Supporting children with writing St Thomas’ Primary 24th August 2017

Aim low – achieve low. Aim high – achieve high. Writing The key to writing success is to break through the glass ceiling of expectations Aim low – achieve low. Aim high – achieve high.

Three Key Strands to teaching Writing Different Genre Teaching the detail, structure and features of different genres of writing Basic Skills Grammar Spelling Sentence structure Handwriting Writing Voice Vocabulary Connectives Openers Punctuation Throughout the week Big Writing

IF A CHILD CAN SAY IT, A CHILD CAN WRITE IT Big Writing IF A CHILD CAN SAY IT, A CHILD CAN WRITE IT Frequent & regular outdoor learning that is difficult to replicate in the classroom Big Writing effectively breaks writing down into small steps that children can understand. Aims

Big Writing Key Elements of Big Writing Writing Voice Teaching Wall Self/ Peer Assessment Fun – Lively Motivating Writing Voice Brain Breaks Vocabulary Connectives Openers Punctuation Key Elements of Big Writing Teaching Wall (interactive) Up-Levelling Two–Part Big Write Lesson Checking Targets (Success Criteria) Warm-Ups & Games Stimulous Moving Images

Early Years & Less Able When children are not ready to write, they can easily talk the VCOP! When children are not ready to write they can easily talk the VCOP! eg. Adult: Who can say a sentence that begins with when? Child: When I walked to school I saw a cat. Adult: Who can put a WOW word into that sentence? Child: When I STROLLED to school I saw a cat. Adult: Who can add another WOW word? Child: When I strolled to school I saw an ENORMOUS cat.

Big Writing Frequency Progression Primary 1 20 mins Allocate 1 dedicated writing lesson each week, being flexible with days to ensure writing lessons continue and are planned around holidays. Planned opportunities for writing across the curriculum should be in addition to writing lessons ie. Science reports, Have-a-Go writing Primary 1 20 mins 10 mins VCOP followed by 10 min writing Building this up by end of P1. Primary 2 30min (VCOP and planning) + 30 min writing Primary 3 Start 30 min (VCOP and planning) + 30 min writing Build up to 50 min/ 50 min after the first term Primary 4-7 50 min ( 40 min VCOP, 10 min planning) Break 50 min extended writing 45 minutes writing

Writing Balance of Genre Balance of genres should follow the guidance in the Sharing Good Practice Folder i.e. at least writing Block 2 January – April 2 Imaginative 1 Personal 1 Writer’s Craft 1 Poetry 2 Functional 1 Cold Writing Assessment Block 1 August – December 4 Imaginative 3 Personal 2 Writer’s Craft 2 Poetry 3 Functional 2 Cold Writing Assessments Block 3: January – April As Block 2

Children need to believe that they can achieve Writing Children need to believe that they can achieve and that they can always improve.

5 Part Story Structure

Interactive Teaching Wall

Big Writing A way of teaching writing originally devised by Ros Wilson A way to teach writing that makes children feel confident and motivated. A way to break writing down into small steps that children can assimilate. A way to teach the steps that matches the developmental stage of the children being taught. Fast, fun, lively, predominantly oral activities. Pupils talk the ‘writing voice’ in the first part of a dedicated Big Writing session and at other points in the week. If a child can say it , then the child can write it. Talking voice not the same as the ‘writing voice’. Frequent & regular outdoor learning that is difficult to replicate in the classroom Aims

Thank you for your interest!