Writing at Thorndown
We are really trying hard to become superhero writers at our school. Look at how we learn how to write!
In Reception we ‘write’ from first hand experiences. We continue to write ‘formally’ each week in an adult supported group for a variety of purposes. Our writing goes into our very special learning journeys.
Shared and modelled writing, takes place within English lessons. This allows the teacher to demonstrate good writing practice to the children while using their ideas. Teachers ensure that the writing demonstrated shows high expectations and covers the success criteria they would expect to see in the children’s writing.
‘Talk for Writing’ is used successfully across the school to help children to gather ideas and structure their writing.
Children are expected to write frequently in a range of forms. This may be responses to a text, completing text feature grids, short writing tasks such as writing as a character or writing a whole story or report as a police officer.
To help children realise their full potential and maintain high expectations in every piece of writing, we have devised a list of writing expectations to be met every session and ensure that all previous learning is built upon. Any children that need extra support to achieve these expectations will have strategies in place with their class teacher.
We hope you find this useful.
SPaG (Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar)
In the English curriculum, punctuation, grammar and spelling now play a key role in the child’s writing. It is essential that SPaG is taught weekly across both key stages, starting at Year 2. Our sessions are interactive and engaging. Some sessions are taught as stand-alone lessons and others are taught as starters to the day’s english lesson.
At Thorndown, our aim is that pupils will be supported to develop a cursive handwriting style which is clear, joined and fluid. Inevitably some will be neater than others, but each child can acquire a consistent and fluent style. We believe this raises standards in writing in the early years which will impact throughout the whole school, developing confidence, accuracy and fluency and improved presentation.
The cursive handwriting style helps:
- to minimise confusion for the child as every letter starts on the line with an entry stroke and leads out with an exit stroke;
- as letters naturally flow into each other, this helps children to join their handwriting;
- form spacing between words as the child develops whole word awareness;
- to develop a child’s visual memory;
- all children’s writing skills regardless of academic ability;
- to develop skills of punctuation and grammar.
Each week during Celebration Assembly children from each class are awarded for being ‘A Thorndown Super Writer’. Children from each class have the opportunity to display their work in the hall and receive a certificate. An overall winner is selected and they receive a trophy for ‘Super Writer’ and ‘Best Handwriter’.