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: Rebecca.Percy@bne.catholic.edu.au

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