Why 'Talk for Writing'?

Talk for Writing is powerful because it enables children to imitate the language they need for a particular topic orally before reading and analysing it and then writing their own version. It is based on the key principles of how children learn.

Here at Larkspur we are undergoing a dramatic change to the way we teach literacy.  We are currently embarking on a 2 year project - The Primary Writing Project.  The Primary Writing Project is a programme for implementing Talk for Writing across the school by providing support and training to all our teaching staff.

We are beginning to see dramatic changes in our pupils' language and literacy skills with the changes we have made to our curriculum and teaching.  It's already having an impact on our writing outcomes with children beginning to internalise language patterns and use in their own writing.

A 'Talk for Writing' curriculum at Larkspur means:

• Daily 'Story time' for every child with opportunities to explore a variety of texts including poetry, fiction and non-fiction.
• A whole school systematic handwriting policy that adopts a line guide approach to ensure letters are formed accurately and with increased fluency.
• Exciting units of work that excite and inspire every child - topics and texts selected to develop reading and writing skills in creative ways putting the child at the heart of the learning process.
• A wealth of language shared on a daily basis in every classroom with creative classroom reading areas and supportive class based learning materials to meet every child's needs.