1. Improving writing through drama
Work we have done in Year 2
N. Carr

2. Expectations of writing in Year 2
Non-Fiction – Headings, subheadings to give more detail, paragraphs to break up information, viewpoint ‘Did you know…?’
Fiction – Similes ‘head shaped like a dustbin lid’, add detail to description.
Try to write a side of A4 paper or more
Checking and re-checking for errors
Spelling in all writing to show understanding of phonics learned.

3. Punctuation in Year 2 Capital letters Full stops
Question marks – for sentences starting with, What, When, Why, Where, Who, Can, Do, Will, Did…?
Exclamation marks ! – to add impact
Speech marks – opening and closing (little 66 and 99!)

4. Grammar in Year 2
Adjectives – The heavy, metal foot fell off the edge of the cliff…
Adverbs – describe how something is happening: The Iron Man looked carefully around the junkyard. Silently he lifted his head.
Similes – His head was shaped like a dustbin lid.
Conjunctions – link two sentences together but, so , because, to, then…
Time Connectives - begin a sentence in different ways – First, Soon after, Then, Next, Meanwhile, After that…

5. The classroom environment Text Rich!

6. Florence Nightingale came to visit our school!
Inviting drama groups into school is a super way of bringing children into role.
We reinforced techniques used in Year 1. We used role play to describe what Florence would have seen and done during the Crimean War.

7. Persuasive Writing The Gunpowder Plot
Should all families have a car? Is tomato ketchup healthy? Discuss!
Should we fight for what we believe in? This led to the story of Guy Fawkes and whether he was right to blow up the people who disagreed with him. This encouraged empathy so children could get into role as that character and write with a viewpoint (Yr 2 requisite for writing)
Children became really passionate about their beliefs!

8. Outcome – A pleading letter to the judge from Guy Fawkes!

9. The Giant’s and other animals feelings
We discussed sentences openings:
Even though I liked my…
I understand that you…
For a long time I have felt…

10. Writing character profiles

11. What is the point of teaching drama to young children?
Gives a purpose for writing
A fun, non-threatening environment – children want to write and feel they have the writing ‘already in their head’.
Everyone can be involved!
Active! ‘I see and I forget, I hear and I remember, I do and I understand’ Confucius -Chinese philosopher & reformer (551 BC BC)