Playful Punctuation
A published version of this paper (March 2024) is available for purchase from PETAA at: PP231: Playful punctuation (petaa.edu.au)
AUTHOR COPY
About the authors
Dr Lorri Beveridge and Michael Murray present the popular registered course, Let’s Write a Unit for PETAA and are English consultants. Amy Dickinson is a primary special education executive.
“Punctuation is the music of language. As a conductor can influence the experience of the song by manipulating its rhythm, so can punctuation influence the reading experience, bring out the best (or worst) in a text.”
Lukeman 2006 p2
Learning to use punctuation correctly is integral to becoming literate, as it adds meaning to texts both when reading and writing. Punctuation marks are road signs helping students improve their reading; showing them where to stop, pause and change their voices (Angelillo, 2002). Conversely, punctuation supports writers by allowing them some control over how the text is read and therefore how meaning is made. Punctuation has a functional role which contributes to meaning making in texts and a cosmetic one which enhances writing style. Stylistic punctuation provides some genres with a specific orthographic identity, for example in advertising. Intertwined in these broad roles of punctuation usage, is a ludic (playful) function, which facilitates ease of information processing and communication (Crystal, 2016).
What is punctuation and why is it important?
Punctuation comprises the spacing, signs and symbols which aid the understanding of correct reading, including silent reading and reading aloud, both in handwritten and printed texts (Brown, 2020). Punctuation marks are symbols, different from letters, that provide information from the writer as to how the text should be read. Punctuation helps to establish meaning in texts and its use can vary according to the writer’s style, as well as the type of text being written.
Students need to be able to punctuate their writing in ways that are appropriate to the specific kind of writing they are engaged in. Punctuation is important because it:
• allows written text to be read clearly by displaying its grammatical structure
• provides the reader with clues about how the written text can be read aloud
• highlights units of meaning.
(Crystal, 1995, p278)
Where does punctuation sit in the writing process?
Teaching punctuation sits under the wider umbrella of teaching writing. Teaching writing involves instruction in a range of key skills (Dockrell et al., 2016), of which punctuation is one small part. The components of teaching writing are addressed in the simple view of writing, commonly represented by a triangle (Figure 1), each vertex representing separable skills; these being transcription, text generation and executive function (Berninger et al., 2009; Dockrell et al., 2015; Breadmore et al., 2019).
Simple view of writing (adapted from Berninger, Vaughan et al., 2002; Dockrell et al., 2015 & Breadmore et al., 2019).
The simple view of writing describes writing as the development of transcription skills, including spelling, handwriting and punctuation; text generation skills at the word, sentence, and text level; and planning, reviewing, and revising writing, coined executive function (Dockrell et al., 2015; Berninger et al., 2009; Hayes & Olinghouse, 2015). These domains are taught separately, or together. Beginning writers may focus on lower-level transcription skills, at the same time moving to text generation, or more complex executive function. Working memory is key to writing development. As students acquire proficiency in transcription and text generation skills, such as punctuation, working memory is freed up, enabling students to consistently plan, review and revise their writing, increasingly implementing executive function.
Playful punctuation
In this paper we investigate teaching punctuation, a component part of transcription in the writing process (Dockrell et al., 2015 p 413). We focus on teaching punctuation as a language play activity, described as playful punctuation by Burrell & Beard (2022 p896), where students manipulate language as a source of learning and fun.
Punctuation can change meaning (Commonwealth Government, 2023). A famous example of punctuation changing meaning is evident in a book title about punctuation (Truss, 2003) called Eats, Shoots and Leaves. The title represents a joke about pandas in the jungle. By omitting the comma, the title has quite a different meaning! A sign at a local bookstore also demonstrates the difference punctuation can make to meaning, for example You said, ‘No more books!’ I said, ‘No, more books!’ Examples of punctuation placement impacting meaning that facilitate interesting class discussion about meaning include:
· The class, said the teacher, was being silly. The class said the teacher was being silly.
· It’s time to eat, grandma. It’s time to eat grandma. Punctuation can save lives!
It is fun to move punctuation around in a sentence to change meaning. Encourage students to become punctuation detectives, searching for double meanings and puns, and finding errors in punctuation usage in the environment, which are ubiquitous.
The changing punctuation landscape
The use of word processors encourages playful punctuation where students use punctuation creatively to embellish their writing. In the example advertisement (Figure 2), various features are used to attract attention and persuade the reader, including text layout, a range of fonts sizes, punctuation marks and image.
Stylistic punctuation in advertisements e.g., text creation activity from Year 5-6 English unit, Beveridge (2023), Celebrating the Other.
