BookWrites Teaching Sequences are based on carefully selected and inspirational ‘texts that teach’ and follow a three-part structure. Each sequence has a medium-term plan and a range of learning activities, including contextualised grammar teaching and learning.

Elicitation Task: 

Before beginning a unit, pupils complete an Elicitation Task; this is a writing task that can be used to identify starting points for the text type. It is completed before the children start the sequence so that their writing can be analysed and the sequence adapted in light of the children’s needs. Support is given in terms of the content to be written about but not how it is written. This writing is used alongside the outcome to identify progress across the sequence.

Each Teaching sequence is based on a three-part structure:

Learning about the text:

This phase of the teaching sequence is all about becoming familiar with the text that is being used as a model for writing. The purpose of this stage is to engage the imagination and emotions of the pupils with the text through high-quality talk and activities that deepen understanding. Then move on to thinking like a writer and exploring and playing with how the author has engaged us as a reader. This is through both ‘reading as a reader’ – exploring and sharing personal responses to what they read – and through ‘reading as a writer’ – recognising and investigating the features the writer uses to engage and manipulate the reader. Part of this will be focused on grammar teaching. It often will involve some form of learning and remembering of trickier or interesting sections to be used as an initial model for writing.

Each sequence will contain some or all of:

• a hook into the text
• reading and responding to the text
• comprehension activities
• retelling the text
• talking about the text
• in role in the text/drama
• vocabulary work
• analysing the text
• grammar in context
• identifying the structure of the text

These activities often contain some element of writing to record process, outcome or learning.

Practising writing:

During this stage, pupils need to try out the elements of writing they are less sure of so that they can use this experience when writing independently. This means they need opportunities to play around with the language and structures they’ve been learning about and will be supported by their teacher.

In teaching sequences, this section tends to include:

• generating ideas to write about and one idea chosen
• a shared activity to generate content for the chosen content
• recording key ideas alongside the structure of the text
• telling and talk to generate the text
• story mapping the text where necessary
   

Shared writing supports:

• modelling writing the text, usually in sections applying learning from the first phase
• children writing their own version of the text using the class idea
• editing writing
• proof-reading writing
   

The writerly knowledge chart will be referred to frequently during this phase to encourage pupils to use the ideas.

Independent writing:

Pupils have the opportunity to write at length in extended independent writing sessions at the end of each unit. At this point, pupils use the pattern of the text but their own context to write about and collect ideas. Pupils write their text using proofreading and editing to improve it. The writing is compared with the elicitation task to identify where progress has been made so that it is clear to the child. You will know if a sequence has been successful because every pupil will have made clear progress from the elicitation task, and they will all have produced an engaging, independent piece of writing. Sufficient time should be left before completing the independent write for writing to show an accurate assessment of the pupil's ability.

Pupils are given frequent opportunities in school to write in different contexts using quality texts as a model and for a variety of purposes and audiences. Writing for real outcomes is integrated within unit planning. These are regularly planned and linked to the wider curriculum with clear medium-term outcomes focused on purpose and audience.