English

The writing curriculum builds upon the multi-sensory foundations laid out within the Explorer curriculum. It is also taught as a discreet subject.Writing is reinforced through a cross-curricular approach and throughout the day. Writing experiences are intrinsically linked with the development of reading and communication skills. Children are given regular opportunities to communicate their ideas, build reading and phonetic knowledge, write or mark make in sessions and during structured play activities. They learn to recognise and form letters, build and write sentences, as well as to develop symbol supported sentences and typing skills. Writing is taught in a practical way. The primary skills of transcription and composition are a focus. Writing skills and concepts are re-visited to ensure concepts are reinforced and generalised in different contexts. 

Recently we have been using Talk for writing. The Talk for Writing approach enables children to read and write independently for a variety of audiences and purposes within different subjects. A key feature is that children internalise the language structures needed to write through ‘talking the text’, as well as close reading. The approach moves from dependence towards independence, with the teacher using shared and guided teaching to develop the ability in children to write creatively and powerfully.