Teaching punctuation has long been associated with a sense of playfulness. Many students informally call quotation marks sixty sixes and ninety nines, referring to their shape, which helps them to remember how to draw them. Likewise, commas are commonly referred to as speed bumps, encouraging readers to slow down when they come across commas while reading.
Sometimes students make up their own punctuation marks, demonstrating they are thinking creatively about how to use language. Inventing punctuation is not a new phenomenon. For example, a rhetorical question mark (Figure 3) is attributed to a sixteenth century English printer named Henrey Denham. As well, an American advertising executive, Martin Speckter, created an interrobang (Figure 4) in 1962 (Houston, 2015). An interrobang is a combination of a question mark and an exclamation mark, which conveys excitement and/or disbelief.
l- rhetorical question mark
r-interrobang
Netspeak and text messaging
The widespread influence of the internet on language usage has created netspeak, ‘an emerging language centaur - part speech, part writing’ (Baron in Truss, 2003 p191), a burgeoning, instant-delivery form of communication which has its own plethora of related signs and symbols. Children are progressively immersing themselves in text messaging or instant messaging (IM), as mobile phones are provided to them at increasingly younger ages. Although phone usage is banned in most schools (Victorian Government, 2019; NSW Department of Education, 2023; Government of Western Australia, 2020) due to concerns about cyberbullying, students being exposed to inappropriate materials, and the limiting of social interaction; it continues to be a divisive topic in education (Harris & Ward, 2023; Ingham, 2023). Some researchers have found that texting and its plethora of accompanying abbreviations is having a negative impact on students’ spelling and punctuation skills at school, “throwing the essential mechanics of writing such as grammar, syntax, punctuation and capitalisation to the wind” (Dansieh, 2011, p222).
Others hold a different view, claiming IM increases students’ comfort using written language and can improve their written work, promoting communication and collaboration. The main argument here is that IM has a place in the writing classroom as it decreases students’ level of writing anxiety (Fischer et al, 2017). Researchers purporting this view believe that IM is not a threat, as anything that gets students writing is a good thing, as the better their writing skills will be as a result (Crystal, 2008).
Notwithstanding the arguments for and against text messaging, it is a form of language play, and as such, can be a fun, exciting means of teaching punctuation in the classroom. IM coheres with several of the content descriptions of the Australian Curriculum English Version 9 (ACEV9) relating to digital texts, namely:
· explore how language is used differently at home and school
· understand texts can take many forms
· understands conventions of text or screen and how digital texts are organised
· use navigation tools and websites
· understands how sequences of images, in print or digital texts can affect meaning.
Digital tools are available which enable students to practise creating text conversations and text messages. Fake SMS online generators are digital tools that allow students to practise creating imitation text conversations and text messages. They are readily available online and allow students to practise texting and learn about online writing tools. Communication [IM] could be between characters in texts they are studying in English, or celebrities they admire. Conversations with or between favourite book characters or popular idols may be just the thing to turn students onto writing! When students are comfortable productively writing in a fake SMS generator, the next step would be to turn their ‘pretend’ conversations into dialogue using correct punctuation, creating texts while at the same time focusing on contextualised punctuation practice.
An example of using an online SMS generator in response to a children’s story – The Very Cranky Bear (Nick Bland). ifaketextmessage.com
Punctuation Rap
In the punctuation rap below, the function of common punctuation marks that students typically come across in picture books, have been described playfully, with music and accompanying movement which scaffold students when learning to use punctuation marks. A punctuation rap dance helps them to remember, and makes learning punctuation fun, targeting P-2 classrooms.
This 10-minute video teaches children punctuation conventions in writing, including capital letters, full stops, commas, question marks, exclamation marks, and quotation marks, through a drill and practice activity embedded in an appealing rap dance. The dance introduces and drills the common punctuation marks that students come across when reading children’s picture books.
The punctuation rap addresses the content descriptions and elaborations of ACEV9:
· FLA03-Comparing different ways information can be presented e.g., comparing different ways information might be presented, e.g., on a sign or set of instructions
· FLA09-Identify punctuation as a feature of written text, different from letters
· FLY06-Use beginning writing knowledge, sound-letter relationships, known words and punctuation to create short texts. Participating in shared editing by circling the capital letters at the beginning of sentences.
The punctuation rap can be utilised in all classrooms as an inclusive learning tool. The rap encompasses a multimodal approach to learning, allowing instructional elements to be presented in more than one sensory mode, as a way of reaching a diverse range of learners and addressing Universal Design for Learning (Bouchey, Castek & Thygeson, 2021). Though utilising visual, auditory, and kinaesthetic elements in the rap, all students can engage through mediums that mirror their personal learning strengths. Denning and Moody (2013) outline the benefits of presenting information visually as well as in auditory format, as visual aids can support students to remember information and learning for much longer than simply auditory elements.
