Diamond Wood Community Academy

Writing at Diamond Wood Community Academy

At Diamond Wood Community Academy, we wholeheartedly believe that writing is fundamental to education.

Proficiency in writing is essential for our pupils’ success, as it helps them develop vital communication skills necessary for their academic journey and future endeavours. Pupils who struggle with writing often face challenges across the curriculum, since English serves both as a subject and as the medium for teaching other subjects. Recognising this, we prioritise early writing instruction, ensuring that our teaching methods align with the Department for Education's agenda. As a school, we are fully committed to raising literacy standards for all our pupils, providing every child with the opportunity to become a confident and proficient writer.

Our Writing Subject Leaders

Mrs Lillie and Mrs Booth are English Leaders in school. They are also supported by our Reading Leader Mrs Price.

Writing Programme of Study

The National Curriculum Programme of Study for writing consists of two key dimensions:

Transcription:

This includes the skills of spelling and handwriting. Effective transcription is essential for pupils to be able to communicate their ideas clearly in writing. Early writing instruction emphasizes the development of phonics knowledge to support spelling and the formation of letters. Handwriting should be taught explicitly, focusing on letter formation and the development of a fluid, legible style. Children should be encouraged to practice their handwriting regularly to build muscle memory and confidence in their writing abilities.

Composition:

Composition refers to the ability to articulate ideas and structure them into coherent texts. This dimension involves planning, drafting, revising, and editing written work. Pupils are taught to consider their audience and purpose when writing, whether they are crafting stories, poems, or non-fiction texts. Encouraging children to engage in high-quality discussions about their writing helps them refine their thoughts and express their ideas more effectively.

It is essential that teaching develops pupils’ competence in these two dimensions. In addition, pupils should be taught how to plan, revise and evaluate their writing. These aspects of writing have been incorporated into the programmes of study for composition. Writing down ideas fluently depends on effective transcription: that is, on spelling quickly and accurately through knowing the relationship between sounds and letters (phonics) and understanding the morphology (word structure) and orthography (spelling structure) of words. Effective composition involves forming, articulating and communicating ideas, and then organising them coherently for a reader. This requires clarity, awareness of the audience, purpose and context, and an increasingly wide knowledge of vocabulary and grammar. Writing also depends on fluent, legible and, eventually, speedy handwriting.

National Curriculum

Substantive and Disciplinary Concepts: Our Writing Golden Threads

Click on the link below to download this information as a document.

Writing Curriculum: Substantive and Disciplinary Concepts

Our Approach to Teaching Writing

Yearly Overview

Key Texts

At Diamond Wood Community Academy, we carefully select key texts as a stimulus for writing to enhance literacy skills in our pupils. These texts are thoughtfully chosen to expose children to essential narrative structures and language features, laying a solid foundation for their writing development. By aligning our choices with our overarching key topics, we ensure that students not only improve their literacy skills but also engage with relevant and meaningful content.

Our selected texts reflect our school’s core values and encompass our key themes, including British values and the spiritual, moral, social, and cultural (SMSC) considerations that are integral to our educational framework. This approach fosters critical thinking, creativity, and cultural awareness among our learners, encouraging them to explore diverse perspectives and experiences.

In line with educational guidance, our key texts support the vital connection between reading and writing, facilitating phonics and grammar instruction while allowing for differentiation to meet the varied needs of our pupils. Ultimately, the integration of these carefully chosen texts provides a comprehensive foundation for effective communication and creative expression in early education.

Click here to view our writing curriculum key text spine alongside rationales for these choices.

Unit of Work/ Teaching Sequence Overviews

Teaching Sequence: Writing Lessons

Initiate:

As part of our teaching sequence, we begin with experience days that immerse children in engaging activities linked to their writing. These days are designed to saturate pupils with vocabulary connected to the lenses of "The Writing Rainbow." By providing rich experiences, we lay a solid foundation for their writing skills.

Model:

Following the experience days, teachers conduct sentence stacking lessons. During these lessons, teachers model sentence writing, using the success criteria to guide pupils. They share their ideas alongside those of the children, demonstrating how to incorporate vocabulary and structure sentences effectively. This modelling includes connections between written and spoken language, as well as essential phonics knowledge, spelling rules and handwriting development.

Engage:

After the sentence stacking lessons, children are given the opportunity to demonstrate their learning through independent writing. They will engage in a structured process that includes planning, writing, editing, and finally publishing their work. Throughout this phase, pupils will utilise their phonics knowledge and select vocabulary that resonates with them, allowing them to express their ideas creatively and confidently.

