Ensuring fluency in the basic skills of writing, such as fluent handwriting and accurate spelling, is vital. Why?
Think of it like driving a car. When you first learn, you consciously think about every single step: clutch in, change gear, check mirrors. It’s exhausting! But once those actions become automatic, your brain is free to think about the traffic, where you’re going, and what podcast to listen to.
Writing works the same way. If a child has to stop and struggle to form every single ‘B’ or remember if ‘friend’ is spelled with an ‘ie’ or an ‘ei’, their brilliant ideas just evaporate. The goal is to make these mechanics so smooth and automatic that their imagination can just flow straight onto the paper.
This staff meeting starter encourages staff to consider how effectively they teach transcription skills to free pupils’ working memory and build muscle memory to ensure they are not wrestling with the physical act of writing.
Linked resources
Premium subscribers can access a training module based on Ofsted’s research review of writing which explains why fluent transcription skills are crucial in enabling pupils to focus on organising and communicating their ideas.
In our Resource Bank you will find a number of resources which focus on writing, including a ‘Writing Framework checklist’, and a ‘Strong Foundations’ self-evaluation and action plan document which includes aspects of early writing skills. Click here to go to the resource bank.
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