4-Square Method:

Creates in Writing
 The Importance of Writing in
Writing is a basic skill that needs to be

Malaysian Context
mastered by all students in the
Malaysian English Language curriculum
(Ministry of Education Malaysia, 2000).

Paper 1 is entirely on writing (85 marks)

Equips you with communication and

thinking skills .

Kogila Ramakrishnan
PPD KULIM BANDAR BAHARU
 Willingness Content

Syntax

Motivation Problems
faced by
weak Semantics
learners:
Creativity

Blank Paper Syndrome/ Writer’s Block

Kogila Ramakrishnan
PPD KULIM BANDAR BAHARU
 Blank Paper Syndrome/ Writer’s Block

…….the condition of being

unable to think of what to
write or how to proceed
with writing.

Kogila Ramakrishnan
PPD KULIM BANDAR BAHARU
Kogila Ramakrishnan
PPD KULIM BANDAR BAHARU
 Problems faced by weak learners:
• I don’t know what to write.
• I don’t understand the question.
• I don’t have the vocabulary.
• I know what to say (use of L1) but cannot
express in English.

Kogila Ramakrishnan
PPD KULIM BANDAR BAHARU
 Weak students do not often plan their writing
and frequently begin writing immediately.
(Ridhuan & Abdullah, 2009)

Chien (2010) claimed that the high achievers in

his study focused more on generating text
(writing out the sentences) while the low
achievers focused only on generating ideas.

Kogila Ramakrishnan
PPD KULIM BANDAR BAHARU
 4 Square Method (Judith Gould)
• a way to learn to generate ideas to write.
• a method of teaching basic writing skills that is
applicable across levels and curriculum areas.
• can be applied areas. It can be applied for the
narrative, for the narrative, descriptive,
expository descriptive, expository and
persuasive forms of and persuasive forms of
writing. writing.

Kogila Ramakrishnan
PPD KULIM BANDAR BAHARU
 Prewriting and organizational
skills are taught through the
use of a graphic organizer.
 This visual and kinesthetic aid is 4 Square
employed to focus writing, to
provide detail and to enhance
word choice.
Writing
 „The visual organizers help
students to:
Conceptualize
Understand
Structure
a piece of written discourse
successfully.

Kogila Ramakrishnan
PPD KULIM BANDAR BAHARU
Kogila Ramakrishnan
PPD KULIM BANDAR BAHARU
 Address the Blank Improve students’
Paper Syndrome ability to write

This method
aspires to:

Generate ideas Motivate students

Kogila Ramakrishnan
PPD KULIM BANDAR BAHARU
 Methodology

Participants: Form 4 (1 class)

Materials: 4 Square template / Prompts (Essays)

Duration: 3 months

Data Collection: Pre Test (AR1) / Post Test (AR2)

Kogila Ramakrishnan
PPD KULIM BANDAR BAHARU
 Example:

I will never forget my

sixteenth birthday.

Kogila Ramakrishnan
PPD KULIM BANDAR BAHARU
My parents gave me a gift. My uncle threw a surprise party.

I will never forget my

sixteenth birthday.

I went for a movie with my friends. Summary

Kogila Ramakrishnan
PPD KULIM BANDAR BAHARU
 My uncle threw a surprise party.
My parents gave me a gift.
Where was it?
What was it?
How did you feel?
How did you feel?
Dishes served?

I will never forget my

sixteenth birthday.

I went for a movie with my friends. Summary:

Where?
How did you feel? Reinforce the 3 statements above.
What else took place?

Kogila Ramakrishnan
PPD KULIM BANDAR BAHARU
 Add linkers/ transition word

My uncle threw a surprise party.

My parents gave me a gift.
Where was it?
What was it?
How did you feel?
How did you feel?
Dishes served?
Early in the day, Later,

I will never forget my

sixteenth birthday.
In conclusion,
I went for a movie with my friends. Summary:
Where?
How did you feel? Reinforce the 3 statements above.
What else took place?
After lunch,
Kogila Ramakrishnan
PPD KULIM BANDAR BAHARU
Kogila Ramakrishnan
PPD KULIM BANDAR BAHARU
Kogila Ramakrishnan
PPD KULIM BANDAR BAHARU
 Conclusion/
AR 1 Results: AR 2 Results
Findings
• 26 Students • 20 Students • The students
scored less who scored less are engaged in
than 10 for CW than 10 have the writing
(Total 50 eventually sessions.
marks) scored more (5- • The fear of not
• Blank paper 17 marks) knowing what
syndrome (12 • Blank paper to write is no
students) syndrome was longer present.
reduced. (Only • They are
2) motivated and
more confident
to write.

Kogila Ramakrishnan
PPD KULIM BANDAR BAHARU
 4-Square Method:
Creates in Writing

- The students are engaged in the writing sessions.

- The fear of not knowing what to write is no longer
present.
- They are motivated and more confident to write.

Kogila Ramakrishnan
PPD KULIM BANDAR BAHARU
 Resources

Four Square Writing Method : A Unique Approach to

Teaching Basic Writing Skills for Grades 1 -3 by Judith S.
Gould

Writing Workouts That Work: By the Authors of Four

Square Writing by Judith S. Gould

Kogila Ramakrishnan
PPD KULIM BANDAR BAHARU
 References
Chien, S. (2010). Enhancing English composition teachers’ awareness of their
students’ writing strategy use. The Asia-Pacific Education Researcher, 19(3),
417-438.

Congjun, M., & Carrington, S. (2007). An investigation of three Chinese

students’ writing strategies. TESL-EJ, 11(1). Retrieved December 24, 2010,
from http://tesl-ej.org/results.html

Ridhuan, M., & Abdullah, T. L. (2009). The writing strategies used by

Engineering ESL Malay learners. Conference of the International Journal of
Arts & Sciences. Retrieved December 27, 2010, from
http://eprints.utp.edu.my/2035/

Kogila Ramakrishnan
PPD KULIM BANDAR BAHARU
Kogila Ramakrishnan
PPD KULIM BANDAR BAHARU