Transcript Big Writing - Bengeo Primary School

BIG Writing
How to produce enthusiasm
and
quality up levelling
The Writing Process
(How to make it enticing)
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Music
Atmosphere
Chunks
Competition
Reward
Publishing
Celebrating
• Journal, folder to be
proud of
• Special pens
• Food!
• Images
• Examples on desk, on
board
• Help cards, resources
Writing Voice
FAP
Form Audience Purpose
(Vary the forms, make the audiences real
and the purpose clear)
The Big Writing Philosophy
IF A CHILD CAN SAY IT, A CHILD
CAN WRITE IT
Resources pupils could
make to be used in class:
• Sentence strips – pupils on lolly pop sticks
write a variety of sentence openers or
connectives. Pupils collect/handed out
sticks which become their challenges –
could have them in levelled pots.
• Wow words (with definitions) on post
notes which pupils can take down and have
on desk to challenge themselves to use.
WOW Words
• A-Z grid or vocabulary book
(Pupils actively stealing words when
reading texts, during discussion, at home)
• WOW Word raffle, bingo – either pupils
have to say the words throughout the
week, or write them, or you play bingo one
day. Continually reviewing the words and
celebrating them.
Text type booklets:
• Can also buy – available at:
http://www.andrelleducation.co.uk
Each booklet could include the Purpose, Audience, Language
and Structure of that text type, an example of the text
type, tips to up level the text type, an up levelled example
and a mind map showing the key features of the text type.
(A great gifted and talented task – also keeping a bank of
successful past pupils work to show as models work well)
In these videos she talks about how she
developed her ideas for Big Writing.
Key points:
• Ros Wilson talks about how the V.C.O.P was
developed by working backwards from assessment
• Wow words – pupils are unlikely to read the great
classics anymore, apart from a light touch at
school – so it is hard for pupils to collect WOW
words. She warns that younger pupils might
overuse a new word – Ros Wilson says it helps
pupils to think of it as a battery that is switched
on and the battery will be drained if overused.
Big Writing is the development of the ‘writing voice’
through fast, fun, lively and predominantly oral
activities
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Throwing a ball around the room to pupils – One pupil has to start
the sentence with …ing word and say the first clause and throw
the ball to a peer to complete the next clause.
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You can purchase an inflatable 10" ball from
http://www.andrelleducation.co.uk, for just under £2. Elements of
V.C.O.P, or other prompts can be written on the ball. You could play
musical balls and when the music has stopped, the pupil has to build
sentences with the elements covered under each hand.
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You could have techniques V.C.O.P techniques next to 1-6 on the
board and a big maths dice can be thrown by pupils.
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Commentate the activity in the class, emphasising the V.C.O.P
feature in your sentences. For example: Rushing to be out to lunch
first, (say the word comma aloud here) Sam forgot to tuck his
chair under. (Get pupils to say the punctuation marks when saying
sentences out aloud)
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Encourage verbal answers throughout the day to link to V.C.O.P
elements.
Ros Wilson Big Writing Videos
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nv
EJGHxKYDg
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M
WDdpn6vQ8s&feature=related
Wall displays:
• The V.C.O.P wall displays - and
working ones that the class are
making all the time – Connective
Column – refer to them during oral
parts of lessons.
• Awards on the board – best sentence
of the day, best WOW word
Useful to have on display:
• Examples of complex sentences which have
been switched, for example connective at
the start or in the middle. Add explanation
arrows in too.
As the door opened, John felt the cold air.
John felt the cold air as the door opened.
Sentence openers:
• Get pupils to review own openers by highlighting
openers in book. Tally up the: The, I, My
Display – especially with descriptive work – the O
pyramid seems to lack these:
 Start with verb ing (Rushing…,…)
 Start with verb ed (Shocked by…,…)
 Start with Adverb (Slowly, ….)
 Start with a time (At 9 o’clock, …)
 Start with a place (Over the hills, she…)
Using Drama
• This can help develop the writing
voice – but just as in writing there
are V.C.O.P expectations, these have
to be set for oral task too.
• Have FAP for pupil voice
Gary Wilson on Boys!
