This document provides an overview of the Big Writing program, including typical structures, resources, lessons, differentiation strategies, and celebrations. It discusses having a grammar lesson and Big Talk discussion to introduce the weekly writing task. Examples are given for an active lesson, writing time, and follow up. Tips are provided for resources, assessments, the classroom environment, and finding additional ideas.

1. Big Writing
Review of where we are now.

2. Aims
To review where we are currently
with Big Writing as a school.
To remind ourselves of strategies,
formats and resources.

3. A typical Big Writing week
 Monday – Grammar Lesson – to lead in to the weeks Big Writing task.
 Monday – Big Talk discussion (topic set the previous week and should
be linked to the weeks writing task).
 Wednesday – Block 2 – Active lesson
 Wednesday – Block 3 – Writing time
 Throughout the week – 5/10/15 minute active VCOP activities.
 Writing should be linked where possible to other things in class – such as
Topic or RME. Wow word wall etc. should be updated and referred to
through this.

4. Example Big Writing week
 Topic – The Human Body / Healthy Eating
 Task – Instructions - Writing the recipe for a healthy salad.
 Focus – I can use bossy verbs. I can use varied openers. I can use bullet points
or numbered steps.
 Monday – Grammar – Bossy verbs and planning time for writing task. Add to
Wow word wall.
 Monday – Big Talk HL task – share a set of instructions that you saw at home
(e.g. a recipe, flat pack furniture instructions). Discuss features.
 Wednesday - Block 2 – Active lesson – Focus on openers – ball games, plant
pots, paired highlighting task.
 Wednesday – Block 3 – Writing time – 10 minute recap and discussion, 20 minute
silent writing time, 10 minute plenary / peer or self assessment time.
 Thursday – Topic / H and W lesson – Follow and test out the recipe. Self assess
the writing.

5. Free Writing
 Give time for free writing. Does not have to be weekly – could be once a
term as part of Big Writing.
 Important to encourage their confidence and creativity.
 Provide appropriate stimuli e.g. story opener cards.
 Does not always have to be marked or shared with you.
 Do encourage different genres – by encouragement not by force.

6. Resources in school
Widget disk
Big Writing games disk
Big Writing purple folder
Big impact strategies book
Literacy boxes
Punctuation posters
Pyramids – big and small

7. Big impact lessons
 All are available in the purple folder.
 6 pre planned weeks that are designed to review key
concepts and terminology.
 Great for providing the strategies and ideas and
introducing them to the structure of Big Writing.
 You can pick and choose – but they are designed to
cover all aspects of Big Writing and VCOP in 6 weeks.
 A good way to start each new session.

8. Your Big Writing classroom
 Lots of visuals!! Wow word wall, Fresh Start posters,
punctuation pyramids, 3D pyramids etc. (For borrowing
ideas).
 Resources available to support – that are at the appropriate
level – dictionaries etc.
 A place to celebrate the star writer.
 VCOP can be used as a great extension / fast finisher activity.

9. Assessment resources
VCOP sheets
 Post-it notes
 Target setting sheets
 2 stars and a wish format should be used (don’t just
write ‘Well done!’ – it does not support their
understanding of where they are
 Quarterly assessment / target setting grid for the
teacher

10. Differentiation / support in Big Writing
 Clicker 6
 Structured sheets / ordering sheets
 Word mats
 Sentence opener sheets
 Wow word wall as a word bank in front of the child
 Teacher support on rotation – a focus group a week.
 Its important to remember that the writing time is meant to be as
independent as possible.
 Clicker 6 can also be on rotation.

11. Celebrations
Use lots of different claps
Weekly star writer of the week
Don’t over mark – celebrate if they are
trying. E.g using a piece of punctuation
even if its not entirely accurate.

12. Ideas for the active lesson
 Bag of balls
 Giant ball
 VCOP plant pots
White board and pens
 Highlighters
 Games disk
 Use pupils own work from the previous week

13. Where to get ideas from ……
 CPD – lots of writing courses available for all levels.
 Online – so many things are available – just google Big Writing.
 Use Big Books.
 Read! Read! Read! – enhance the vocabulary.
 Useful websites …
 http://www.literacyshed.com/
 http://www.andrelleducation.com/big-writing/
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWDdpn6vQ8s (Ros Wilson talking
about the ‘writing voice’).
 TES (It’s free, you just need a log in)
 http://www.bbc.co.uk/education Clips and audio files for all curricular
areas, broken down by level and topic.

14. Any questions?