1. Battling Brook Primary School
VCOP Session

2. VCOP What is it? How does it improve writing?
How can you help at home?

3. What is VCOP? Vocabulary Connectives Openers Punctuation
Taught discretely everyday
Every year group

4. Vocabulary
- Children must be able to identify and use descriptive and interesting words

5. Ambitious Vocabulary Exposing the children to language not
usually used by children of their age or
stage of development.
WOW words!

6. Ways to do this…. Reading your child a bedtime story
Encouraging your child to read both fiction and non-fiction books
Encourage them to use a thesaurus
Discuss language at home- children love it when they find a word and we don’t know what it means!
Taking them to places such as museums, farms and art galleries.

7. Vocabulary Pyramid

8. Connectives

9. Connectives join clauses together in a sentence.
Connectives are words, or groups of words that join texts together.
Connectives join clauses together in a sentence.
Connectives join sentences together in a long piece of writing.

10. Battling Brook Primary School
VCOP Session

13. Connectives to join sentences
Christmas is coming and all the children are getting very excited. However they still have five weeks to wait! Furthermore, they have lots more work to do and fun to have before then. After all of that, they can all have a well deserved break.

14. Different connectives do different jobs

15. Adding Information and also as well as in addition furthermore
On Wednesday we all wore our pyjamas to school and it was really comfy. Furthermore, we had hot chocolate and a bedtime story!

16. Time Connectives
Time connectives are usually used at the start of a sentence and tells the reader the order that events happen.
after
when
finally
meanwhile
first
next
then
First, melt the chocolate over a pan of hot water.
Next, remove the chocolate from the heat.
Leave the chocolate to cool for a few seconds, meanwhile weigh out the rice crispies.
This morning was a disaster! When my alarm went off, I turned it off and went back to sleep. After another half an hour I realised how late it was and panicked!

17. Connectives can show different points of view
on the other hand
however
whereas
nevertheless
despite
contrary to
Some people believe that brussel sprouts are the worst vegetable however I love them!

18. Connectives to show cause and effect
because so
this means
consequently
Tomorrow it might be cold therefore I must remember my coat.

19. Openers
An opener is a word that we use to start a sentence or a paragraph.
E.g. Suddenly the wolf leapt out from behind the bushes!

20. Varies sentences Starting sentences in the same way is boring!
I raced to the park. I rushed over to the slide and flew down it! I went over to the swings, but someone else was on it. I heard an ear-piercing scream….

21. So I raced to the park. When I arrived, I rushed over to the slide and flew down it. Next I went over to the swings, but someone else was on it. At that moment, I heard an ear-piercing scream…

22. Year 1
Level 1
Level 2
Year 2
Level 3
Year 3/4
Level 4
Year 5/6
Level 5

23. Helps to order E.g. writing instructions/recount
First, Next, Then, Soon, During, Later that day…

24. 1- Use a connective
While Tom waited, the bus arrived.
2- Use a verb - an 'ing' clause
Waiting for the others, Megan stared
up at the sky.
3- Use an adverb - an 'ed' or a
'ly' clause
Surprised by the bang, Sam halted.
Cautiously, she removed the
bandage.
4- Use a simile or a metaphor
Like a fish, she dived in.
5- Use a noun or adjective
Cobwebs spanned the corridor.
6- Use a feeling
Lonely, he walked home.

25. P - Punctuation

27. Highlighting punctuation in your child’s reading book.
At Home
Highlighting punctuation in your child’s reading book.

28. At School
Good Morning!
Rewrite these sentences and punctuate them correctly.
1. what a lovely present Sam exclaimed
2. what is the weather like today mr hills asked
3. Im coming to call for ben edward said
4. in the shed there was a lawnmower a spade a fork and some seeds

29. Highlighting punctuation in your child’s reading book.
At Home
Highlighting punctuation in your child’s reading book.

31. Dear Cows and Hens: There will be no electric blankets even though you’d like them. You are cows and hens. I demand milk and eggs!
Sincerely,
Farmer Brown

32. Ways to help
Talk and more talk…
Reading…
Homework

33. Improving Writing
VCOP altogether
Only a part of writing