English - Writing at Wallace Fields Junior School
Please click here or on the image below to watch a short video about English writing at Wallace Fields Junior School this academic year.
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
Handwriting
Recent research and changes in approaches to handwriting has meant that as a school we have been thinking very deeply about our use of pens and pencils for writing. Writing with a pen requires control and precision, which can help children to improve their fine motor skills and develop more legible and confident handwriting. All handwriting lessons include gross motor and fine motor warm up exercises and link these to the need for good posture when writing. There is a focus on fluency and the correct construction and rotation of letters to enable fluent and legible handwriting. This year, children will be encouraged to write in pen in all handwriting lessons – after all, we would not expect a child to learn how to play violin without the violin or hockey without the hockey stick, so asking a child to write fluently without a pen seems rather unfair. The progression for using a pen will be as follows:
• Year 3 – handwriting lesson and when writing a neat draft (choice)
• Year 4 – handwriting and spelling lessons, and when writing a neat draft (choice)
• Year 5 – handwriting, spelling, guided comprehension lessons and own choice throughout all other written work
• Year 6 – own choice to use across the whole curriculum
For handwriting lessons, each class has a selection of Berol handwriting pens for the children to use, however these can be tricky for some children – particularly those that write with their left hand. Children are provided with strategies to support this, however, if you are happy to provide your child(ren) with an alternative, please ensure that the pen has blue ink and has a felt or rollerball nib. No ballpoint or biro pens permitted, as these require a lot of hand pressure, have minimal resistance and give an inconsistent ink flow.
We also have a well-stocked stationery shop where children can purchase pens for a reduced price.
Chloe Day
(Writing and Phonics Lead)
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