1. Making Hampshire a better place for children and young people where all of them, including those who are vulnerable and/or disadvantaged, have the best possible start in life and are supported by the whole community to reach their potential. ELEMENTS OF WRITING Word and Sentence Level Aspects “Every writer I know has trouble writing.” Joseph Heller

2. Aims of each session  To provide you with an opportunity for supportive, professional dialogue with colleagues;  To develop a further understanding of the element of writing in focus;  To leave with one or two new activities, ideas or approaches to try in class;  To realise that you are not alone! Nb All of tonight’s materials are available on the English Moodle: hias.hants.gov.uk/englishhias.hants.gov.uk/english

3. The relative relation of Writing AFs

4. NC Level Descriptors – Word choice Level 2 Pupils' writing communicates meaning in both narrative and non-narrative forms, using appropriate and interesting vocabulary. Level 3 Pupils' writing is often organised, imaginative and clear...words are chosen for variety and interest. Level 4 Pupils' writing in a range of forms is lively and thoughtful... Vocabulary choices are often adventurous and words are used for effect. Level 5 Pupils' writing is varied and interesting...Vocabulary choices are imaginative and words are used precisely.

5. The Importance of Words Don't use words too big for the subject. Don't say "infinitely" when you mean "very"; otherwise you'll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite. C. S. Lewis Encourage children to develop a range of vocabulary from as early an age as possible.

6. The Importance of Words  During the early years, vocabulary extends at a rapid rate of 50-70 words per week, through oral conversation  By the time the child is five he/she will have an oral vocabulary of about 14,000 words  Research shows that some of our five year old pupils have an oral vocabulary of less than 9,000 words – often pupils from poorer homes  How would this impact on learning?  What can you do about this?

7. The Importance of Reading

9. The Importance of reading kindlingflouncing scamper rustle fumbling

10. Word of the week fumbling

11. ‘Articulate’  Take a noun from a pile on the table.  Describe it to your partner without naming it. Use descriptive language to help your partner visualise what you are describing.  Can your partner guess what it is?

12. Synonym Race  You have thirty seconds.  Think of as many alternative words as you can for… look

13. Talking verbs 1. Working in pairs, make a list of alternative words for ‘said’. 2. Write your words onto a grid. 3. Think of a simple sentence that someone might say, e.g. ‘Where have I put my glasses?’ 4. Take it in turns to choose a word from the list and say the sentence accordingly. Can the other person guess which word was chosen? From: Jumpstart! Literacy by Pie Corbett

14. The POWER of words! Quite often, synonyms can be ordered by how powerful they are, e.g. big huge colossal Order a set of word cards according to how powerful the children think the words are.

15. cool rocky lapping fresh lush clear As fresh as a mountain stream smooth The sea was a shimmering plate of glass. Super settings

16. Another setting?

17. NC Level Descriptors - Sentences Level 2 Ideas are developed in a sequence of sentences, sometimes demarcated by capital letters and full stops. Level 3 Sequences of sentences extend ideas logically and words are chosen for variety and interest. The basic grammatical structure of sentences is usually correct. Level 4 Pupils are beginning to use grammatically complex sentences, extending meaning. Level 5 Simple and complex sentences are organised into paragraphs.

18. Sample Sentence Progression L2-5  Jack’s mother asked him to find the cow and take her to market.  Jack put on his coat, his hat and his boots and led Daisy down the lane.  The sun shone and the birds sang while Jack and Daisy ambled along.  After a while, they met a strange looking man.  The man’s coat billowed gently even though there was no breeze.  “He is definitely the strangest looking man I have ever seen,” thought Jack.

19. Sample Sentence Progression L2-5  Interrupting Jack’s thoughts, the man thrust out his bony hand and introduced himself.  Startled by his speed, Jack dropped Daisy’s rope but she didn’t notice. She was happily munching on some crisp, green grass at the side of the road.  Eventually, Jack agreed to exchange the cow for the handful of magic beans and, whistling triumphantly, he wended his way back home.  Now, reader, can you imagine the look on his mother’s face when Jack handed over the handful of beans? Yes, you’re right; she was absolutely furious and sent him straight to bed.  Puzzled and exasperated as to how she had produced such a dunce for a son, Jack’s mother tossed the beans out of the window, little knowing what was about to happen next!

20. Sentence Construction  Drawing a sentence monsterrampaged (noun)(verb) words describing the nounwords describing the verb fierce fierylast night Which had been let loosefuriously

21. Sentence Shaping (Ideas from Pie Corbett) Sentence construction, expansion, manipulation and reduction  Human Sentences  Consequences  Editing text – expand/reduce a sentence  Make it

22. Sentence Transformation  Change it  Boring Sentences  Sentence Doctor

23. More Complex Sentences  The three-part sentence e.g. Tim ran down the road, jumped over the garden sprinkler and fell flat on his face.

24. More Complex Sentences Sentence Starters 1. ‘ed’ opening 2. ‘ing’ opening 3. Simile 4. Preposition 5. Adverb 6. Drop in a clause Tim___________ went home.

25. Benjamin Franklin Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing.

26. Strange?

27. Making Hampshire a better place for children and young people where all of them, including those who are vulnerable and/or disadvantaged, have the best possible start in life and are supported by the whole community to reach their potential. Crop circles appeared in fields a few years back – we had to investigate these!

28. Now this has happened at Lantern Lane!

29. ‘Generating the Clay’