s writing, how we direct all the excitement and feeling into an appropriate written form. Class or group discussion helps children consider the arguments and counter arguments of the issue. (Persuasive language presents one viewpoint but we do need to be aware of possible counter arguments in presenting the case powerfully.) Wilkinson got seven year olds to talk about the case for and against having playtime before asking them to write. The children were particularly encouraged to make a point and then elaborate it, and this structure was taken through to their written accounts later on (Wilkinson, 1990).
Sometimes it is helpful to put a structure on discussion by linking it to headings on a board or flip chart. In Riley and Reedy’s ‘zoo’ case study the teacher organised the children’s discussion under two headings on a flip chart: ‘Good for animals’ and ‘Bad for animals’. Of course we must remember that much early writing is transitional and we do not want to press young children too quickly into mature forms (Barrs, 1987). The gentle shaping of thinking before writing used in the ‘zoo’ case study seems appropriate.
Are there some ways of helping older primary children to come closer to controlling the conventional ways of presenting argument? They still benefit from discussing the arguments first. When it comes to writing, they may need some help in creating a structure. Some children find the writing frames developed by Wray and Lewis helpful. These frames suggest that persuasive accounts or accounts setting out an argument begin with an opening statement defining the issue, go on to state the arguments using point and elaboration and end with a summary. A slightly different structure is suggested for discussion texts. These begin with a statement of the issue and also a brief preview of the main arguments. Then the arguments for the case are set out with supporting evidence, next the counter arguments get the same treatment and the writing concludes with a summary and recommendations (Wray and Lewis, 1997, p. 119).
The teaching challenge is of course to make sure the excitement and interest survives the writing tasks. It is well worth spending time on persuasive talking and writing, not least because understanding the ethical and controversial aspects of a topic takes children forward in becoming critical readers and writers.
Barrs, Myra (1987) ‘Mapping the world’, in English in Education NATE, 21(3).
Mallett, Margaret (1999) Young Researchers: Informational Reading and Writing in the Early and Primary Years London: Routledge (Chapter 6, p. 164).
Riley, Jeni and Reedy, David (2000) Developing Writing for Different Purposes London: Paul Chapman (see Chapter 8, ‘Developing control of the argument/persuasive genre’).
Wilkinson, A. (1990) ‘Argument as a primary act of mind’ in English in Education NATE, 24(1).
Wray, David and Lewis, Maureen (1997) Extending Literacy: Children Reading and Writing Non-fiction London: Routledge.
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