Writing

At Moira Primary School, writing is taught through a process called 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. There are three clear sections to the writing process: imitation, innovation and invention. Where possible , literacy texts are linked to the topic, or are linked closely to the expectations of the National Curriculum.

Spelling

• Children in Year 2 who complete the stages of Anima phonics will begin to follow the Spelling Shed scheme and then will continue this throughout KS2.  In Key Stage 2, each class follows the Spelling Shed spelling programme to teach five, ten-minute discrete spelling sessions each week, with the fifth session being a dictated sentence session to monitor progression in spelling.  Children are grouped according to need within their year group but groupings are flexible and fluid with ongoing assessment used to ensure that they are correctly grouped. Reference is made to the objectives from spelling and/or phonics sessions in other subjects across the curriculum to ensure that spelling teaching and learning is applied.

Handwriting

• We teach cursive handwriting from EYFS and sessions are taught explicitly taught daily for 10 minutes in EYFS and KS1.
• This will be differentiated where necessary and appropriate.
• It is not expected that handwriting will be marked but evidence of teacher modelling to help them improve and/or stickers/rewards will be expected.
• From Year 1, children will practise their handwriting in the back of their literacy book
• From Year 4, all children will use pen to write with.
• Children in KS2 who require additional support will use a range of media to support
• For those with fine motor difficulties, a variety of media will be used to move from gross to fine (e.g. large pens, chalks outside, paint bags, sand, foam…)
• We will give each child a handwriting ‘score’ in order to monitor their progress throughout the year. Please refer to appendix 1, handwriting scores.