Big Writing at Hamsey Green Primary School Steve

Big Writing at Hamsey Green Primary School Steve Brown, Writing Lead

Example of a Big Write introduction. (It’s your turn!) The topic: You are lost in the middle of the Amazon Rainforest. How did you get here? What should you do next? Divide your whiteboard into four. V C O and P in the corner of each section. Vocabulary – write down as many wow words as you can. Connectives/conjunctions – write down as many linking words as you can. Openers – Use your ISPACE openers sheet to add as many different openers as you can. Punctuation – Write down as many punctuation marks as you can.

What is the purpose of Big Writing at Hamsey Green? Big Writing was created by Ros Wilson to improve standards in writing. Very few children can take in the complexities of vocabulary and grammar at first exposure. Big Writing works through the oral rehearsing and re-rehearsing of ideas. To do this, it is important for adults to talk through children’s ideas for a task at home. Children having a myriad of ideas makes it far easier for them to write well. Avoid blank page syndrome.

Vocabulary Exposure to high-level vocabulary. Reading books with high-level vocabulary in – unabridged classics. Encouragement to share high-level vocabulary in the input. Teachers will only accept high-level vocabulary e. g. traversed not went.

Connectives/Conjunctions These link ideas, sentences and paragraphs. They create a more flowing style. The children played in the stream. After they had dried off, the intrepid adventurers plotted their next steps. Getting rid of ‘and then’.

Openers A variety of ways to open sentences is imperative. It makes children’s work more interesting and creates a better pace. At Hamsey Green we use ISPACED.

ISPACED

Punctuation Children need to be encouraged to use level 5 punctuation as early as possible. This also signposts how work should be read.

Features of a text type Knowing the text type and its features is important. Children write in a variety of text types. Encourage children to read a variety of text types. Each genre comes with different features.

How you can help. Identify what the children are being asked to write. Help them generate ideas. Make sure children have an idea for each part of their text. Read with them examples of the text type they are writing about this week. Create a word bank at home that they can use.

Any questions?