Writing Development in Nursery

We recognise the importance of fostering early writing skills, starting right from the Nursery. We provide a range of age-appropriate writing opportunities to nurture children's development, ensuring that each child is supported at their individual stage of readiness.

Pre-Handwriting Skills: In Nursery, we lay the foundation for writing by focusing on pre-handwriting shapes. Children are encouraged to engage with a variety of activities that help them develop the fine motor skills necessary for writing. These activities include drawing, tracing, and creating shapes that mirror the movements they will eventually use for letter formation. Through these playful yet purposeful exercises, children build the muscle memory and coordination required for writing.

Fine and Gross Motor Activities: We integrate fine and gross motor activities into our daily routines to further strengthen the physical skills needed for writing. Fine motor activities, such as threading beads, using tweezers, and manipulating playdough, help children refine their hand-eye coordination and finger strength. Gross motor activities, such as climbing, balancing, and large-scale mark-making (e.g. using chalk on the playground), support the overall development of control and stability, which are essential for more focused fine motor tasks.

Vocabulary Focus: Language development is a key component of our writing programme. In Nursery, we emphasise the importance of vocabulary acquisition as a precursor to effective writing. Through rich, language-based activities, we introduce children to new words and concepts, helping them to build a strong foundation for expressive and descriptive writing. By engaging in storytelling, role play, and discussions, children expand their vocabulary, which in turn enhances their ability to communicate ideas in written form.

Introduction to the 'Fantastics' Lenses: To inspire early creativity and structure in writing, we introduce Nursery children to the 'Fantastics' lenses from Jane Considine's Writing Rainbow. These lenses help children to think about different aspects of their writing, such as describing what they see, hear, and feel. By exploring these lenses through oral language activities, children begin to understand how to structure their thoughts and eventually translate them into written words as they progress through the school.

Name Writing: When children are ready, we introduce them to name writing. This milestone activity is approached with patience and encouragement, allowing each child to practice writing their name in a way that feels achievable and enjoyable. This not only helps children take ownership of their writing but also boosts their confidence as they see their progress in a meaningful, personal way.

By offering these varied writing opportunities in Nursery, we aim to create a solid foundation for our children's future literacy development, fostering a love for writing and ensuring they are well-prepared as they continue their learning journey in our school.

Handwriting

At Diamond Wood Community Academy, we use the Read, Write Inc (RWI) guidance to support the teaching of handwriting across school. In addition to initially teaching handwriting during our daily RWI sessions in Nursery and Reception, we implement additional frequent handwriting sessions to ensure that pupils are provided with enough time to practice and build upon their handwriting skills.

Following the RWI guidance, we identify the three handwriting stages as;

For more information about each of these stages please click here.

Click here to download the handwriting sayings we use to support pupils with their formation.

Fine Motor Skills and Pre Writing Shapes

At Diamond Wood Community Academy we understand the importance of providing a comprehensive and well-planned approach to developing children's fine motor skills. This includes enabling children to acquire pre-writing skills, such as the ability to form simple shapes, before they begin formal handwriting. We recognise that the development of fine motor skills is crucial for children's overall physical and cognitive development, as well as their future success in writing.

Fine motor skills refer to the ability to use small muscles in a coordinated and controlled manner, particularly those in the hands and fingers. These skills are fundamental for activities such as holding a pencil, using scissors, and writing.

Teaching pre-writing shapes, such as circles, squares, and lines, before formal handwriting allows children to develop their understanding of basic shape formation, spatial awareness, and hand-eye coordination. By focusing on these fundamental shapes, children can develop the necessary skills and confidence for later writing tasks.

To ensure the development of fine motor skills and pre-writing shapes, the following strategies can be incorporated into children's daily routines at home as well as at school:

• Provide a range of activities that target fine motor control, including threading beads, pegging, cutting, and buttoning.
• Include play-based activities that involve manipulating small objects, such as building blocks, puzzles, and Lego.
• Encourage activities that promote finger strength and dexterity, such as playdough modelling, finger painting, and using tweezers.

At Diamond Wood Community Academy, the following strategies are employed to teach and assess pre-writing shapes in a progressive manner:

• Begin with simple shapes, such as circles, squares, and lines, and gradually introduce more complex shapes.
• Use a variety of materials, such as sand, paint, or chalk, for children to practice forming shapes.
• Provide visual aids, such as posters and charts, to reinforce the correct formation of shapes.
• Model and verbally describe the process of forming each shape, ensuring children understand the correct movements.
• Regularly assess children's progress by observing their ability to independently form shapes and provide constructive feedback.

