Writing at Pentland Primary School
Success in any curriculum area depends upon good basic writing skills. It provides pupils with an important form of self-expression and creativity as well as making available to them the power of the written word.
Structure of Lessons
The programmes of study for writing at key stages 1 and 2 consist of two dimensions:
- transcription (spelling and handwriting)
- composition (articulating ideas and structuring them in speech and writing)
Effective composition involves forming, articulating and communicating ideas, and then organising them coherently for a reader. This requires clarity, awareness of the audience, purpose and context, and an increasingly wide knowledge of vocabulary and grammar.
From Year 1 upwards the children have daily literacy lessons. Grammar and punctuation are an embedded part of every lesson.
Lessons are set within a creative and context which is relevant to children. Typically this will involve using high quality age appropriate texts to provide models of genre construct and appropriate vocabulary. An audience is identified so there is always a purpose for writing. Within literacy lessons children are given the opportunity to engage in activities such as:
- Text analysis
- Reading and research
- Spoken language
- Drama techniques
Handwriting is taught as an embedded skill as well as separately to the writing lesson, using the PenPals programme.