Writing

Learning to write isn't simply about forming letters neatly or copying words from a page. Children need to understand how spoken language becomes written language — hearing the sounds in words, representing those sounds with letters, understanding how sentences work, and eventually expressing their own ideas in writing.

That's why we teach writing through a clear, structured progression.

Map it. Copy it. Write it. Check it.

Our writing programme takes children from individual words to independent sentences, building the skills and confidence they need at every stage.

First, we build the word.

Before we expect children to write a word independently, we help them understand what happens inside the word.

Children listen for the individual sounds, identify them and map those sounds to the letters that represent them.

For example:

CAT

/c/ → c
/a/ → a
/t/ → t

This strengthens the connection between phonemes and graphemes and helps children understand that words can be broken down into sounds and represented in writing.

Hear it. Map it. Write it.

Next, we move from words to sentences.

Children begin working with sentences by first copying and then rewriting them.

This gives them an opportunity to practise:

• Letter formation

• Word formation

• Spacing

• Sentence structure

• Capital letters

• Punctuation

• Reading their own writing

Copying isn't the final goal.

It's a supported step that allows children to become familiar with how written sentences are constructed before they are expected to create their own.

See it. Read it. Write it again.

Now children start using their own knowledge.

A picture gives children something meaningful to talk and write about.

Children identify what they see and use their sound and word knowledge to label the picture.

For example:

sun
hat
dog
tree

This encourages children to connect what they see and say with what they write.

It's a simple step, but an important one.

See it. Say it. Sound it out. Write it.

Once children have the tools to build and write words, we begin helping them construct sentences.

Depending on their stage of development, children may write:

Their own sentence

or

A dictated sentence

Dictated sentences give children the opportunity to listen carefully, hold a sentence in their working memory, identify the individual words and then use their sound and spelling knowledge to write them.

As children become more confident, they begin generating their own sentences and expressing their own ideas.

We aren't just teaching children to copy writing.

We're teaching them to become writers.

WHY WRITING MATTERS

Writing strengthens reading.

Reading and writing are deeply connected.

When children learn to listen for sounds, map those sounds to letters, read words and then use that knowledge to write, they are strengthening the same underlying knowledge from both directions.

Reading asks:

"What does this say?"

Writing asks:

"How do I represent what I want to say?"

The two skills support each other.

That's why writing is an important part of our reading programme and why we don't leave it until later.