Ian Mccollum

All Write Now! - The Writing INSET Day for Primary Schools [Foundation to Year 6]

Children should be confident writers - if they're secure in the secretarial skills [as a result of good teaching] - their brains are 'freed up' to make the writing relevant, interesting and entertaining. However, many boys see writing as a 'permanent record of their incompetence' - they're worrying about presentation, spelling and grammar when they should be excited about the creative process. When children are given clear, achievable, small-steps targets for improving their secretarial skills, the whole writing experience can become a pleasure.

At school, a good writer is a quick thinker with a clear understanding of how their own 'writing voice' works.

Children should be able to make qualitative judgements about their own listening, speaking and writing skills from their earliest days in school. Self assessment is an integral part of All Write Now!

Content Work		Secretarial Skills
Stories		Ros Wilson's VCOP
Group rehearsal		Spelling strategies
Telling stories		Understanding sentences
Quick thinking exercises		Authors' strategies
Telling 'lies'		Self-Assessment of writing quality
'Posh Speak'		Basic Levelling skills for children
Drama/Role Play		[Advanced Levelling skills for teachers]
Minibooks - young authors		Rehearsal guidance for parents/carers
Language games
3 types of poetry

All teaching materials are supplied on CDROM at the end of the INSET Day.

Quotes from All Write Now! INSET Day evaluations

"Lots of great, practical ideas" Coleman Primary, Leicester 29/08/06
"Funny, inspired, realistic - can we have another one, please?" Blaby CE Primary, Leics. 30/08/06
"Best INSET Day in 25 years of teaching" High Oakham Primary, Mansfield 04/09/06
"Superb for a whole-school approach to writing" Totley Primary, Sheffield 15/09/06
"Ian is so easy to listen to and knows how children learn" Spire Infant, Chesterfield 28/09/06
"Ian's enthusiasm for the subject was infectious" Annesley Primary, Notts 06/10/06
"Very informative and great entertainment. Where did the time go?" Brockwell Junior, Chesterfield 09/10/06
"A good mixture of listening, doing and laughing" Fairmeadows Primary, Derby 06/11/06
"Brilliant resources and ideas" Rosehill Infant, Derby 03/01/07
"Very entertaining, informative, enlightening" Thornsett Primary, Derbyshire 15/01/07

All Write Now!

INSET Day: Primary Schools - Foundation and Years 1-6
Typical Agenda [times by negotiation]

9.00	What motivates and demotivates children [particularly boys] when faced with a writing task. Separating 'secretarial' and content skills.Positive thinking. Speaking & storytelling. 'Posh Speak'* Note taking. Taking risks with writing.
10.00	Children as Authors Workshop: Using minibooks in fiction & non-fiction writing.
10.30	break
10.45	A 'different way' of pushing up standards - VCOP.Introduction to cross curricular 'Big Writing Day'.Target setting/levelling for children - by children*. Self Assessment of Writing.Preparation for BWD - the Foundation Stage.
12.15	Lunch
1.00	Involving Parents & Carers. Recruiting volunteer helpers. Speaking & Listening and 'Writing Voice' games.
1.45	Poetry Workshop: 3 styles of creative poetry that support the BWD project and actively involve families.
2.45	Plenary & Evaluation
3.00	Close
*By kind permission of Ros Wilson

For more information about All Write Now! or Ian's other School Improvement Strategies, contact:
Ian McCollum, on 07740 150183 or ian@ianmccollum.com

Cluster Your INSET Days to make savings!

Ian can work with up to 60 people.

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