1. Writing Workshop
Early Years/Key Stage 1

2. What we will cover: Letters and Sounds Spelling and handwriting
Text types (genres)
Let’s Write
VCOP
There will be time for questions at the end!

3. Letters and Sounds Overview of Phases 1 to 6
Teaching of Letters and Sounds
Spellings
Assessment
Where to find Letters and Sounds Games

4. Handwriting Example of handwriting style
Reception cursive letter formation linked in with Letters and Sounds.
Y1 everyday (formally).
Y2 once a week formally but informally everyday.
All writing activities, labels, marking in joined script.
Examples of children’s handwriting.

5. We teach children to listen, speak,
read and write using a wide range of texts.
They need to know the different features of the various text types (genres).
They need to be able to suit their writing within these text types to the audience and purpose. It is important to get this right!

6. Types of text: Non-fiction writing
Recount: a written account of events in time order
a diary entry, trips, news writing
Report: an organised presentation of factual information about any topic
an information leaflet, Great Fire of London book, fact files
Instruction: a step-by-step list of actions to follow
a recipe, a How-to guide (clean your teeth, play a game)
Explanation: answering a how or why question in a structured manner
’How to stay healthy’

7. Fiction writing
Narrative (traditional tales, familiar settings, extended stories)
Poetry

8. Let’s Write (developed as Big Write by Ros Wilson)
The ‘Let’s Write’ process is the development of the ‘writing voice’ through fast, fun, lively and predominantly oral activities. Pupils talk using ‘the writing voice’ at various points in a week (e.g. 10 min. starter in Literacy session, when lining up, spare minutes at the end of a session, and sometimes as the main focus within a lesson)
Based on the premise:
IF A CHILD CAN SAY IT,
A CHILD CAN WRITE IT

9. Opportunities for Talk for Writing
We provide lots of opportunities to ‘talk the text type’, using the same sort of language and features that they would be expected to use in their writing.
Written text types
Oral (and acting out) text types
Narrative
Story-telling
Poetry
Performance poetry
Recount
Retell news
Explanation
Explaining
Report
Informing
Instructions
Tell someone what to do!

10. Opportunities for writing
Teachers find or set up interesting and motivating starting points for writing:
First-hand experiences, drama, DVDs, art, music, visits
Children are more committed to writing if there is a purpose and some sort of genuine audience
Y2 wrote information books about the Great Fire of London for Year 1.
Y1 will be telling a fairy tale in their own words for Yr 2.

11. VCOP Vocabulary Connectives Openers Punctuation
Ros Wilson’s nationally recognised and adopted work identifies four key elements which contribute to the development of the ‘writing voice’.
These key elements, known collectively as VCOP, are:
Vocabulary
Connectives
Openers
Punctuation

12. The Four Generic VCOP Targets
Summary
Vocabulary
Connectives
Openers
Punctuation
The range of ambitious vocabulary a
pupil knows: WOW words.
The range of ways pupils have of joining ideas, phrases & sentences.
The strategies pupils have for opening sentences, especially the 3 key openers: connectives, ‘ly’ words & ‘ing’ words = power openers.
The range of punctuation a pupil can use (& the accuracy with which they use it).
VCOP should be incorporated into all Literacy sessions in both reading and writing. It may not be a separate session, should permeate all sessions including in other subjects. Still need to teach the framework objectives, picking out other things as well.

13. Will consider at end of session.

14. Will consider at end of session.14

15. Whiteboard activity Wow words!
Inversed the pyramid so that when children uplevel their work they will be going in the right direction i.e. UP!!.

16. Vocabulary - ‘WOW’ Words What can you do at home?
ALL VERBAL!
‘Magpie’ them (books, magazines, TV, internet etc)
Introduce children to them (as above!)
Reward them for using them (even if not always correct!)
Remind them

18. 18

19. Whiteboard activity
Connectives
I went to the park …

21. 21

22. Openers
By the end of KS 1 we begin to introduce more adventurous openers, the 3 main types being:
Opening with connectives
Opening with ‘ly’ words
Opening with ‘ing’ words
These are called POWER OPENERS!
Firstly…
Next…
After a while…
Finally…
Suddenly, …
Quietly, …
Looking through the trees…
Stopping dead in her tracks, ...
Tiptoeing carefully, ...

23. Why are good openers important?
Variety! By the end of KS 1 we need to move away from starting every sentence with: the…then…I…

24. Inversed the pyramid so that when children uplevel their work they will be going in the right direction i.e. UP!!.

25. Punctuation with Sounds & Actions
Time to learn punctuation with actions!

26. Activity Stepping up a simple sentence
The mouse ate the cheese.
Discuss changed sentences. What did you have to do? How did you know to do it?

27. Activity Stepping up a simple sentence
The mouse ate the cheese.
1. ADD an adjective, adverb or both!
The greedy mouse ate the stale cheese.
The mouse carefully ate the cheese.
The greedy mouse carefully ate the stale cheese.
Discuss changed sentences. What did you have to do? How did you know to do it? 27

28. Activity Stepping up a simple sentence
The car drove down the road.
1. ADD an adjective or adverb - or both!
Discuss changed sentences. What did you have to do? How did you know to do it? 28

29. Activity Stepping up a simple sentence
The mouse ate the cheese.
2. CHANGE the verb.
The mouse stole the cheese.
Discuss changed sentences. What did you have to do? How did you know to do it? 29

30. Activity Stepping up a simple sentence
The car drove down the road.
2. CHANGE the verb.
Discuss changed sentences. What did you have to do? How did you know to do it? 30

31. Activity Stepping up a simple sentence
The mouse ate the cheese.
3. CONNECT - use a connective to give extra information.
The mouse ate the cheese because it was hungry.
Discuss changed sentences. What did you have to do? How did you know to do it? 31

32. Activity Stepping up a simple sentence
The car drove down the road.
3. CONNECT - use a connective to give extra information.
Discuss changed sentences. What did you have to do? How did you know to do it? 32

33. Marking
Marking in the Foundation Stage is done verbally with the child immediately after they have produced some writing. In KS1, written marking is used increasingly, but verbal feedback remains paramount whenever possible.
We focus our marking on the objective for the lesson
We also mark progress towards individual targets
We look for areas to praise and ways to develop (2 Stars and a Wish)
We would not correct all spelling and punctuation
We mark together with the children where possible, to enable discussion about the writing

34. Any Questions?
Thank you for your time!