1. VCOP
An approach to writing pioneered by Ros Wilson, a literacy consultant working for Andrell Education
Focuses on the four main aspects of the writing process and gives children the skills to improve their own writing through self
assessment
V - Vocabulary
C - Connectives
O - Openers
P - Punctuation
5/10 minute activities daily
2. V - Vocabulary
The range of words a child knows and uses confidently and acurately - particularly ambitious.
Children need to use new and challenging language repeatedly and to understand how to use it
appropriately.
Possible Activities
* WOW Words
* Suggest adjectives for ...
* Show an image and children to suggest words to describe it
* Introduce new vocabulary - teacher to model it in a sentence, children to use it in a different sentence
* Make collections of interesting words - cards for children to write on and display them
* "Magpie" words from authors, each other
* Dictionary work to find out the meaning of new vocabulary
* Role call - use a WOW word when name is called
* Write a simple word in middle of paper, children to suggest better words with the same meaning - put into sentence
* Provide an image and get children to list vocabulary linked to the senses - put together in a sentence
* Sit in a circle - 1 child says a WOW word, next has to put it into a sentence
* Zone of relevance
3. long lasting,
very bad
terrible
Wow Word!
His illness is chronic but not serious.
Her singing was chronic, however, everyone in the audience
had the good grace to applaud her efforts!
Can you use the
wow word in some
of your
own sentences?
chronic
of the week
What do you
think it means?
Move me to reveal the
definition...
6. What time of day is it?
List synonyms for cold or dark - put them in a
sentence
7. He is holding the lock, come up with some
better words for holding.
How could we describe the chain?
Imagine you are behind the locked door -
what emotions are you feeling?
What is the key like that unlocks it?
Describe it
8. Zones of relevence - An adventurous character
brave
clever
nice
courageous
daring
gutsy
wimp
terrified
risky
scared
heroic
undaunted
fearless
confident
unafraid
bold
valiant
intrepid
tough
selfish
ruthless
greedy
determined
9. C - Connectives
Joining words that link ideas to make more complex sentences
Possible Activities
* Show an image and a connective - write a sentence about the picture
including the connective
* Provide 2 simple sentences - choose a connective to join them
* On a whiteboard, list as many connectives as you can in 1 minute.
Choose one to make a sentence
* Display connectives in the classroom with examples of their use
10.
11. Think of two sentences which could be
joined by :
because
so
if
Connectives
12. Can you think of a stronger connective to link these ideas?
(You may re-order the words. Remember connectives can go at the
beginning of sentences as well as in the middle)
We all ran inside. The rain clouds gathered.
We were told to put our coats on but not everyone had one.
We had our lunch, then played some board games, then we went on the internet.
There were lots of games to play and books to read and we all sat down and
waited for the rain to stop.
Connectives
13. O - Openers
Using different ways to start sentences and developing different sentence starters. Changing the order of phrases in sentences.
Power Openers:
ing
ly
connectives
position
Who? What? Where? How? When?
14. I walked to school and I saw ...
Walking to school, I saw ...
15.
16. What are the wolves doing?
Staring at the basket, the wolves ...
Creeping towards the basket, ...
Nervously, the wolves approached the basket
...
Suspiciously, ...
The intrigued wolf peered into the basket
Nestled between the rocks,
17. P - Punctuation
Possible Activities
* Display texts with missing punctuation
* Kung-fu punctuation
* Drawing punctuation symbols in the air, on partners back
* Punctuation fans
* Punctuation pyramid
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1fNGjLkyD0
18.
19. Big Writing
Teach several different ways of planning - children choose the method they prefer (cartoon strip, mind map, flow chart etc..)
Timetable Stage 2 and 3- 1 hr 30 mins with a break. 1 hour Stage 1
· First 35 mins are fast, fun, lively oracy based activities (6 or 7 quick activities covering all 4 strands). 10 mins to plan.
· BREAK
· After break 45 mins unsupported writing. Text type changes each week. (Build up to this)
· Remind children of targets before they start writing.
· 10 min time prompts and reminder of VCOP. [10mins in - check punctuation. How many different types have you used?
20mins in - check vocab. Have you included 3 “wow” words? 30 mins in - check you have used 3 powerful openers: a verb, an adverb an
a connective.]
· Use peer/self assessment in the plenary.
20. Key Points
* Whole school approach is best way to embed the principles
* Daily 5 minute starter activities at the start of every literacy lesson
* Lots of talk
* lots of teacher modelling, explicit teaching
* Opportunities for children to self assess against VCOP - self ownership
* Lots of praise - even for mistakes (emergant)
* Make it fun
* Refer to VCOP in all subject areas when writing
* VCOP display
* Magpie
* Great for homework activities - find 5 WOW words in reading books
