Writing at Colne Engaine
We want to develop and nurture children’s love of writing, encouraging them to flourish as creative and informative writers. We aim to provide high quality learning experiences in order to develop their competence in both transcription (spelling and handwriting) and composition (articulating ideas and structuring them in speech and writing).
Children are taught to be confident writers across the curriculum, focusing on age-specific grammar, punctuation and handwriting through targeted lessons. They are given extended time to draft and edit longer pieces of writing. Whenever possible, children are asked to write for a real purpose across the curriculum. We intend for our children to plan, revise, and evaluate their writing effectively; be able to write down their ideas fluently, spelling words quickly and accurately using a fluent, neat and joined script. Through the development of pupil’s composition skills, we will ensure they can form, articulate, and communicate ideas, organise them coherently for a reader, showing an awareness of the audience, purpose and context, and an increasingly wide knowledge of vocabulary and grammar, which will support lifelong learning.
How We Learn
Our children will enjoy learning in a language-rich environment, have access to high quality texts and be exposed to extensive vocabulary and experience inspiring, effective and fun learning. Children will learn through a variety of techniques, developing speaking and listening skills to promote good writing, language learning through drama and the five senses, incorporating ICT, exploring texts from a diverse range of books and using these as a vehicle for writing and writing through a broad range of genres.
Writing is taught in specific meaningful and effective contexts. We underpin our literacy lessons using high-quality texts. Children have effective, high quality daily Literacy lessons and frequent opportunities to write across the curriculum. Speaking and listening skills and Write Stuff sentence stacking approaches are used to support children in articulating their ideas. Children have opportunities to reflect on and improve writing through editing with continuous self, peer and teacher assessment providing clear next steps for learning.
Spelling and Handwriting
Children are taught to use a neat and consistent style of handwriting, and presentation supported by Nelson.
Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar is taught in accordance with the statutory requirements of the English National Curriculum. We use Spelling Shed’s spelling program, which involves the relationship between sounds and written symbols as well as using morphology to help spell through meaning. The carefully selected word lists and engaging activities provide opportunities to incorporate phonics and meaning to strengthen spelling skills and build vocabulary acquisition.
Speaking and Listening
Speaking and Listening is central to learning. Children are given opportunities to talk for a range of purposes to different audiences and are encouraged to listen attentively and respond appropriately to a range of speakers. See our Oracy curriculum milestones and opportunities below.
In Handwriting children are enabled to develop a fluent and legible style of printed and joined up handwriting. We teach a cursive style which starts with pre-cursive in the earliest stage. When your child first comes to school, they will learn to form every letter with an entry and exit stroke.
