Writing

At Whitestone Infant School, we believe that writing is integral to our children’s whole language experience.

We believe that speaking and listening with confidence are significant factors in developing effective writing.

Reading and writing are closely connected and mutually supportive; we read as writers and write as readers.

Writing is a craft and most children learn best through their own writing, rather than through exercises out of context.

Writing is best framed within recognisable text-types or genres. Writing should be designed to meet the needs of real or imagined audiences.

Early Years Foundation Stage

Children are taught to use their phonic knowledge to write words in ways which match their spoken sounds.

They are taught to be able to write some irregular common words.

They are taught to write simple sentences which can be read by themselves and others.

They are taught to spell some simple words correctly and others are phonetically plausible.

Key Stage 1

The Programmes of Study for writing consist of two dimensions:

Transcription (spelling and handwriting). Children need to be taught spelling patterns and understanding of word structure as well as developing good phonic knowledge. They need to be taught to write legibly with speedy accurate handwriting.

Composition (articulating ideas and structuring them in speech and writing) Children need to be able to articulate and communicate ideas and organise them coherently for the reader. This requires clarity, awareness of the audience, purpose and context, and an increasingly wide knowledge of vocabulary and grammar

Writing is accessed through a planned learning journey, building up to an extended piece of writing 

Handwriting

At Whitestone Infant school we believe that neat, well-formed handwriting and presentation of written work helps to raise standards. Pupils take pride in and have a sense of ownership of their work. Legible work and good presentation enables others to comprehend the work presented which in turn enables success and confidence. We use the Nelson Handwriting scheme to support children to learn to correct formation of the letters. We start to teach joined writing in Year 2