Immersive Writing Workshops

Writing Stars is an exciting, new immersive writing workshop for primary school children led by a specialist English primary school teacher.

How would an immersive writing workshop support my child with their learning?

Immersive writing is when you are completely engaged within a particular topic or theme, imaging what you would be able to see, hear, feel, smell and taste.

Children have numerous, different elements to think about when writing, such as how to hold a pencil, choosing appropriate vocabulary, having relevant prior knowledge and understanding of the subject matter, sentence structure, spelling, punctuation and so much more! For children to be able to excel, they not only need these tools and equipment for writing but also the excitement and confidence to get involved and take risks with their learning. According to the British Council, children ‘first learn by mimicking and then by bravely experimenting to create interesting, new compositions’.

Writing Stars also offers the opportunity to be exposed to a range of both reading and writing activities covering a range of genres. It is ideal for your child and their individual needs whether they require an extra boost in a more relaxed and informal manner or are budding authors craving additional challenge. According to the Centre for Literacy in Primary Education (CLPE), to become a confident young writer you need to be exposed to a range of high quality texts across a range of genres reflecting different writing styles.

At Smart Steps, there is always a warm and friendly environment enabling the children to feel at ease and soar with their learning. Children may not always be able to achieve this within a class environment or large group. I offer home visits, 1:1 sessions, peer sessions and family sessions.

Example session

Welcome to the Galápagos Islands in South America – Animals’ Paradise!

We will become explorers arriving on the islands, following the footsteps of many famous scientists, ready to discover new exciting lands and wildlife. We will be spending time exploring our sensory beach activity, audio and video clips, range of high-quality books, props (even getting into role by dressing up if you are ready) before diving into developing our vocabulary further using our phonics skills to read and spell our new words. Then, we will have the opportunity to write a postcard to a family member or friend describing our experience and findings. Whilst also having the time to discuss and build on our ideas, including editing, reviewing and publishing.

As with all the sessions, there are numerous cross-curricular links to further widen the children’s knowledge and understanding about the world around them. For example, with this particular example session, the links include:

* Science – living things and their habitats, identifying and naming a variety of animals and plants, famous scientists such as Charles Darwin

* Geography – identifying continents and oceans, comparing our home to a contrasting environment, understanding and describing key human and physical features using the appropriate geographical vocabulary, using world maps and atlases

* History – exploring the lives of significant individuals who have contributed to national and international achievements

and so many more!

Each session will last 60 minutes and consist of:

* a multi-sensory exploration activity linked to a cross-curricular theme

* a fun and interactive phonics, spelling and vocabulary activity

* time to explore a modelled piece of writing/ share-write a piece together

* an opportunity to write an independent piece of writing covering a range of text types across the term (appropriately challenged per individual)

* 1:1 time with the tutor to edit and publish their writing, following instant feedback

Included:

* weekly home learning activities

Please see ‘Terms and Conditions’ for full details.