Writing

At Mill view we recognise that writing is a powerful tool that empowers primary children to express their thoughts, ideas, and creativity with clarity and confidence. Through writing, children not only develop essential communication skills but also refine their critical thinking abilities and cultivate their unique voices. Whether it is crafting stories, sharing opinions, or solving problems, writing enables them to engage meaningfully with the world around them and make meaningful connections across subjects. We are committed to nurturing a culture of writing excellence, providing our students with the guidance, resources, and opportunities they need to become proficient writers who can effectively communicate and collaborate in school and beyond. We encourage children to take pride in their final publications which are displayed around school.

Starting the Writing Journey

In our Little Wrens Nursery class we understand the significance of mark making as a fundamental stage in a child's early development. Through exploration and expression, mark making serves as a precursor to writing, fostering fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and cognitive growth. We embrace a play-based approach that encourages our nursery children to freely experiment with various tools and materials, from crayons to paintbrushes, allowing them to discover the joy of self-expression and creativity. By providing a nurturing environment that celebrates each child's unique journey, we cultivate a love for mark making that lays the groundwork for future literacy and artistic adventures.

Our youngest children are introduced to a wide range of high quality texts to inspire a love of the written word and early engagement with story.

Drawing Club

Our Nursery and Reception classes take part in Drawing Club which is based around picture books, tales and animations. It involves a short period of Time Together as a whole class followed by time with children exploring their ideas and creativity both with adults and in their play. These sessions immerse children in the world of story, are a vehicle to share a treasure trove of vocabulary and seek to open up the playground of language to them whilst developing their creativity and imagination.

Ready, Steady, Write

From Reception through to Year 6 we follow the Ready, Steady, Write scheme which is an evidence-based tool for the teaching of writing. The units have been carefully mapped out so the entire statutory curriculum for writing is covered for each year group.

Ready, Steady, Write provides opportunity for the teaching of writing through high-quality literature (vehicle texts). Each unit of work centres on an engaging, vocabulary-rich text, modelled examples of writing based on the text and provides a wealth of writing opportunities.

Each class produces 12 pieces of extended writing a year following the process of Immerse, Analyse, Plan and Write. All 12 pieces of work are published and displayed across school to celebrate the high standard of writing achieved. In addition to the 12 extended pieces of writing the children have numerous opportunities to complete linked incidental writes. 

Units of work offer opportunities to develop a wider vocabulary, teach contextualised spelling, grammar and punctuation, develop sentence accuracy and write in a range of genres.

In every writing lesson the children work on their sentence accuracy skills. The sentence accuracy work is progressive across the year and links directly to the Ready, Steady, Write focus text each class is working on.

The importance of spoken language on writing

In every lesson, speaking and listening activities are carefully incorporated. These activities encompass various forms, including question-and-answer sessions, discussions, and techniques like debates, which prompt children to consider diverse perspectives and contemplate the reasons behind events within a text. Moreover, drama exercises are incorporated, enabling students to delve into the emotions and perspectives of characters. Speaking and listening tasks are strategically dispersed across lessons to enhance student engagement and foster deep reflection and preparation, consequently enhancing the quality of their written work.

Our Ready, Steady, Write texts form the basis of our year group themes and this enables us to draw upon the wider curriculum.

Phonics and Spelling

In Nursery our phonics centres on fostering a foundational understanding of sounds, letters, and spoken language. Through playful activities like listening games, rhymes, and sensory experiences, children begin to develop phonemic awareness by recognising and manipulating individual sounds in words. While formal letter learning may not commence until later, children are introduced to letters through exploratory activities like puzzles and crafts. Multisensory approaches, such as tactile experiences and movement-based activities, engage children in phonics learning, while book exploration and oral language development lay the groundwork for later literacy skills. At Mill View we emphasize a play-based approach, incorporating parental involvement and fostering a supportive learning environment that encourages curiosity and exploration, ultimately nurturing the early stages of phonics readiness and literacy development.

In Reception and Year 1 children follow a systematic synthetic phonics programme called Floppy's Phonics.  In every lesson of this carefully structured progressive scheme for teaching phonic write children are given opportunities to write using new phonics introduced as well as reinforcing those previously taught. Reception and Year 1 have a daily Phonics lesson. The children are taught the correct spelling for a progressive list of ‘helpful words’ throughout this phonics programme and once these high frequency words have been learned by a child, they are expected to spell them correctly in their writing.

From Year 2 to Year 6, dedicated spelling lessons are conducted using the Spelling Shed scheme of work. These lessons systematically cover specific spelling patterns tailored to each year group, ensuring a progressive learning approach. This links in to weekly homework set by class teachers. Spelling quizzes are completed each week following the teaching of a particular spelling pattern. Spellings are often linked to handwriting lessons throughout school.

Handwriting

Handwriting, much like reading and spelling, significantly impacts written communication across various subjects. It is crucial for children to write with ease, speed, and legibility. Cursive handwriting, in particular, teaches children to connect letters and words through fluid, flowing movements and patterns. Mastering this style enables children to channel their focus towards the content of their writing rather than the mechanics of letter formation. Handwriting skills are systematically and consistently taught throughout the school curriculum to ensure proficiency.

Children begin in Nursery by mark making and forming some recognisable shapes and letters. Our youngest children use the Squiggle Whilst you Wiggle scheme, which uses dance and large movements to help children develop the fine muscle control they need for writing.

From Reception onwards, children learn the shapes and lines, pushes and pulls of the pencil needed to form letters often through their phonics lessons. Pupils learn to sit correctly at the table and develop a tripod grip. Children learn to form all lower case and capital leatters correctly in addition to number formation. Children then learn the lead in lines, horizontal and vertical joins. Finally, we teach children to confidently and fluently join their handwriting across the curriculum.

Our expectation of writing in all areas is high for our children and they are given appropriate levels of support and scaffolding to achieve their very best, so that they are able to enjoy the art of publishing their final pieces.

Files to Download