How Can I Teach Writing Well? | Key Stage One Literacy

What does effective teaching of writing look like?

Every teacher is different and brings their own personality and unique style to the role of teaching children. 

This is important. It makes learning a vibrant and interesting journey for children. 

As teachers we are role models. Children’s first experience of writing and learning to be a writer is US. How we perceive it, approach it and communicate it to the children in our care impacts directly on the way they perceive and approach it.

So we can conclude that there are certain elements that are essential and need to remain consistent in our teaching to ensure that children are enabled to achieve. 

Enthusiasm

Communicating enthusiasm for anything is infectious. It opens others eyes to new possibilities and new ways of doing things. It makes the journey ahead exciting and full of promise. 

We need to establish ourselves as writers, writers who may not always know the best word to choose or the best way to introduce a character, but writers who become immersed in the process of writing itself and who bring children on board with them on this journey.

Simplicity

There is an art to teaching complex things simply. We need to have everything in one place, teaching all elements of the writing process visually and repetitively, building memory and understanding.

Confidence

Allowing children the opportunity to share ideas with others, physically engage with the writing process and organise sentences practically and visually is important. This gives children opportunity to explore and practice before they begin to record ideas in writing.

They can have a go in a relaxed environment where trying different ways to organise a sentence or choosing the right word is engaging and interesting.

They then have the confidence to record their ideas because they understand how to create a piece of writing.

Sound knowledge of our children

We need to know exactly what our children know and can do and what is needed to move them on. In this way we can build confidence, skills and understanding, which motivates children to make progress. 

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