Week 1

BIG WRITE is a chance for children to make up their own story. We give a stimulus and they can take it anywhere they want. Today it is called 'Electric Minion' and the stimulus is the picture above. Inside the documents below you will find suggested 'wow words' (exciting vocabulary) that the children might like to use, they can of course include anything else of their own.

In class, this session is completely silent except for a track of relaxation music playing quietly in the background. Children choose their own 'secret space for learning' - this could be at a desk, on the tummies on the floor, or standing at a work surface; wherever they feel comfortable and inspired to write. In Aspen class we have steadily built our stamina for writing up over the last two terms and now write for 30 minutes without stopping. As the environment at home is less familiar as a working space, perhaps aim for 20 minutes and build up from there. Some children may want to write on for longer and that is totally fine, let them go where motivation takes them.

Please be aware that BIG WRITE is a session undertaken by Year 1 and 2 at school, Reception would usually engage in a different session at this point - unfortunately the nature of this is rather harder to recreate at home. We have created a storyboard page with opportunity for key word writing and are suggesting younger children perhaps film a storytelling session instead. This is entirely optional for Reception; if they want to get involved and challenge their mini-buddies then FAB but if not, that is fine. Why not explore some phonics games and Alphablocks videos instead.