Punctuation in children’s picture books
Children’s picture books are powerful tools to support the playful exploration and understanding of punctuation in texts. As Burrell and Beard (2022) convey, language play is important for our understanding and appreciation of language. Punctuation usage in children’s picture books is often inconsistent across composers, reflecting their personal style, making selecting appropriate mentor texts with which to teach punctuation challenging. Some composers use quotation marks to show direct speech, others do not. Some composers signal speech using speech balloons, different fonts and typefaces. Authors manipulate language by bending and breaking rules as a source of fun for both themselves and their readers. Sometimes this involves punctuation being playfully omitted, such as in Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak (2000), first published in 1963. A classic children’s story, Sendak creatively replaces the use of commas by extending sentences across pages in the text. This minimalist approach to punctuation allows for rich discussions in the classroom around the use of commas in texts and replacement options. Sendak’s text also includes a range of other punctuation in addition to capital letters and full stops, such as quotation marks, exclamation marks and hyphens, making the text a diverse tool for exploring and teaching punctuation in the context of quality texts. Given that Sendak’s beloved children’s story also delves into the world of wordless picture books across three consecutive pages, primary teachers can utilise the opportunity to engage students in the task of writing their own text to accompany Sendak’s illustrations. Students could even have a go themselves at omitting commas and other basic forms of punctuation as an extension task and stylistic feature in their own writing (after they have confidently and correctly mastered punctuation usage).
Stylistic punctuation a feature in Where the Wild Things Are (Sendak, 2000).
Nick Bland, a well-known, contemporary author, also exhibits elements of playful punctuation in his texts. The 2018 children’s book – The Unscary Book (Bland, 2018), includes the use of what Burrell and Beard (2022) refer to as ‘an interesting approximation to the interrobang’ (p899). To indicate a combination of interjection and query, Bland depicts the repetitive use of ?! as in ‘I hope you’re ready because it’s going to be full of scary things like this…apple tree?!’. In this stimulating and engaging text, Bland again uses the turning of pages to create suspense and anticipation for readers, as well as the use of double punctuation to evoke expressions of surprise and strong reaction to content in the story. This text can be a catalyst to a range of diverse learning experiences, including the exploration of using other forms of double punctuation in the learner’s own creative writing, as well as delving into the use of less common punctuation marks, such as the ellipsis.
Less common punctuation usage in The Unscary Book (Bland, 2018).
Teaching punctuation in a meaningful context
Learning about language – including punctuation – is more effective when it occurs in a meaningful context. This principle is clearly demonstrated through a Years 3/4 unit of work, Cracking the code (Murray, 2023), featuring the quality text, The Word Spy (Dubosarsky, 2008). This unit is freely available at https://primaryenglish.education/teaching/cracking-the-code-stage-2-english-unit/ .
The Word Spy is a hybrid text about language, incorporating both information and imaginative elements. Dubosarsky encourages readers to think of themselves as ‘spies’, like her, investigating the mysteries of the English language, a system of codes that need to be cracked if we are to master its usage. Dubosarsky devotes Chapter 3, ‘Dots and dashes, interrobangs and cat’s claws’, to explore the code of punctuation: a surprising history; the conventional and inventive forms of punctuation (and their possible nicknames); the weird and wonderful variations in punctuation across different languages; a memorable story about Victor Hugo’s creative use of punctuation; and a lively debate about whether we even need punctuation. Finally, Dubosarsky challenges us to own punctuation: ‘Enjoy it, play with it, think about it, use it. It belongs to the language; and it belongs to you.’
Murray’s unit, Cracking the code, provides a variety of leaning activities that support students taking up this challenge. Students are asked to create a table featuring different types of punctuation, their symbols and examples from Dubosarsky’s text. They ‘vote with their feet’ on the issue of whether we need punctuation, putting the proposition to the test by stripping a short text of punctuation and asking classmates to read it. They attempt to punctuate the first stanza of Waltzing Matilda, then consider how punctuation makes meaning of a somewhat ambiguous text. They read and discuss the effect of a text in which the composer chooses to use minimal punctuation: the poem, (little tree), by e. e. cummings.
This playful approach to punctuation has a serious end. In Weeks 8/9 of the unit, students are asked to create their own hybrid text profiling one of the many famous people featured in The Word Spy, using Dubosarsky’s text as a model. One of the assessment criteria for this task is the correct and effective use of punctuation. Students use feedback from peer assessment to help edit their drafts, more mindful of this requirement because of the previous learning in the unit.
