Writing in Key Stage One

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Writing in Key Stage One
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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.

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Building Enthusiasm for Writing

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

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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 cant find a real purpose we use drama to
  create one

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Here are some examples
Making potions Labels, lists and captions
The Coronation newspaper report
Medieval day non fiction text
Great fire of london day diary of the fire
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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
  childrens 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

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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.

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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.
• Childrens 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.

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Immersing the children
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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

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Talk for Writing

• Oral retelling

• Exploring language

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Creating our own stories
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Recording Devices

• A non-threatening way to explore ideas.

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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

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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 dont know, with
  the correct number of syllables. They also spell
  more key words correctly in their extended
  writing.

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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

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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.

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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.

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Punctuation
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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 dont start joining in their own writing
  straight away. This takes time.

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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?

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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.

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What can you do at home

• Encourage them to write for genuine real reasons
  such as cards, postcards, letters, lists etc.
• But dont force the issue.
• Praise their efforts. If you cant 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