Making Hampshire a better place for children and young people where all of them, including those who are vulnerable and/or disadvantaged, have the best possible start in life and are supported by the whole community to reach their potential.

ELEMENTS OF WRITINGWord and Sentence Level Aspects

“Every writer I know has trouble writing.”

Joseph Heller

Aims of each session

To provide you with an opportunity for supportive, professional dialogue with colleagues;

To develop a further understanding of the element of writing in focus;

To leave with one or two new activities, ideas or approaches to try in class;

To realise that you are not alone!

Nb All of tonight’s materials are available on the English Moodle: hias.hants.gov.uk/english

The relative relation of Writing AFs

NC Level Descriptors – Word choice

Level 2Pupils' writing communicates meaning in both narrative and non-narrative forms, using appropriate and interesting vocabulary.

Level 3Pupils' writing is often organised, imaginative and clear...words are chosen for variety and interest.

Level 4Pupils' writing in a range of forms is lively and thoughtful... Vocabulary choices are often adventurous and words are used for effect.  

Level 5Pupils' writing is varied and interesting...Vocabulary choices are imaginative and words are used precisely.

The Importance of Words

Don't use words too big for the subject. Don't say "infinitely" when you mean "very"; otherwise you'll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite.

C. S. Lewis

Encourage children to develop a range of vocabulary from as early an age as possible.

The Importance of Words

During the early years, vocabulary extends at a rapid rate of 50-70 words per week, through oral conversation

By the time the child is five he/she will have an oral vocabulary of about 14,000 words

Research shows that some of our five year old pupils have an oral vocabulary of less than 9,000 words – often pupils from poorer homes

How would this impact on learning? What can you do about this?

The Importance of Reading

The Importance of reading

kindling flouncing

scamper rustle

fumbling

Word of the week

fumbling

‘Articulate’ Take a noun from a pile on the table. Describe it to your partner without

naming it. Use descriptive language to help your partner visualise what you are describing.

Can your partner guess what it is?

Synonym Race

You have thirty seconds. Think of as many alternative words as

you can for…

look

Talking verbs

1. Working in pairs, make a list of alternative words for ‘said’.

2. Write your words onto a grid.3. Think of a simple sentence that someone

might say, e.g. ‘Where have I put my glasses?’

4. Take it in turns to choose a word from the list and say the sentence accordingly. Can the other person guess which word was chosen?

From: Jumpstart! Literacy by Pie Corbett

The POWER of words!

Quite often, synonyms can be ordered by how powerful they are, e.g.

big huge colossal

Order a set of word cards according to how powerful the children think the

words are.

cool

rocky

lapping

fresh

lush

clear

As fresh as a mountain stream

smooth

The sea was a shimmering plate of glass.

Super settings

Another setting?

NC Level Descriptors - Sentences

Level 2Ideas are developed in a sequence of sentences, sometimes demarcated by capital letters and full stops.

Level 3Sequences of sentences extend ideas logically and words are chosen for variety and interest. The basic grammatical structure of sentences is usually correct.

Level 4Pupils are beginning to use grammatically complex sentences, extending meaning.

Level 5Simple and complex sentences are organised into paragraphs.

Sample Sentence Progression L2-5 Jack’s mother asked him to find the cow

and take her to market. Jack put on his coat, his hat and his boots

and led Daisy down the lane. The sun shone and the birds sang while Jack

and Daisy ambled along. After a while, they met a strange looking

man. The man’s coat billowed gently even though

there was no breeze. “He is definitely the strangest looking man I

have ever seen,” thought Jack.

Sample Sentence Progression L2-5

Interrupting Jack’s thoughts, the man thrust out his bony hand and introduced himself.

Startled by his speed, Jack dropped Daisy’s rope but she didn’t notice. She was happily munching on some crisp, green grass at the side of the road.

Eventually, Jack agreed to exchange the cow for the handful of magic beans and, whistling triumphantly, he wended his way back home.

Now, reader, can you imagine the look on his mother’s face when Jack handed over the handful of beans? Yes, you’re right; she was absolutely furious and sent him straight to bed.

Puzzled and exasperated as to how she had produced such a dunce for a son, Jack’s mother tossed the beans out of the window, little knowing what was about to happen next!

Sentence Construction

Drawing a sentencemonster rampaged(noun) (verb)

words describing the noun words describing the verb

fierce fiery last night Which had been let loose

furiously

Sentence Shaping (Ideas from Pie Corbett)

Sentence construction, expansion, manipulation and reduction

Human Sentences Consequences Editing text – expand/reduce a sentence Make it

Sentence Transformation

Change it Boring Sentences Sentence Doctor

More Complex Sentences

The three-part sentence

e.g. Tim ran down the road, jumped over the garden sprinkler and fell flat on his face.

More Complex Sentences

Sentence Starters1. ‘ed’ opening2. ‘ing’ opening3. Simile4. Preposition 5. Adverb6. Drop in a clauseTim___________ went home.

Benjamin Franklin

Either write something worth

reading or do something worth

writing.

Strange?

Making Hampshire a better place for children and young people where all of them, including those who are vulnerable and/or disadvantaged, have the best possible start in life and are supported by the whole community to reach their potential.

Crop circles appeared in fields a few years back – we had to investigate these!

Now this has happened at Lantern Lane!

‘Generating the Clay’