Writing at St Paul’s Primary
At St Paul’s our aim is that all children love language and enjoy expressing themselves orally and in writing. We follow the Talk4Writing method of teaching, which is a cumulative and systematic process which enables our pupils to examine model texts, develop language features and express their own ideas creatively. In Early Years this focusses heavily on oral work and teacher modelling, whereas in Key Stage One and Two the process supports the children to draw upon their reading to generate ideas and write confidently: the process teaches our children how to be writers, not just how to write.
There are 3 stages:-
- Imitation
Pupils learn a model text orally, through use of a text map. Pupils rehearse, repeat and internalise language structures from the chosen text type. Pupils explore the text as a reader using drama and hot-seating to support comprehension and investigate the vocabulary. Pupils explore the text as a writer, looking at how the piece has been structured.
- Innovation
Pupils use the structure of the model text studied and introduce their own changes. This begins in early years with simple substitution (for example, swapping one character for their own), and progresses through changing characters/setting, adding in stages, changing tense, viewpoint. Teachers lead shared writing, modelling and narrating the process before children try independently using their own ideas.
- Independent Application
The final stage is where children independently produce their own piece of writing, crafted using their own ideas and applying the techniques and language linked with the chosen text type that has been rehearsed and explored previously.