Writing

English

Primary

A look at literacy and characterisation for KS2 pupils

A teacher demonstrates how to teach Key Stage 2 pupils about literacy and characterisation. At Stratton Primary school, deputy head teacher Sammy Saville teachers her Year 4 class about characterisation, by getting them to become character detectives. Sammy creates character cases for each table, which contain a series of clues about a character. The clues maybe anything from pictures, words, and symbols to silhouettes. They are used to encourage pupils to use their imaginations and decide who is in their box. In this lesson. After the pupils learn how to work with the clues, they dress up as detectives, and explore their cases, and write their ideas on a worksheet. The characters they create will then be incorporated into stories. At the end of the lesson, Sammy gets the groups to feedback their ideas to the whole class.

Character Detectives

A KS2 lesson starter on characterisation in literacy

A primary lesson starter designed as a creative stimulus for developing characterisation in KS2 lessons. Six characters are presented in pairs, which are loosely associated with story types such as fairytales (a fairy and a country boy), adventure stories (a pirate and a fortune teller), and contemporary stories (a young boy and an amateur detective). There is enough ambiguity in the presentation of the characters to encourage children's imaginations to flow freely. The lesson starter provides audio and visual clues for the different characters, and music is played to suggest changes in mood and atmosphere.The visual and audio clues can be used to encourage pupils to develop their ideas about who they think the characters are, what they are like, and the kinds of stories they might feature in.

Character Glimpses

A KS2 lesson starter looking at characterisation using cinderella

A Key Stage 2 lesson starter on literacy and characterisation, looking at the fairytale of Cinderella. The lesson starter explores how characters change during a story, and how they can have very different perspectives on the same event. It focuses on the ball scene in Cinderella, and features the prince and one of the ugly sisters. It's the evening of the ball in the Cinderella Fairytale, and the prince is nervous. He uses the royal video diary room to share his thoughts and feelings about the evening, and as the night unfolds, he returns to the diary room to talk about what is happening on the dance floor. The ball seems to be going as badly as he feared - until a mysterious stranger appears. His diary entries are juxtaposed with those of one of the ugly sisters, who begins the evening very excited and hopeful, but whose night is destroyed when a girl in glass slippers gatecrashes the event. Using a familiar setting, the lesson starter is designed to support the teaching of characterisation at KS2, linking with the schemes of work for Years 4 and 5. It can be used as a stimulus to explore the differences between characters; what you can tell about them from their clothing and behaviour; what they think and feel; and how and why characters change during a story.

Character Viewpoints

A festive approach to cross curriculum ICT and literacy

Discover how a small primary school with just 22 children has developed pupils' ICT and literacy skills across the curriculum by creating a Christmas community newspaper. When Teacher Debra Gill, came up with the idea to celebrate Christmas, she wanted to involve the community to aid the Chapel Haddlesey pupils' learning. She found that by allowing pupils to engage with local people in the village, it expanded their knowledge of the workplace and developed their critical thinking skills. Returning to the classroom, the pupils turned their notes into articles and wrote catchy headlines. They also put their ICT skills into practice by creating a layout for their community newspaper The Chilly Times. Staff believe it has taught pupils about cooperation and helped them to grow more confident. Moreover, it is a fun way to prepare the children for more festivities that lie ahead.

Creating a Festive Newspaper

Three primary literay resources are reviewed by teachers

In this edition of Resource Review we look in detail at three resources to help with teaching primary literacy. Teacher Danielle Dennis recommends a book to aid story writing; Year 5 co-ordinator Sarah Pearce advocates a moving short animation via the National Strategies website; and literacy subject co-ordinator Alison Johnson suggests an online strategy that aids children?s creative and thinking processes for storytelling. Teachers from schools around the country comment on these resources plus quickly give us their ideas on some of their favourite resources and ones you can create yourself. Resource Review gives you valuable information about branded teaching resources, as well as ideas and thoughts about resources from other sources.

Creative writing book, teaching narrative animation, talk-for-writing resource

The art of fire poi acts as a starter for KS2 creative writing

Start a Key Stage 2 creative writing activity with this short video on the art of fire poi. Fire poi involves juggling using balls of fire which are swung around the body in a series of choreographed moves. This KS2 lesson idea reveals some of the properties and uses of fire, to help primary pupils discuss and write descriptively about the topic.

Different Writing Styles: Fire Poi

A KS2 creative writing lesson idea based on a fire-walking video

Reveal the science behind walking on fire with this short video which gives a starting point for Key Stage 2 creative writing. Watch the spectacle of fire walking being demonstrated by secondary science teacher Allom Shaha. She offers insights into how fire walking is possible, explaining the scientific principles behind the challenge. This KS2 writing starter raises questions about the properties and uses of fire, inspiring discussions and storytelling among primary pupils.

Different Writing Styles: Fire Walking

Challenge KS2 pupils to use narrative and non-narrative writing

The subject of out-of-control fires can inspire creative writing among a Key Stage 2 literacy class. Lesson ideas for using this video with primary pupils include practising writing styles such as journalism, report writing and descriptive writing. Pupils could also design and create posters, leaflets and flyers to convey messages about the dangers of fire. This KS2 literacy stimulus raises the topic of fire to stimulate discussion and writing activities among primary pupils.

Different Writing Styles: Fires Out of Control

Prompt KS2 creative writing with a video on fireworks

This Key Stage 2 creative writing lesson starter uses fireworks to spark the imagination of primary pupils. This virtually-silent film features six different types of fireworks, which a KS2 class can use for stimulating descriptive writing.

Different Writing Styles: Fireworks

A KS2 literacy lesson idea focusing on a pizza-making restaurant

Inspire creative writing in a Key Stage 2 class with this short video about a traditional pizza-making restaurant. Two Italian brothers run a restaurant in which they make and bake delicious pizzas in a traditional wood-fired oven. The video explains how the oven operates and the process involved in preparing and cooking the pizzas. This literacy lesson starter also suggests to primary pupils the properties and uses of fire, to prompt storytelling and discussions.

Professional Development for Quality Teaching

Subjects

> Primary English

> Writing