Writing in Key Stage One

How is writing taught in Key Stage One

• In Key Stage One writing is fully integrated into our topics.

• There begins to be a bigger focus on genre.• Skills are developed over one or more weeks

leading to a longer piece of writing.• Children write formally on a regular basis but

are also encouraged to do so as part of play.

Building Enthusiasm for Writing

We use WOW moments, drama and visits to immerse children in our topics…

Purpose

• We continue to look for real purpose in what we write: e.g. letters, invitations, posters, postcards, leaflets maps

• But how do you find a real reason to write for a topic on Jack and the Beanstalk?– If we can’t find a real purpose

we use drama to create one

Here are some examples…

Making potions Labels, lists and captions

Medieval daynon fiction text

The Coronationnewspaper report

Great fire of london day diary of the fire

A sense of purpose can be created by providing an audience

• Writing stories which will be made into books to share with parents.

• Writing non fiction texts for the reception children’s topic on Under the Sea

• Drama and roleplay can provide an audience– Writing wanted posters for the giant– Writing instructions for the three little pigs

Writing for Winnie the Witch

• The Year children have been receiving letters from Winnie the Witch.

• She has provided them with spell books and asked them to write a story ending and make potion books.

Knowing What to Write

• For many children, unless they have had a chance to engage with and explore their ideas they genuinely find it difficult to write.

• Children’s preferred learning styles are often active or visual. Many children need to actually experience something in order to write about it.

• We never ask children to just write with no preparation

• We spend time exploring and developing ideas, language, composition and transcription skills.

Immersing the children

Talk for Writing

• We base our literacy work on a text. Children explore this by:

Use drama: acting the story out, hot seating, tableau

Storymapping

Talk for Writing

Exploring language Oral retelling

Creating our own stories

Recording Devices

A non-threatening way to explore ideas.

Alongside this…

• We teach the technical skills of writing:– Spelling– Handwriting– Grammar– Punctuation

• We aim to use a creative, topic based approach throughout.

• However there are some things that need to be taught more formally

Spelling – Year One

– Children learn alternative ways to spell the different sounds they hear in words.

– They begin to learn spelling patters to help them know which is the ‘best bet’ when spelling an unknown word.

– They learn some common prefixes and suffixes such as ‘ing’ and ‘ed.’

– They learn to spell an increasing number of high frequency words from memory.

As a result they begin to make more plausible attempts at spelling words they don’t know, with the correct number of syllables. They also spell more key words correctly in their extended writing.

Spelling Year Two

– Children are increasingly able to make the correct choice when spelling unknown words

– They are taught to make analogies with other words they know and recognise families of words:

all, ball, small, tall– They learn the spelling patterns related to prefixes and

suffixes such as doubling the consonant when adding ‘ing’ and ‘ed.’

– They increase the number of high frequency words they can spell from memory.

– They are taught to edit their spelling. To think whether a word ‘looks right.’

– They begin to use dictionaries

Grammar – Year One

• Children are taught to say a sentence out loud, write it and then read it back.

• They learn what a sentence is using ‘Rainbow Grammar.’• They learn common word types such as nouns,

pronouns, adjectives and verbs.• They use the connectives and, so and but to make

compound sentences.• They use adjectives to create noun phrases. Eg fluffy

cloud.• They learn simple sentence openers such as first, next,

after that, one day.

Grammar - Year Two

• Children learn to read back and edit their work.• They increase their understanding of different types

of words; making precise word choices for effect.• They vary their sentence structure.• They learn and use an increasing number of openers

and connectives.• They learn to organise their work into paragraphs.• They learn how to use adverbs and adverbial phrases.• They begin to look at complex sentences as part of

rainbow grammar.

Punctuation

Handwriting

• Children are taught to form their lower case and capital letters correctly in year one.

• Teachers use ‘patter’ to help them remember the correct formation

• They learn to join from Easter of Year One:• Initially phonics digraphs• Then common joins• We do not join from y, g, j, q, x, b, p

• Children don’t start joining in their own writing straight away. This takes time.

Wriggly Writers

• Active writing activities• Making labels for the plants following a gardening activity• Writing directions to get the buried treasure whilst sat inside the

roleplay area.• Writing sentences on post-its for a big story map on the wall

• Provide resources on the walls that children can get down and take to their table. Often just being able to get up occasionally really helps.

• Resources that help children improve fine and gross motor skills

• Write dance/Elaine Cowley

• Resources to improve pencil grip• Being flexible – Does it matter if, once in a while, Ben

chooses to write stood up without a chair?

Writing Targets

• The children in Key Stage One are given individual writing targets.

• These are presented to the children are symbols to help them understand.

• The children understand that the symbols are what we can use to make out writing really good.

• They are encouraged to use them to self assess their own work.

A.

What can you do at home…

• Encourage them to write for genuine real reasons such as cards, postcards, letters, lists etc.

• But don’t force the issue.• Praise their efforts. If you can’t read it let them read it

to you. • Try to avoid the temptation to correct it.• Practise spellings regularly.• Lots of reading and talking about stories.• Let them see you write• Talk, talk, talk