Writing Years 3 - 6
Aims of this session Provide an overview of writing Outline different genres and writing styles Assessment and progression Writing targets The ‘Big Write’ and VCOP A visit from Year 6 writers How you can help ‘Reluctant Writers’ Resources will be sent to you via Google Drive
Components of writing Sentence structure and Punctuation Text structure and Organisation Composition and Effect More about these in a moment
Spelling and Handwriting… …and let’s not forget the different writing genres…
Different genres and writing styles Recount – to retell an event or series of events e.g. diary, journal, science experiment, historical account, autobiographies & biographies Persuasion – to take a position on an issue and justify it e.g. adverts, flyers, brochures, letters, etc. persuading the reader to think and take action Instruction – to tell someone how to make something e.g. recipes, experiments, games rules, craft instructions, directions Explanation – to give an account of how or why something happens e.g. ‘Why Volcanoes Erupt’
More genres and writing styles Discussion Text – to discuss an issue and offer two or more points of view e.g. articles, reviews, travel guides Non-chronological Report – to document, organise and store information e.g. topic books, ‘Animals of the desert’, ‘Plants We Eat’ Narrative – to entertain, to extend imagination e.g. fairy tales, myths, legends, science-fiction, short stories, adventure stories There are more!
Let’s not forget poetry Roses are red, violets are blue, My head is now spinning, And maybe yours is too! There are many different elements to writing, which often means that writing levels are slightly below reading levels. Furthermore, some writers prefer certain genres to others, e.g. a student may enjoy making a newspaper report but not writing a story.
Assessment and progression Assessment is a daily process At the end of each writing unit, the students complete a ‘Big Write’ – about 6 official assessments a school year. After each assessment, a writing level is established and targets are reviewed. The child is provided with clear feedback on ‘how to improve’ Examples of writing targets
The ‘Big Write’ and VCOP Vocabulary – ‘Wow Words’ Connectives – joining words Openers – starting sentences Punctuation – see pyramids ‘Up-levelling’ – examples Year 6 writers
Some examples of resources for parents ‘10 ways to start a story’ Direct Speech - “Hurry up or we’re going to be late!” A Question - Have you ever wondered what happened to Humpty Dumpty? A Sound Effect - “Thwack!” went the arrow as it hammered into the oak tree. Straight into the Action - Jon didn’t see the punch coming but he surely felt it! A Character Introduces himself - “Hi! My name’s Sid and I’m here to take you to jail.”
Start with a Statement - Michael was miserable and I expect you want to know why. A Description - It was a dark and stormy night; even the wolves had fallen silent. The Weather - On Jubilee Day the rain came down in barrels, not buckets. A Flashback - Suddenly, I remembered where I’d seen her before. The Disco – 1988. Time - Monday morning, 10 o’clock and all seemed well until I noticed it was still dark outside. Assignment – Using the sentences above as your models, write 1 sentence for each way to start a story. Be imaginative!
Reluctant Writers… Spoken words to written words e.g. Dragon Dictate ‘Book-talk’ i.e. keep up with reading! ‘Writer-talk’ e.g. discuss a writer’s use of language after reading Story-telling and story-making e.g. Comic Life, retelling favourite stories Role-play and drama Word and language games e.g. the English blog and resource pack e.g. ‘Writing Sentences’ & Punctuation
Final Word It’s all about ‘Value-Added’ i.e. how much your child can improve from Year 3 to Year 6 – a 2 level increase is the target The amount of progress may not appear overly impressive some years – don’t feel despondent! Know your child’s writing targets and remind them to use them for every writing task To ‘Edit & improve’ or to ‘Up-level’ is all about rereading & checking their writing. It makes a huge difference! Encourage regular visits to the English blog
Questions?