Writing

Term 4 - A wishing tale

To start the new term, we will be looking at the book "The Magic Paintbrush", by Julia Donaldson. 

We will start by learning the story using story mapping in the style of Talk for Writing. Then we will look more in depth at the language and structure of the story, before finally using the structure to help us write our own wishing tale. 

Term 3 - " The  Kapok Tree" 

This term, we are looking at the  " Kapok Tree" by  Lynne Cherry to inspire our story writing.

Imitation phase

We have been using Pie Corbett Talk for Writing scheme. This week we have started to use a text map and actions to recall the Kapok story. Orally retelling the story strengthen children's  memory enabling them to internalise the text and deepens their understanding of the text. Once students can ‘talk like the text’, the model, and other examples, are then read for vocabulary and comprehension, before being analysed for the basic text (boxing up) and language patterns, as well as writing techniques or toolkits

The children's attitude and determination to recall the Kapok story amazed me! 

Innovation Phase 

 Once students are familiar with the model text, then the teacher leads them into creating their own versions. This is based on changing the basic map and retelling new versions. Older students use boxed-up planners and the teacher demonstrates how to create simple plans and orally develop ideas prior to writing. Ideas may need to be generated and organised or information researched and added to a planner. Shared and guided writing is then used to stage writing over a number of days so that students are writing texts bit by bit, concentrating on bringing all the elements together, writing effectively and accurately. Feedback is given during the lessons, as well as using some form of visualiser on a daily basis, so that students can be taught how to improve their writing, make it more accurate, until they can increasingly edit in pairs or on their own.

Invention Phase 

Eventually, students move on to the third phase, which is when they apply independently what has been taught and practised.ting may be staged over a number of days and there may be time for several independent pieces to be written. Students are guided through planning, drafting and revising their work independently. Students should be adding, embellishing, altering and manipulating the original structure. Children will be using the text structure and writing tools to write, drawing on the model, their wider reading and experience so that they are writing independently at a high level. This has to be modelled in shared writing.

The final piece is used as the ‘hot’ task, which clearly shows progress across the unit.

Talk for Writing Aims 

The aim of Talk for Writing is to develop imaginative, creative and effective writers. In the same way, the aim of Talk for Reading is to grow confident, critical and appreciative readers. No student can be said to really be a reader until they make their own choices about what to read and begin to develop a taste. In the same vein, children are not really writers until they decide what they want to write and have opportunities to create their own writing tasks and write about their interests and lives creating stories, poems and informative writing for themselves.

Term 2 - "What was new about the Stone Age?"

This term, we have been looking at "Stone Age Boy" by Satoshi Kitamura so inspire our writing. We have used story mapping and hot seating to learn the story, before using elements of the tale to help teach specific skills.  

Term 2 - "What was new about the Stone Age?"

This term, we have been looking at "Stone Age Boy" by Satoshi Kitamura so inspire our writing. We have used story mapping and hot seating to learn the story, before using elements of the tale to help teach specific skills. 

Term 1 - Where in the world are we?

To link with our geography and science topics this term, we have chosen to base our writing around the book "A world full of animal stories - 50 folktales and legends" by Angela McAllister. 

We have looked at the difference between a folktale and a legend and are starting to identify common themes in the tales, despite them originating from all around the world. 

Handwriting

We teach the children to use continuous cursive handwriting. 

This is beneficial to them as it helps build the speed of their writing as they move through the school and has been proven to improve spelling as the brain remembers the shape of the word to improve recall. 

When children have mastered this style of handwriting, they will be eligible to earn a black ink pen to write with from year 3.