Writing

Writing progression

Children are taught through a scheme developed by Pie Corbett - Talk for Writing. This is a fun, engaging and motivating way for children to learn how to write. Children learn to talk, discuss and think like writers. Talk for Writing is powerful because it enables children to imitate the language they need for a particular topic orally before reading and analysing it and then writing their own version.

Talk for Writing is made up of three stages - imitation, innovation and invention and this can be seen consistently throughout the school.

The three stages explained

Imitation: A typical Talk for Writing unit will begin with some engaging activities warming up the tune of the text, as well as the topic focused on, to help children remember the pattern of the language required. This is followed by children retelling the focus text through a text map. Children are given the chance to orally retell the focus text using actions. This helps them to remember the key language used which they can then use in their own writing. Innovation: Once the text has been internalised, children are then ready to start innovating on the pattern of the text. This usually begins with advanced activities to warm up the key words and phrases of the type of focus text so the children can magpie ideas. Younger children and less confident writers alter the text map and orally rehearse what they want to say, creating their own version. The key activity in this stage is shared writing, helping the children to write their own by doing one together first.

Invention: This is used as our "hot task" where the children apply everything they have learned from the first two stages and put it into action by writing independently. Where possible hot task will relate to the Chris Quigley topic for that term. Children use working walls, dictionaries, thesauruses and writer's toolkits to help them with their writing. The last stage of this process is giving children the chance to edit and improve their work, creating their final draft.