Writing

"There is something delicious about writing the first words of a story. You never quite know where they'll take you."

-Beatrix Potter

Empowering Young Writers at Newton Ferrers School

What is Literacy and Language?

At Newton Ferrers School, Literacy and Language is not just a curriculum; it's a dynamic literacy programme meticulously crafted for children in Years 2-6 .

Our mission is to ignite a passion for reading and writing, fostering critical thinking and communication skills that extend beyond the classroom.

This comprehensive programme is designed to:

• Stimulate and challenge children's thinking.
• Develop reading comprehension and writing composition.
• Provide explicit guidance on grammar, vocabulary, critical thinking, and spoken language.
• Support teachers in delivering outstanding literacy lessons aligned with the National Curriculum.
• The core purpose of Literacy and Language is to ensure that children achieve the National Curriculum's key objectives, including reading fluently, using grammar correctly, appreciating literary heritage, and writing clearly for various contexts.

Resources

Literacy and Language draws upon carefully selected Anthologies featuring complete stories, plays, poems, and non-fiction texts by renowned children's authors like Michael Morpurgo and Jamila Gavin. These texts serve as a rich tapestry for students to explore, encouraging a desire for more reading for pleasure. Wider reading lists accompany each unit, enhancing students' exposure to diverse literature.

Picture Books in Year 2

In Year 2, the Story store is enhanced by the use of high quality picture books as an introduction to the themes to be explored in the Anthology story, play or poem.

What Will Children Be Taught?

1. Comprehension Skills:

The programme places enjoyment and engagement with texts at its heart.

Activities focus on developing independent and critical thinking, allowing children to infer, summarise, question, clarify, predict, and argue.

Integration of reading, writing, thinking, and spoken language ensures daily development of comprehension and wider literacy skills.

2. Grammar:

Children are taught the importance of using grammar correctly for effective communication.

Comprehensive guidance, supported by engaging Online Subscription, and Pupils' Book, ensures a solid grasp of grammar concepts.

3. Writing:

Daily writing takes centre stage, fostering confidence and stamina for extended writing activities.

The writing process is demystified through modelled writing and 'Thinking out loud', allowing children to witness the choices, alterations, and additions involved in being a writer.

Opportunities for shorter writing pieces complement main writing tasks, building specific skills.

4. Vocabulary Development:

Ambitious vocabulary is embedded in stories, plays, poems, and non-fiction texts.

New words are introduced, discussed, and used throughout the week, ensuring familiarity.

Vocabulary development contributes to richer writing and a deeper understanding of language.

5. Spoken Language:

Given the National Curriculum's emphasis on spoken language, children are taught to articulate thoughts and ideas effectively.

'Think out loud' sessions and partner work encourage children to clarify their understanding, building spoken language skills.

Structured partner work promotes meaningful engagement and discussion, enhancing communication abilities.

6. Spelling:

Read Write Inc. Spelling, aligning with National Curriculum requirements, complements Literacy and Language.

Spelling is seamlessly integrated into the broader literacy framework.

How Does the Programme Work?

Literacy and Language follows a structured approach, comprising six units per year group, designed in three sections. As we are a mixed-aged school we have crafted and adapted the programme to suit our needs over the two years.

Stage I: Reading fiction

The Story Store: The main story, poem, or playscript is introduced through discussion of related themes. Secret stories 1, 2, and 3 offer a layered approach to understanding the text, ensuring accessibility for all students.

Stage 2: Writing fiction

Build a Story 1, 2, and 3: After exploring a text, students witness the composition process through planning, oral rehearsing, drafting, and editing stages. Write a Story 1, 2, and 3 guide students in composing their extended pieces.

Stage 3: Reading and writing non-fiction

Core Activities: Fiction and non-fiction texts are linked through 'Big Questions.' Students explore non-fiction text types, focusing on audience, purpose, form, and style. Write 1, 2, and 3 guide students in planning, drafting, and presenting their own non-fiction pieces.

Core Activities:

The Story Store, Secret Stories, and Build a Story activities guide children through engaging texts, ensuring comprehension and exposing them to various literary forms.

Word Power, Think and Link, and What if not...? 

Activities encourage exploration, questioning, and creative thinking.

Build a Sentence and Jump In activities enhance writing skills and vocabulary retention.

Integration with Read Write Inc. Programmes:

Literacy and Language seamlessly aligns with Read Write Inc. Phonics and Comprehension, offering a cohesive literacy journey.

All Read Write Inc. programmes develop the same teaching strategies and principles used in Read Write Inc. Phonics:

- Full participation: this is fundamental to Literacy and Language. Teachers use 'Think out loud' to show the children how to analyse, plan and organise their ideas. 'My turn/Your turn' is used to practise key activities and, crucially, partner work ensures that all children participate in the whole lesson.

- Positive teaching: children learn at a much faster pace in an assertive and positive climate. They talk more readily in an atmosphere free from anger and tension. Praise for effective partner work is crucial. 

-Pace: each Unit has been planned to take three weeks. However, teachers might choose to add in extra time for some activities. You may also want to plan time for children to present and publish some of their final compositions.

Read Write Inc. Spelling complements Literacy and Language, reinforcing spelling skills.

Adaptive Practice - guided assistance.

Adaptive practice is achieved by the amount of support pupils need in order to learn something new. The guidance in Literacy and Language ensures that children who need least support receive the necessary challenge and that others receive the necessary assistance to understand the texts they read and to write confidently.

The range of teaching and learning strategies embedded within the Literacy and Language resources allows Literacy and Language teachers to ensure that all children develop their ability to understand the texts they read, use the spoken word confidently and become accomplished writers.

Teachers support and challenge the children by: 

• developing comprehension using the three layers of text approach for reading, allowing access to engaging and challenging texts for all children.
• modelling your thought processes in planning for writing and editing using 'Think out loud' and the three layers of text approach for writing.
• preparing children for writing using oral rehearsal.
• providing differentiated writing frames where necessary. 
• asking and encouraging children to ask questions, with an emphasis on allowing thinking and talking time. 
• using partner and small group work developed to a high level to provide peer support and challenge.

Assessment

Assessment is integral to the whole Literacy and Language programme. Partner discussion helps teachers assess what and how children are learning throughout the lesson. The specific focus for both reading and writing is set out at the beginning of each Unit, along with the key purpose and evaluation criteria for children's main writing composition.

Each child is provided with a copy of the writing Evaluation criteria.