Writing
At Wardley, writing genres are mapped out across Year 1 to Year 6 and include both fiction, non-fiction and poetry. Seven units/ genres are covered each academic year. This is built up over time and, when genres are repeated, the complexity of the skills taught is increased.
Each half term, the teaching focusses on one specific genre (e.g. recounts) with the pupils producing a minimum of two pieces of writing. The first writing piece is taught in depth and is more heavily scaffolded. The second piece is more creative and is designed to see if the children can transfer the skills taught to another similar piece.
Writing is a key focus area for our school.
The teaching of writing follows the same journey across Year 1 to Year 6 and is outlined below:
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Writing Journey |
Examples |
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1. Hook Lesson |
Clues left around classroom/ school/ outdoor areas, unexpected parcels delivered, role play area changed, leaflets to explore around a theme, watch a short film. |
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2. Introduce, read and explore book, information, poem or film extract |
Read, perform and explore a variety of poems by Benjamin Zephaniah (Year 5&6). |
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3. Introduce the genre/planned outcome and explore and identify the key features of the text type. LA toolkits are used to support this. |
Look at biography extracts and identify common features. Carry out tasks, using WAGOLLs, to begin to understand the important features. |
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4. Practise the skills and grammatical features needed to be successful in the writing. Build up a bank of ideas to use within writing within this process. LA toolkits and WAGOLLs are used to support this. |
Plan activities to practise biographical skills: · Building a paragraph around a key event · Using subordinating conjunctions to explain an idea fully · Limiting opinions and focussing on facts · Using fronted adverbials for chronology · Choosing appropriate nouns and pronouns to avoid repetition · Using quotes to deepen understanding |
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5. Plan writing, ensuring audience and purpose is considered throughout. |
Research and find out about Benjamin Zephaniah’s life and achievements. Organise facts chronologically and build up a bank of appropriate ideas e.g. suitable pronouns for Zephaniah and useful fronted adverbials. |
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6. Produce first draft of writing. |
Teacher modelling and support. Children write a biography about the life and achievements of Benjamin Zephaniah. |
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7. Edit, up level and redraft writing using a range of strategies e.g. CUPS, post-its, 1:1 with teacher, dictionaries |
Support children to edit, up level and redraft work in a number of ways. ‘Teach forward’ sessions if needed. |
- The number of days dedicated to each aspect of the journey is dependent on genre and determined by teachers throughout planning process.
- Writing journey is designed using EEF Improving Writing guidance documents.
