2. • Understand Big Writing.
• Plan for Big Writing to succeed in our school.
• An agreed timetable for Big Writing for each
cohort.
• An agreed timetable for implementing,
monitoring and evaluating Big Writing.
3. What is Big Writing? - 1
• A way of teaching writing originally devised by
Ros Wilson (Google Andrell Education).
• A way to teach writing that makes children
feel confident and motivated.
• A way to break writing down into small steps
that children can assimilate.
• A way to teach the steps that matches the
developmental stage of the children being
taught.
4. What is Big Writing? - 2
• Fast, fun, lively, predominantly oral activities.
• Pupils talk the ‘writing voice’ in the first part
of a dedicated Big Writing session and at other
points in the week.
• If a child can say it , then the child can write it.
• Talking voice not the same as the ‘writing
voice’.
6. Three Strands
• Basic Skills:
• grammar, handwriting, spelling and sentence structure
• Detail and Structure:
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•
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openings – body – endings – 5 W’s – emotions and feelings
features of different non-fiction writing genres
play script
poetry
five part story structure
• Writing Voice:
• vocabulary, connectives, sentence openers and punctuation
7. Strand One
• Basic Skills:
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•
•
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What resources have we got to teach:
Grammar?
Handwriting?
Spelling?
Sentence structure?
11. Strand Three
• Writing Voice
• What resources have we got to teach the features of
the writing voice?
• Vocabulary
• Connectives
• Openers
• Punctuation
12. Planning Big Writing
• Structure of sessions.
• Two part
• Length of sessions.
• Age specific
• When?
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•
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As part of two/ three week literacy unit?
Once a week/ fortnight/ 4 weeks in every 6 ...?
A few weeks after a genre has been taught?
Cross curricular opportunities?
13. Component Parts
• Daily reminder of upcoming Big Write session.
• Big Write homework – talk homework.
• Two part Big Write lesson – from one literacy
hour plus an extra session devoted to
extended writing.
• Time can be split across the morning break
• (Only 1 hour, split into 2 x 30 min in Year 1)
14. Daily Reminder
• Brief recap of text type.
• Re-visit success criteria for chosen genre.
• Share children’s ideas.
15. Big Write Homework
• Gathering ideas for writing – oral homework,
possibly written notes. E.g. List of people’s
opinions and ideas to find out before the Big
Write.
16. Big Write Lesson - 1
• Two parts:
• Traditionally equal length: 40 – 45 minutes each
• First the warm up session:
WOW words
Finding exciting words
Investigate/ re-visit
genre to be written
Last 5 minutes refocus
Talk
on task ahead
‘Up-level’ writing
Play VCOP games
Spot the difference
Drama
Upgrading sentences
Role play
‘Borrow’ exciting words
from published authors
Look at last big write in pairs
Have a go with interesting punctuation
17. Big Write Lesson - 2
• Second session part one. Children return to a
very different classroom:
‘Electric Silence’
Children take responsibility
for improving (up-levelling)
their writing
Special paper
Fairy Lights
Special pens/ pencils
Candle
Lights dimmed
Children enter
room in silence
Very quiet background music
Children work quietly/
silently on their own
18. Big Write Lesson - 3
• Second session part two. Teachers’ role:
Maintain the silence
Each child has three
‘small step’ targets
Provide 10 minute brain breaks:
10 mins check your punctuation
20 mins check your WOW words
30 mins check your openers and connectives
40 mins check your targets
Clock – possibly colour
coded in 10 min intervals
Last 5 mins children stop writing and use their polishing
pens to check they have addressed their targets
Peer evaluation
can be built in –
e.g. three stars
and a wish
19. Classroom Changes
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‘Writer of the Week’ display.
WOW words display.
Target display – who has reached their goal?
Connective Ladder.
Openers display.
Punctuation Pyramid.
20.
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24.
25. Suggested Timetable
• Staff Meeting on Big Writing – this is it!
• TA training – 22nd October.
• Monitor Literacy and Big Write planning –
early November.
• Monitor Big Write books – later in November.
• Feedback to staff, celebrate success! – early
December.
26. • Understand Big Writing.
• Plan for Big Writing to succeed in our school.
• An agreed timetable for Big Writing for each
cohort.
• An agreed timetable for implementing,
monitoring and evaluating Big Writing.