Editing Written Work

At Diamond Wood Community Academy, we believe that teaching children to edit their own written work is a crucial aspect of their development in English. Our aim is to ensure that all children develop the necessary skills to become confident and independent writers. Teaching children to edit their own written work allows them to take ownership of their learning and empowers them to improve their writing skills. It encourages self-reflection, promotes critical thinking, and fosters a growth mindset where pupils understand that their work can always be improved. 

In the Early Years Foundation Stage, we recognise that children are in the early stages of developing their writing skills. However, we still believe it is important to introduce them to the concept of editing. Here are some strategies we use in EYFS:

• Modelling: Teachers demonstrate the process of editing using simple examples, emphasising the importance of revising and improving their work.
• Visual Cues: Display charts and posters that provide visual reminders of editing strategies, such as checking for capital letters, finger spaces, and full stops.
• Shared Editing: Teachers collaboratively edit children's work during focused group activities, involving each child in the editing process.

These strategies aim to foster a positive attitude towards editing and develop an awareness of its importance from an early age.

In Key Stage 1, the focus is on building upon the introduction to editing in EYFS and further developing students' editing skills. Here are some strategies we use in KS1:

• Editing Checklist: Provide pupils with a checklist of common errors to look out for, including spelling, punctuation, grammar, and clarity of ideas.
• Guided Editing: Teachers work in small groups with pupils, guiding them through the editing process and providing targeted feedback and support.
• Peer Feedback: Promote peer collaboration by encouraging pupils to exchange their written work and provide constructive feedback to their peers.

These strategies aim to develop pupils' autonomy in editing their work and promote a sense of responsibility for continuous improvement.

Grammar and Spelling

We have created clear and well-structured progression maps for grammar and spelling to provide teachers with a clear learning pathway. They enable a systematic approach to deliver the knowledge, understanding, and skills required by the 2014 National Curriculum in England. Having progression maps ensures consistency and continuity in the teaching and learning of grammar and spelling across EYFS, Year 1, and Year 2. By clearly outlining the expected knowledge and skills at each stage, teachers can build upon prior learning and ensure a smooth transition from one year group to the next. This promotes a seamless educational experience for pupils, preventing any disjointed learning experiences.

Click here to view our EYFS Grammar and Spelling progression map.

Click here to view our Key Stage 1 Grammar and Spelling progression map.

Click here to view our Grammar, Spelling and Punctuation glossary.

Read Write Inc Spelling 

Read Write Inc. Spelling is a 15-minutes-a-day programme followed by our Year 2 pupils. Read Write Inc. Spelling is a spelling programme based on proven strategies of teacher modelling followed by partner work, to embed learning. The programme covers all the National Curriculum word structures and spelling requirements. It is built around a series of short, progressive activities and uses partner work to help children learn effectively and recall what they have learnt.

Spelling rules are introduced by characters from an 'online spelling planet'. Children spell new words and have plenty of practice spelling them, including exception words and homophones. Read Write Inc. Spelling builds on from the grapheme- phoneme correspondence from Read Write Inc Phonics.

The sequence of activities are the same in each unit. These are based on a continuous cycle of: learn something new, practice, consolidate in context and then review. Each unit of work generally lasts one week. The children use a spelling book which has a range of teacher-led activities, paired work and independent activities. Alongside this we have a Spelling Log where children can record the words they find difficult to spell and they can circle the part that they find tricky.

Click here to read more information about each of these activities.

Click here to view our Writing Progression Map that highlights the intended 'end points' for all year groups.

Ideas for Helping at Home

Writing opportunities: 

Encourage children to write for different purposes, such as letters, stories, or diary entries. Provide appropriate writing materials and support children in developing their handwriting skills.

Technology and online resources: 

Guide children in using age-appropriate online resources, such as educational websites or apps, to enhance their English skills.

Supporting spelling and grammar: 

Help children learn and apply spelling rules and grammatical concepts through activities and games.

Providing a language-rich environment:

Engage in conversations with children, using varied vocabulary and sentence structures. Encourage them to ask questions and explore their ideas.

Maintaining open communication: 

Parents and carers should communicate with their child's teacher to discuss progress, ask for advice, and share concerns regarding their child's English development.

If you would like to know any more information about our Reading Curriculum here at

Diamond Wood please do not hesitate to get in touch.