This unit of work demonstrates the importance of leaning about and using language, including punctuation, in a meaningful – and fun! – context, drawing on the resources of high quality and high interest literature.
The Word Spy (Dubosarsky & Riddle, 2008) explores the code of punctuation.
Punctuation game The punctuation game is an engaging way of consolidating punctuation, grammar and spelling knowledge, incorporating active learning in an enjoyable game format. First, write a sentence or sentences on A4 card from a current class text. You may wish to colour-code the sentence, modelling the function of each part of the clause, building students’ functional grammar knowledge (see Derewianka, 2022 p11). Beginning writers need to understand that clauses represent slices of experience. Teachers cue students to identify words that represents chunks of meaning in a clause, using probe questions. For example, What’s happening? (process); Who or what is taking part? (participant/s); and Where, when, how? (circumstance/s). Sentences contain at least one clause but may contain more clauses linked together (Derewianka, 2022).
The following example is from the text by Catherine Meatheringham & Max Hamilton (2020), My Possum plays the drums…
Covershot, My Possum plays the drums. (Meatheringham & Hamilton, 2020).
Make laminated cards of all the punctuation in the text. You will need multiple copies of punctuation flash cards, as sentences often contain more than one of these punctuation marks.
You are now ready to play the game. One sentence at a time, students make a line at the front of the classroom, holding a word (noun group, verb group) under their chins. Encourage students to spread out. Read the sentence together, to check they are standing in the correct order. Then make another line with more students holding the punctuation cards. Talk about the important role of each punctuation card in reading and writing in the context of the sentence. Ask students to identify where the punctuation sits in the text. Ask, “Where are the capital letters in this sentence?” The ‘capital letters’ then go and stand in the correct spot in the sentence. Continue this process with other punctuation, and sentences from the text. This activity reinforces the importance of punctuation, in the context of real books. Following the game, students independently write sentences from the text, incorporating correct punctuation usage and placement, demonstrated throughout the punctuation game.
Teachers at a recent Early Reading and Music Partnership workshop played the punctuation game to show teachers how its may look in classrooms. They drew on the abovementioned text, My Possum plays the Drums.
Using poetry and drama to teach punctuation
Narration with poetry is a useful teaching strategy that improves punctuation usage, particularly the use of hyphens, exclamation marks, and question marks (Ozsavli & Sidelki, 2019). The strategy of narration with poetry is useful because it ‘makes learning [punctuation] easier, permanent and enjoyable’ (Ozsavli & Sidelki, 2019 p175).
Triantiwontigongolope drawing (Zara, 6)
An example suitable for teaching punctuation through narration with poetry could be The Triantiwontigongolope, by C.J. Dennis (1921).
There’s a very funny insect that you do not often spy,
And it isn’t quite a spider, and it isn’t quite a fly;
It is something like a beetle, and a little like a bee,
But nothing like a woolly grub that climbs upon a tree.
Its name is quite a hard one, but you’ll learn it soon, I hope.
So, try:
Tri-
Tri-anti-wonti
Triantiwontigongolope…
The above poem lends itself well to choral reading, and call and response during the refrain: So, try: Tri-(students repeat), Tri-anti-wonti- (students repeat), Triantiwontigongolope! (chorus altogether). By following the poem on the interactive whiteboard during reading, the class can collaboratively identify the punctuation marks which inform the reader how to read the poem. At the same time, you identify punctuation usage in the poem, commas to separate independent clauses, semicolons, apostrophes of possession and colons; you are teaching poetic form.
Drama activities are also useful to teach punctuation (Ergin, 2009). A joyful drama activity which reinforces correct punctuation usage, drawing on The Triantiwontigongolope, is described following. A colleague teacher delivers a carboard box to the classroom with exaggerated excitement. On the front of the box, the class’s name and address is correctly and legibly printed, but on the back of the box, where the sender’s name and address should be written, is a copy of the poem. The class teacher reads the poem to the eager class as they follow along, pausing to discuss meaning. Clues are provided to readers throughout the poem, which describes what a Triantiwontigongolope is, hinting what may be inside the box. Students need to listen carefully and collaborate to solve the puzzle, prior to opening the box, building reading comprehension and group cohesion, at the same time practising and revising correct punctuation usage in context.
National literacy learning progression: punctuation
The content elaborations of the ACV9 list the punctuation skills and knowledge relevant for each grade. The content elaborations are linked to the general capability, writing, and the National literacy learning progression (ACARA, 2019).
NLLP alignment with syllabus content- punctuation.
