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TRANSCRIPT
Big Writing: VCOP
Improving student achievement levels through the four key targets of Vocabulary, Connectives,
Openers and Punctuation
Teachers from Years 2-7: Rebecca Percy, Jessica Mirich, Kristen Garrett, Laura Grogan, Julienne Mountford and Lisa Lillis
Key Contact: [email protected]
Aims & Rationale • To investigate the impact of implementing a
word and sentence level writing strategy as a means of improving achievement standards in narrative writing throughout Years 2-7.
Why? • Consistency in writing pedagogy and language
across Year levels • Based on proven research • Provide students with more opportunities to
receive and give feedback • Assessment for learning • Engagement in writing process
• P-12 College • Enrolment: approx. 1300 students • Early, Junior, Middle and Senior Years • Vast spectrum of socio-economic and
cultural differences
School Context
What is VCOP and Big Writing?
• Vocabulary = teach a wide range of ‘wow’ words, (ambitious vocabulary);
• Connectives = teach a wide range of words and phrases for connecting thoughts, ideas, sentences etcetera;
• Openers = teach a wide range of ways of opening sentences, including sequence words, linking words and phrases and the 3 power openers;
• Punctuation = teach a wide range of punctuation.
BIG WRITING • Takes 1 ½ hours per week. • Should be split with a break in between. • First 35 mins are fast, fun, lively oracy based activities. 10
mins to plan. • After break 45 mins writing. Text type changes each week. • 10 min time prompts, brain breaks, reminder of VCOP.
• Environmental factors: lighting, soft instrumental music, candles
The positive writing ethos
1. Creating a positive and secure atmosphere 2. Creating an ethos within which children feel in some control. 3. Creating an atmosphere within which children feel successful. 4. Creating a framework for pupils to work towards known,
achievable goals. 5. Use of the main teaching area. 6. The ‘celebrating achievement’ board. 7. Use of gaps in displays/windows etc. 8. Provide water. 9. Provide a writing portfolio for pupils.
A typical session • Quickfire VCOP activities • Multi media visual stimulus to engage • Brainstorm • Break • Short periods of writing with time built
in for editing, self and peer assessment
Learnings from Literature
• Ros Wilson: Strategies for the immediate impact on writing
• Big Writing: A whole school approach • Hattie: Visible Learning • Rickenson Toolkit 1: Planning your
action learning research project • Writing: the Process of Discovering
Meaning
Data Collection Strategies
• Peer teacher observation • Baseline assessment • Explicit teaching of VCOP with
quick fire activities • Editing and feedback checklists • Student work sample across tasks:
The Girl and the Fox, Pigeon Impossible, The Clocktower, The Way Back Home, Through the
Doors
• Student survey
Key Findings- Year 2- 7 • What worked well • Some challenges • Something of note
• Student Work Samples
Results
Key Findings- Summary • Improvement in all four key targets • Engagement in the writing process • Measurable and achievable language
for students- 4 colours • Environmental factors positively
aided writing process
Implications for the Future
• Sharing with year level teachers and staff
• Formalising writing scope and sequence
• Modifying for each genre taught • Consistency
The Action Learning Cycle
• Reflecting on challenges and areas for improvement
• Cyclical nature of action learning • Broadening project
Reference List • 2 key references from our readings • • From the Toolkit reading (Rickinson, 2005): • • ‘observing non-verbal behaviour’ as part of research has shown us that students are engaged in Big Writing and have
enjoyed the writing tasks
• ‘identify areas for future improvement’ will be one of our next steps in this Action Learning process, based on the evidence we have now gathered
• • http://bceactionlearning.weebly.com/uploads/2/9/0/4/29049217/rickinson_2005_toolkit_1.pdf
• Vocabulary, connectives, openers and punctuation (VCOP) are integral to the development of writing voice in Big Writing. The level of a child’s writing improves when s/he uses vocabulary, connectives, openers and punctuation in increasingly sophisticated ways. Therefore, VCOP should be taught often and systematically in lively, fun ways.
• (Big Writing – Using Project X to support Big Writing Teaching by Katie Wilkes and Janice Pimm)
• Big Writing does teach all of this grammar, but it does so in context and for the purpose of improving children’s writing as a whole. Big Writing does not require children to know the technical terms for the forms of language they are using – beyond the most common terms such as comma, noun, verb, adjective, adverb, phrase and clause – because knowledge of such terms does not of itself turn children in to better writers.
• (Big Writing: Raising Writing Standards by Ros Wilson 2012)
MAKING PUPILS WHO DO NOT LIKE TO WRITE WRITE MORE WILL NOT MAKE THEM WRITE BETTER!
Thank you for listening