Year 1 Bulletin

Writing 

Learning intention: To build on a story using what we know.

6+1 Traits of Writing: IDEAS

Learning Task:  

An alternate ending…

The purpose of the task was to encourage students to build and think beyond what they knew to form the basis of their writing. We read the well-known fairy tale of Goldilocks and The Three Bears, engaging with the text. We stopped reading just before the end and pondered a different conclusion which raised the question; ‘What if?’ What if Goldilocks did not run away from the house of The Three Bears? This stimulated creativity in thought and logic, considering what is plausible in the context of the story.

We brainstormed ideas with the students using What if…?  Where…? Why…? and How…? question prompts, discussing the possibilities. This enabled students to dive into their imagination and consider what could have happened differently at the end of the story. Asking students to flesh out details orally can support them with constructing sentences, in order to communicate a message. This leads to sharing what they will draw on the page which in turn, promotes the use of expressive vocabulary. 

Regardless of where they sit on the learning continuum as a writer, students are inspired to express their ideas and use specific vocabulary to connect with the reader, orally, pictorially and in written word.

A picture sparks ideas, provides details, and serves as a framework for a piece of writing.

Through drawing, students are making choices about what details to include and as they make these choices, they are building upon their knowledge of words and recognising the power of illustrations to communicate a message. Including rich details in illustrations can translate into rich written pieces that have the ability to engage the reader, something that great writers do. 

Student examples:

Goldilocks and The Three Bears had porridge all together.

Heeya

The Three Bears threw Goldilocks into the water! And an octopus helped her find her way home. Audrey

The next day Goldilocks had breakfast with The Three Bears. Blake

Goldilocks and The Three Bears had a party. They had cupcakes, smoothies and hot chocolate. Finn

Goldilocks saw that a rainbow was at the window. So she went away and said “Bye Bye” and the Bears said “Bye Bye.” And then she went out the window.  Lincoln

Strengthening the Home/School Partnership - What you can do:

• Read a book together and stop just before the end. Have your child imagine that the last pages were stolen by the ‘Book Thief’ and together, you must write the ending to the story 
• Have your child draw first and support them with writing an alternate ending to the story. Make sure to encourage the use of rich details when drawing and interesting words!

Thank you for attending the recent Family Conferences. The discussions were invaluable in supporting us with supporting you and your child.

SAVE THE DATE:

YEAR 1 WILL BE LEADING ASSEMBLY – TUESDAY THE 14th OF MARCH

“Hello…is it me you’re looking for…?”

Please ensure that ALL items of clothing are clearly labelled (this includes pre-loved clothing).

Kind regards,

Angela and Gillian