Key Stage 2 Literacy Workshop Years 3 to 6

Key Stage 2 Literacy Workshop Years 3 to 6 This workshop should last about an hour and a half

What we will cover: • Text types (genres) • Let’s Write and VCOP • Children’s involvement in marking (self and peer assessment) • Spelling and handwriting

We teach children to listen to, speak, read and write using a wide range of texts. • They need to know the different features of the various text types (genres). • They need to be able to adapt their writing within these text types to the audience and purpose. It is important to get this right!

Types of texts:Non-fiction writing • Recount: a written account of events in time order a diary entry, an autobiography, a newspaper article • Report: an organised presentation of factual information about any topic an information leaflet, a web page about a hobby • Instruction: a step-by-step list of actionsto follow a recipe, a How-to guide, a rule book for a game • Explanation: answering a how or why question in a structured manner ’How the Titanic sank’ poster, flowchart about seed dispersal • Persuasion: convincing the audience of a point of view an advert for a product, a reasoned argument (one point of view) • Discussion: presenting several points of view adiscussion paper on a proposal (e.g. a new cell phone mast)

Narrative (stories: traditional tales, fables, myths, legends, fantasy, mystery, flashback, retelling, summaries (synopsis), etc.) • Poetry (to convey feelings, moods or reflections; poetry using metaphors, similes and personification; narrative poems, performance poems, riddles, haikus ) • Play scripts (dialogue, stage directions...)

Writing begins with reading. The more familiar children are with a text type, the more likely it is that they will be able to write in a similar vein. Most children who read avidly will internalise the patterns of written language. When they come to write they should then easily slip into the right ‘voice’ so what they write ‘sounds right’. This is one reason why Huntington has developed an extensive and ever-expanding stock of library books in recent years. But, not all children will develop the writing ‘voice’ in this way.

Let’s Write(developed as Big Write by Ros Wilson) • The ‘Let’s Write’ or Big Write process is the development of the ‘writing voice’ through fast, fun, lively and predominantly oral activities. Pupils talk using ‘the writing voice’ at various points in a week (e.g. 10 min. starter in Literacy session, spare minutes at the end of a session, and sometimes as the main focus within a lesson) • Based on the premise: IF A CHILD CAN SAY IT, A CHILD CAN WRITE IT

Opportunities for Talk for Writing • We provide lots of opportunities to ‘talk the text type’, using the same sort of language and features that they would be expected to use in their writing. Example: before writing newspaper reports about the Battle of Marathon in Ancient Greece, Y5+6 children interviewed each other in role as both Greek and Persian soldiers, so that their writing was more meaningful and had been practised orally beforehand. Year 6 debated the advantages and disadvantages of having an outside classroom. They were required to swap roles and be able to argue from both sides, use persuasive techniques e.g. facts and stats, emotive language etc.

The importance of stimulus • Teachers find or set up interesting and motivating starting points for writing: First-hand experiences, drama, YouTube clips, DVDs, art, photographs, music, visits ... Children are more committed to writing if there is a purpose and some sort of genuine audience. Examples from this year include: Y3 are presently investigating aspects of their local environment in order to write letters to the Parish Council and local MP. Y4 made pop-up books for Y1, which they will be sharing this term. Y5 created Ancient Greek non-chronological reports for their Class wiki page. Y6 learned the skills of story telling, and retold stories to their peers and Year 5.

VCOP Ros Wilson’s nationally recognised and adopted work identifies four key elements, which contribute to the development of the ‘writing voice’ and thereby improve standards in writing. These key elements, known collectively as VCOP, are: • Vocabulary • Connectives • Openers • Punctuation

The Four Generic VCOP Targets VCOP Summary The range of ambitious vocabulary a pupil knows: WOW words. The range of ways pupils have of joining ideas, phrases & sentences. The strategies pupils have for opening sentences, especially the 3 key openers: connectives, ‘ly’ words & ‘ing’ words = power openers. The range of punctuation a pupil can use (& the accuracy with which they use it). Vocabulary Connectives Openers Punctuation

Vocabulary - ‘WOW’ WordsWhat can you do at home? • ‘Magpie’ them (books, magazines, TV, internet etc) • Introduce children to them (as above!) • Reward them for using them (even if not always correct!) • Use them - but don’t over use them!

Openers At that moment, … After a while,… At last… Finally… Greedily stuffing gold into his sack, Jack… Wearily, the old man … Scanning the horizon, ... Stopping dead in her tracks, ... Treading carefully, ... • We particularly focus on 3 sorts of openers: Opening with connectives Opening with ‘ly’ words Opening with ‘ing’ words • These are called POWER OPENERS!