The table above shows there is one content description for each grade that relates to punctuation (ACE, 2022). Content descriptions link to the NLLP levels and related content, which is cumulative as students progress through the grades. For example, in Foundation, students will be exposed to levels 1, 2, and 3 of NLLP Writing (element) - Punctuation (sub element). The amount of time it takes students to progress through each level is not specified in the NLLP and typically relies on students achieving several indicators in earlier levels (ACARA, 2020).
Addressing punctuation errors
Many students have difficulty with writing and punctuation (Garlid, 2014; Jones & Sheffield, 2018). The cause is thought to be a lack of explicit teaching and of regular opportunities to practise writing and punctuation. Frequent text-writing activities in the form of modelled, guided, and independent writing may be an effective strategy to remedy this.
Common punctuation errors made by primary students in their writing are shown to be in the use of colons (:), semicolons (;) and full stops (Aydin, 2014). Colons and semicolons are well-renowned confusion causers. They sound similar and are complex punctuation (level 6 NLLP). Colons are most often used to introduce information (such as a list, example or explanation) set up by the previous clause. For example, This morning’s class tasks are threefold: diary, reading and writing. Semicolons, on the other hand, connect two related sentences and sometimes separate items in a list. For example, I love learning about punctuation; they are little symbols that add colour to my writing. Another example is … We travelled by bus to the museum, the markets and Central station; then we caught the train back to school.
Daily contextualised sentence dictation is a useful strategy for students to practise, and the teacher to assess, capital letter and full stop usage using direct instruction (Robinson-Kooi & Hammond, 2020). Contextualised sentence instruction supports all students in spelling and punctuation, provides opportunities to practise taught skills and increase the likelihood of developing automaticity.
The teacher may also supply sentence starters for students to first complete orally. For example, the sentence stem, ‘I would like to…’, encourages students to personalise and finish a complete thought or message, reinforcing the speaking/reading/writing link. The teacher may choose to write some of the students’ sentences on a whiteboard, in doing so, modelling conventions of print, grapheme-phoneme correspondences, correct punctuation, and spelling. Students practise reading sentences together, then write them. In this way, full stop usage in taught in the context of writing.
Frequent modelled, guided, and independent writing sessions are useful strategies to address inconsistent punctuation usage.
As well, use those valuable teachable moments as they occur, through noticing and talking with students about how published authors use punctuation in their favourite texts. Discussing punctuation usage during class read-alouds and writing lessons helps students to understand correct usage through making learning visible. This is important because ‘of all the tools for educational intervention in students’ development, talk is perhaps the most pervasive in its use and powerful in its possibilities’ (Alexander, 2020, p15).
Fischer et al., (2016, p261-2) identify four key themes that assist students build writing and punctuation efficacy and confidence:
1. Good practice makes perfect - repeated occasions to practise writing and punctuation helps students build skills and confidence.
2. Provide opportunities to provide peer feedback - peer-editing helps students see punctuation errors in others’ writing, assisting them to recognise and reflect on errors in their own writing, and correct their mistakes.
3. Follow a guide - noticing and discussing punctuation usage in class texts, and teacher modelling of correct punctuation usage, helps students understand what is expected of them when writing independently. This helps students to make sense of the stylistic anomalies they will come across in punctuation usage in published texts. Nonetheless, guidelines help build writing success as students have authoritative sources on which to draw on while writing.
4. Write about what matters - interest in subject matter increases student engagement and motivation to complete tasks. Find topics and content that students are passionate about when teaching writing and punctuation. Students also enjoy choosing topics to write about that are meaningful to them, providing them with a sense of ownership over their writing. Punctuation is a tool for students to wield when putting their ideas on paper.
Conclusion
Some students report they are anxious during writing lessons at school. They feel they do not have the basic writing skills, like punctuation, to achieve success in written tasks, and are disengaged as a result (Fischer, et al., 2017). In this paper we have unpacked playful punctuation and outlined what it may look like in classrooms. It is important to engage students in fun language play activities that build their writing confidence and efficacy. Likewise, we outline music, dance, poetry and drama activities that support the teaching of punctuation in writing.
Teachers are in a privileged position to be able to ignite students’ passions in writing, and ‘put the magic back’ (Adoniou, 2018) in teaching writing. Through explicit and dialogic instruction, teachers model correct punctuation and remediate punctuation errors demonstrated in student independent reading and writing. At the same time, it is important to ensure there is designated, frequent class time for students to write and share their written messages, practising using punctuation in the context of their own writing. Learning to read and use punctuation correctly is integral to learning to read and write, and as such deserves dedicated time and practice in the reading-writing classroom. Teaching punctuation in writing can be an engaging, enjoyable, and playful process!
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