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Boys need time to reflect on what they have learnt. Plenaries, are
the most important part of a lesson for boys. Doing mini ones or
ones at the end and giving them time to reflect on what they have
learnt.
Breaking things down with clear success criteria- being told each
part of the process and setting time limits. Boys appear to really
respond to time limits and instant outcomes.
Mind mapping helps boys to learn and as we know most are 'hands
on' trying to adapt to their way of learning. Using email to write a
letter rather than on paper, pod casting, videos, drama- the whole
how can they write it if they can't talk it! etc.
Making it purposeful real audience, real purpose. Developing writing
through short focus pieces. Enabling boys to take pride and value
their writing. Boys like to be rewarded by having a letter sent
home then being rewarding in assembly (although that was their
second choice) ideas like ‘positive postcards’ where they send a
quick message to their parents about their work.
Boys get turned off by writing as there is a pressure to have 'good
handwriting' and having to 'copy' things down when they have
learnt it hands on.
No hands up.
Getting them to read fiction not non fiction to encourage them to
continue to read at secondary school.
Story Sacks with a boy focus:
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The story sacks were launched around 2004 / 5 - through
strategy. Literacy consultant in Bradford trialled filling boyish
rucksacks and gave each one a theme... a football team / fire
service / police / space / hobbies / rap etc etc.... They had lots of
goodies in... a comic, a game, mazes and puzzles, programmes and
adverts and promotional material. They were designed for sons and
dads to share. Schools in Borough committed to the project and
got dads to commit within school and it was their sons who
borrowed the sacks. It was extremely popular at the time.
Each sack needs an index of contents and they are loaned out like
library books.
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“Stories in a shoebox" - essentially little scenes in a shoebox, with
moveable action figures that are used to discuss situations, and to
inspire creativity on a kinaesthetic level with the SEN children,
who show a preference with interacting with the figures, and
expressing themselves through the dialogue of the characters
they represent. The puppet company too make great resources.
Time Prompts
A clock should be visible to all pupils,
ideally colour coded in 10min intervals.
1. ‘You have had 10 minutes. Count how
many sorts of punctuation you have
used?’
2. ‘You have had 20 minutes. How many
WOW words have you used?’
3. ‘You have had 30 minutes. Look at your
openers. Have you opened with
connectives…’ly’ words, ’ing’ words?
4. ‘You have 5 minutes left.’
10 mins
40 mins
Check your
targets!
30 mins
Check your openers
and connectives.
Check your
punctuation!
45
MINS
20 mins
Check your WOW
words!
Level
1
Level
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Level
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Level
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Level
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. ?
. ?, !
. ? , ! … ’ “”
. ? , … - ! ’ “” : ; ( )
The Punctuation Pyramid
ACTIVITY
Uplevel this sentence.
The boy ran.
In pairs, discuss why I like this
sentence:
The light dimmed. I took a glance at
the beast, whilst I still had time.
Identify the parts which have been
up levelled.
Ways to approach up levelling:
• Modelling, use an example you have produced –
pupils love to make a teacher’s writing better.
Perhaps a letter to be sent home from a ‘pretend’
teacher. The up levelling of piece can be
completed in pairs and groups
• Verbal up levelling
• Have a pupil/group of pupils responsible for
particular V.C.O.P – V.C.O.P heroes – have hats,
costumes etc!
• Up levelling each others work and own work –
could you designate a colour pen to each V.C.O.P?
Useful Websites:
Resources:
• Big Writing Starter pack – under £160
http://www.andrelleducation.co.uk/shop/by-type/starterpacks/big-writing-starter-pack/
• VCOP games £45 plus VAT
http://www.andrelleducation.co.uk/shop/bytype/software/v_c_o_p_-games/
• Free Downloads (have to log in/register on this site to do
this):
http://www.andrelleducation.co.uk/shop/by-type/freebies/
• Forum:
http://www.forum.andrell.co.uk/
• A site another primary teacher made for her pupils at home
links to Kung Fu punctuation interesting:
http://sites.google.com/site/eduburrows/thevcoppage