Fiction Adventure/quest stories (3 weeks) Traditional tales: Fables (3 weeks) Non-fiction Recount (2 weeks) Instructions (1 week) English Medium Term Planning 2014-15 Year 3 Overview Autumn Spring Summer Poetry Creating images: Read, perform and write Haiku, Tanka, Kennings (2 weeks) Narrative: 15 weeks Non-fiction: 11 weeks Recount = 2 weeks Explanations = 2 weeks Non-chronological report = 3 weeks Instructions = 1 week Persuasion = 3weeks Fiction: Traditional/Fairy Tales focusing on alternative versions (3 wks) Non-fiction: Reports (3 weeks) Explanation (2 weeks) Poetry: Read, recite, perform and write Limericks (1 week) Fiction Mystery/Adventure Stories developing different narrative techniques (4 weeks) Playscripts: (2 weeks) Little Red Riding Hood Non-fiction Persuasion (3 weeks) Poetry Take One Poet Read, recite/perform and write own poems inspired by poet of their choice (2 weeks) Poetry: 5 weeks Weekly extended writing sessions and writing during Enrichment Weeks In addition to the units detailed above, opportunities for pupils to independently apply and consolidate their writing composition skills should be planned for during: Weekly extended writing sessions (fiction and non-fiction) this may also include focus on a particular skill (e.g. use of language to create an image in the reader s mind) Half-termly enrichment weeks (Take One Picture, Take One Book, Take One Film etc) These opportunities should focus on written outcomes that are linked with fiction/non-fiction modules that have been covered earlier in the term or school year (or in previous years where appropriate). This will provide pupils with frequent opportunities to apply and develop previously taught skills as well as enable teachers to assess what pupils can do independently.
All units of work should be based round a text and follow the Talk for Writing model 1) Imitation: It is hard to write in any form if you are unfamiliar with it. This stage focuses on children understanding and internalising the story, its structure and any language features/patterns a. Listening to the teacher reading and rereading a tale Teacher using Booktalk when reading out loud i.e. when you read to the class you externalise all the thoughts and questions you would have internally as a fluent and confident reader. (e.g. I wonder why the character is going to do that. That wasn t a very kind thing to do I wouldn t do that if I was that character That makes me think of the beach I went to in the holidays) b. Joining in and retelling IF YOU CAN T SAY IT YOU CAN T WRITE IT c. Analysing and discussing the different features of the text (e.g. vocabulary, use of language and its impact on the reader organisational features, spelling/grammar linked to what is being or has been taught in class) 2) Innovation: Now that the children know the text/story well they are ready to change it a. You cannot innovate unless you have something to base it on this should have come from the Imitation phase b. Its purpose: To allow the young writer to use a coat hanger of a known pattern to structure a few new ideas (generated as a class, group or by the writer individually) c. Innovation may be very simple e.g. retelling a story but just changing the names of the characters or the setting d. Later on, innovation may become more complex, with the whole text being unpicked and a whole new story written based on the underlying structure/character/dilemma etc 3) Invention: The ultimate goal! Children write independently, fluently and creatively because they are familiar with the text type and its conventions a. The imitation and innovation phases should have helped them develop their own toolkit to write independently i. Cast of possible characters and settings ii. Events that might happen and the order they will happen iii. Flow of story language appropriate to genre
Year 3 Suggested Texts and Outcomes Wk Autumn Wk Spring Wk Summer 1, 2, 3 Genre: Adventure/quest stories Suggested text: Meerkat Mail** s: Narrative letter: Create own version of adventure story about a different animal trying out other homes in postcard or letter form Present the postcards in landscape form as a picture book 4, 5 Genre: Recount Suggested text: Beatrice s Dream Life in An African Slum by Karen Lynn Williams or Teacher to create model based on event chosen (see Chapter 3 Recounts in Pie Corbett) /s: Children write about their own school day with a focus on interesting the reader The text model encourages children to think about themselves and their day in an interesting way 1, 2, 3 Genre: Traditional tales (alternative versions) Suggested text: The Wolf Won t Bite by Emily Gravett or another reversal tale (e.g. The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig) s Children take another baddie from a traditional story (e.g. Giant, Troll, Wolf from Little Red Riding Hood) and create their own alternative story 4, 5 Genre: Explanation text Suggested text: A Chocolate Bar How it s made (Franklin Watts How It s Made series) is a good model and includes a fact file and a flow chart (See Ch. 6 in Pie Corbett text for detail) Children write their own explanation linked to cross-curricular learning (current topic) or opportunity to reinforce learning from autumn term in foundation subjects or RE (e.g. Explanation of what happens in a Catholic Mass) 1, 2, 3, 4 5, 6, 7 Genre: Mystery /adventure stories Suggested text: Scooby Doo Cartoon Series** Also Shadow by Suzy Lee (a wordless picture book which would allow children to create the writing that would go with the pictures) Duration: 4 weeks Write their own mystery story in chapters Character descriptions Settings Genre: Persuasive writing Suggested text: Teacher choice. Teacher to create model including key features of persuasive writing (see Chapter 7 of Talk for Writing Book) Real issues to engage children E.g Children could receive a pretend letter from headteacher to children in year 3 saying that they have to come into school on Saturday mornings or could be linked to above letter to headteacher to persuade her that cartoons have educational value, more homework, school on Saturday s Persuasive letter
6, 7, 8 Genre/s: Fables Suggested text: Aesop s Fables (e.g. The Wind and the Sun, The Boy Who Cried Wolf) OR King of the Birds by Helen Ward /s: Children create their own fable or fables based on ones they have read together Children write their own King of story Children create diary entries based on one of the characters from the fables 9 Genre: Instructions Suggested text: Grow your own lettuce Duration: 1 week 10, 11 Suggested outcome/s: Children to plant own seeds Children create an information leaflet to accompany seeds Genre: Poetry Suggested text: Teacher choice Selection of Haikus, Kennings and Tankas Suggested outcome/s: Children read, recite and write their own Haikus, Kennings and Tankas exploring use of language (similes and metaphors) and structure and impact on reader 6, 7, 8 Genre: Non-chronological report Suggested text: Journey into the Rainforest by Tim Knight Alternative: Penguins (Scholastic Discover More) is also a good model Children write their own page about a special location or animal to include in a class book 9 Genre: Poetry Suggested text: Teacher choice - Selection of limericks Duration: 1 week Suggested outcome: Read, recite, perform and write their own limericks 8, 9 Genre: Playscripts and Dialogue Suggested text: Little Red Hood by Marjolaine Leray (traditional story told through dialogue so would be useful to support conversion to playscript) 10, 11 Write and perform a playscript based on a traditional tale Take One Poet : Teacher choice Poetry appreciation Suggested outcomes Read and explore poetry of chosen poet including use of language, pattern, structure and rhyme Perform and recite selected poems Write own poems