Writing
Pupils at Wallace Fields are encouraged to produce writing that is clear, entreating, informative and engages the reader. They are given many real opportunities to write for a purpose in English and across the curriculum at Wallace Fields. During English lessons, a text or video is used to generate a purpose for writing but their skills are embedded in other subjects through a broad and balanced curriculum. Children generate ideas as a class or with their peers and effectively self-evaluate and edit their own writing following discussion and feedback. We are keen to help children develop an extensive vocabulary and so each child has their own word collector book to keep new, ambitious and precise words to use in their own writing.
The programmes of study for writing at key stage 2 are divided into:
• transcription (spelling and handwriting)
• composition (articulating ideas and structuring them in speech and writing).
It is essential that pupils develop competence in these two dimensions.
This is our writing progression map based on the National curriculum. These skills are taught through the study of texts and films in our English lessons. It illustrates the progression of skills taught in composition, grammar & punctuation and spelling.
English Writing Progression Map
How can parents help?
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Encourage your child to read widely – See the reading section at the top of this page
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Share new words found in books, notices, adverts etc and help to explain what they mean.
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Find synonyms for a new word and practise putting the word in a sentence.
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Find opportunities to write at home, e.g. a diary.
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Print off the spelling lists below and practice spelling these key words.
Parents Writing Workshop
Creative writing ideas
It can be very difficult for children (and adults!) to begin writing without a given stimulus. Pobble 365 is a website which can help with this. Everyday, Pobble 365 upload a new photograph with stimulus questions and ideas, to help a child begin their writing journey. Starting with a photo, they then give a story starter, questions to stimulate thinking, sentence challenges, grammar and punctuation challenges and even ideas for children to draw a picture to kick start ideas!
The current day’s photo and ideas are free and if you would like to access more days, the cost is £4 per month. Follow the link to find go to Pobble and then click here to see the day’s current ideas.
Start of the Year Must Haves