MISSION STATMENT: To strive to provide the best education, in a secure Islamic environment, through the knowledge and application of the Qur’an and Sunnah.
Big Writing at Islamia

This year at Islamia we have started Big Writing after trialling it for the past two terms.

What is Big Writing?
'Big Writing' is an innovative approach to the teaching of the skills of writing. It is highly effective for pupils from Reception to Year 6, and has an immediate impact on writing standards.

Big Writing focuses on 4 main aspects of the writing process and gives the children the skills to improve their own writing through self assessment, sharing of work and fun, learning games throughout a weekly 1 hour writing session.

There are three strands which involve:

  1. Basic skills: grammar, handwriting, spelling and sentence structure.
  2. Detail and story structure (openings, middle and endings): who, what, when, where, why, and finally, emotions and feelings.
  3. Writing voice - Vocabulary, Connectives, sentence Openers and Punctuation (VCOP).

VCOP
The teaching of VCOP is one of the key strands of Big Writing. VCOP is focused teaching of the following:
  • Vocabulary - The range of ambitious vocabulary a pupil knows; WOW words.
  • Connectives - The range of ways pupils have of joining ideas, phrases and sentences
  • Openers - The strategies pupils have for opening sentences; especially the 3 key openers: connectives, ‘ly’ words and ‘ing’ words
  • Punctuation - The range of punctuation a pupil can use and the accuracy with which they use it.

During VCOP lessons, teachers will focus on different text types and structures, and prepare children for an independent writing session, Big Writing, where the children write independently and at length. During these sessions children are required to work quietly on their own. Concentration is paramount and quiet music is often played. Big Writing also encourages children to proof read their own work and take responsibility for UP-LEVELLING their writing and improving it.

Big Writing is a special writing lesson where the whole of the class room atmosphere is changed in order to improve and enhance the children’s concentration.

The first half of the lesson is filled with fun oral games linked to VCOP. These are fast paced and help the children to access different types and styles of words. The children then have a 5 minute break during which time the class room will be changed. This will involve dimming the lights and making it smell pleasant. The children will have a visual stimulus to focus on such as a burning candle or different types of lights in order to focus during the writing process.

The children really enjoy this lesson and may come home talking about the things they have written, or what they will write about during their Big Writing.

If you would like more information about Big Writing, please don’t hesitate to come and see me.

Caterina Park
Literacy Co-ordinator

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