Openers Beneath the silvery moon, he … Beyond the towering mountains, lay … Like a fish, she dived into the icy water. A streamlined fish, she dived into the icy water. Frightened by the noise, … Frozen to the spot, ... Cobwebs spanned the corridor. Delicate snowflakes gently caressed her skin. Lonely, he skulked off home. • We also encourage the use of other openers: Prepositions Similes/metaphors –ed or -en Using a noun + verb Using an adjective + noun Use a feeling

Why are good openers important? Variety! There’s nothing worse than repeating: The…The…Then…Then… To lead almost automatically into the writing of more complex sentences: Greedily stuffing gold into his sack, Jack failed to see the enormous hand descending towards him. To Step up the punctuation: The ferocious dog attacked my briefcase as I arrived home. As I arrived home, the ferocious dog attacked my briefcase.

Punctuation actions Why? Kinaesthetic approach

Use punctuation actions for the following sentence: “What was that noise?” whispered Amy. Y6 partners creating speech sentences with physical resources

ActivityStepping up a simple sentence The mouse ate the cheese. 1. ADD an adverb, adjective or simile - or all three! The greedy mouse carefully ate the stale cheese. The mouse, like a hungry vampire, ate the mouth watering cheese.

ActivityStepping up a simple sentence The car drove down the road. 1. ADD an adverb, adjective or simile - or all three!

ActivityStepping up a simple sentence The mouse ate the cheese. 2. CHANGE the noun, verb, or opener. The rodentgnawed the cheddar. Gnawing hungrily, the rodent devoured the cheddar cheese.

ActivityStepping up a simple sentence The car drove down the road. 2. CHANGE the noun, verb, or opener.

ActivityStepping up a simple sentence The mouse ate the cheese. 3. CONNECT - use a connective to give extra information. The mouse ate the cheese because it was hungry. While it was waiting,the mouse ate the cheese.

ActivityStepping up a simple sentence The mouse ate the cheese. Or do all three: add change and connect! Like a hungry vampire, the greedy mouse devoured the mouth watering cheese, because he hadn’t eaten for a week!

Extended writing • Towards the end of a unit of work (e.g. on persuasive writing) the children will be producing extended pieces of work in order to apply their ‘writing voice’. In addition, there is also a dedicated ‘Let’s Write’ session when children apply their ‘writing voice’ in genres they have studied in the past. This enables children to regularly revisit previous genres covered. (Fortnightly in Y3-6)

Let’s Write session • A short VCOP activity linked to that day’s Let’s Write. • Followed by planning time. This is used to refocus the pupils’ thoughts on the stimulus & text type for writing. • Brain break. • An extended time for writing. • Children enter the classroom with the environment set up for the Let’s Write session – no talk!

10 mins Check your punctuation! 45 MINS 40 mins Check your targets! It's Let’s Write time! 30 mins Check your Openers and Connectives. 20 mins Check your WOW words!

We focus our marking on the objective for the lesson. We also mark progress towards individual targets (copies of these are in children’s Literacy books: now with one target only, children should move on quickly to the next target once they have demonstrated achievement on three occasions). We look for areas to praise and ways to develop (2 Stars and a Wish). We would not correct all spelling and punctuation. We mark together with the children where possible, to enable discussion about the writing. Children also mark and assess their own writing (self assessment) in pairs and individually. This is increasingly developed through KS2. Marking

Self or Peer Assessment

Spelling Letters & Sounds and Support for Spelling in Y3

Spelling We teach spelling rules and patterns throughout KS2 Spelling practised via Look, Say, Cover, Write, Check . Mnemonics (b.e.c.a.u.s.e.) Use the ‘spelling voice’ to remember tricky words e.g. Wed-nes-day Feb-ru-ary veg-e-table At Upper KS2 - personal spellings are identified. Children incorporate spellings into VCOP based sentences to show understanding. Precision spelling technique

Handwriting Handwriting: the importance of letter formation and joining for fluency – reinforced in all writing activities. Please help by praising correct letter formation and joined-up writing at home!

Any Questions? Thank you for your time!

Examples of types of sentences Simple Compound Complex The cat sat on the mat. (simple) The beautiful, elegant princess waltzed gracefully in the ballroom with her handsome prince. (simple) In the middle of the night, the dog barked loudly for its master. (simple)

Examples of types of sentences Simple, Compound and Complex cont. I love bananas butI don’t like apples. (Compound) I want to be good at football soI practise my skills every day.(Compound) Cautiously tiptoeing through the gate, the postman pushed the letter through the letterbox. (Complex) Matthew went outside in a T-shirt although it was cold. (Complex)

Key Stage 2 Literacy Workshop Years 3 to 6