Hi everybody, i hope youre all enjoying the holidays!

i am going into my second year of teaching and my school are having a big focus on improving writing. This year i have decided to try VCOP and Big Writing and have just ordered the aubergine book (after kind advice on TES!). I haven't had any training in this and doubt my school will be - but im a firm believer in this and really want to use this good practice in my classroom. Writing was our weakest area last year.

I understand fully the concepts behind VCOP and Big Writing but i am so confused with regards to what VCOP and Big Writing look like in terms of weekly plans, within framework units and progression over the year.

Also i am quite confused as to how VCOP and Big Writing fit in with the Framework units. For example, my first unit is autobiographies (i teach Y6) - would my big writes be based on autobiographies/biographies? If not, when would the chn experience writing an extended text in the unit? How would i use VCOP within the unit? I know it is very different when using Narrative units, but i am still a little baffled. I think VCOP and Big Writing will be excellent for the class i will be with this year (levels 1 to 5 and many reluctant writers) but i want to make sure i am doing it properly and not half teaching it.

Can anyone shed any light on this - i feel like im finding my way in the dark at the minute.

Any help much appreciated!!

I'll try to do this in simple steps because I'm rusty after the holidays (and the endless rain!).
Try to teach your 'Literacy' for 4 lessons a week and then have a VCOP session (40 minutes) together with a Big Writing session on the remaining day-most schools do Friday.
In terms of planning when the kids write the various text types it depends on how long you are teaching each genre. Below is a model for a 4 week unit...say autobiography.
Week 1 Intro to autobiogs in Literacy. In Big Writing ask kids to write an autobiographical account of an episode in their lives (or something from the hols). This will give you an idea of where they are upto with the genre.
Week 2 Carry on teaching autobiogs but in Big Writing ask them to write a different, previously taught genre-ideally in a cross curricular context-ie instructions on behaviour for a classroom contract.
Week 3 Teach autobiogs again but in BW get them to write another previously taught genre in a cross curricular context-ie persuasive writing in geography re-a local issue.
Week 4 Finish teaching of autobiogs and then ask kids to write a brief autobiography of themselves in BW. This SHOULD show you what they have learned in the course of the unit- a sort of informal value added measure.
Hope this helps but if you want more advice just ask.

Thanks Mr Mojo - im going to be using the lessons for immediate impact at intervals throughout the year too.

I have 2 more queries if you could help?

1. Do you provide the chn with a success criteria during a BW session?

2. What should the talk homework entail? For instance, the first lesson for IA involves continuing a story about a monster. So what should i ask them to do for talk homework?

Thanks

In terms of a success criteria I would suggest to write an example of the genre specified. In your marking I would go for 3 key strands-and remember for work that is not being assessed do NOT use the Criterion Scale.
1. How close to the genre are they writing? This links with a success criteron.
2. Highlight a real strength in their writing-ideally linked to one of V,C,O or P.
3. Set a small development point relevant to that particular piece of work.


In terms of talk planning for a Big Writing session always stress that they must NOT write anything down. Rather they should talk about what they are writing about. So if they were going to write a monster description they could be talking at home about what makes for a scary monster, what would be good adjectives to use, what are the scariest characteristics in their mum's monster/dad's monster etc. It is about talking in the home, getting and practising new language and processing ideas for writing.
Hope this is helpful.

Just thought,the other talk homework-and I don't know which one you mean-should really not relate to their BW at all. Rather it should be a wider focus,ideally something the whole school or Key Stage is discussing. There are lots of ideas for suitable subjects on the andrell website-I think it's in the What's New stuff. For more info and to avoid delivering a bit of a pick 'n'mix style of Big Writing, I really would try to get on a course.

The talk h/w ideas are in the 'About us' section on the menu, under 'Coming soon'.
The rust is starting to ease...

Laughed at your rust.... wd40 is good!

Can send attachments if anyone is still stuck on the issues you answered... Ros x