Writing

At St John's Primary School, we teach writing by following the writing roots from Literacy Tree. 

Literacy Tree | Transform your literacy through literature. All you need for a complete book-based approach.

The Literary Curriculum at Literacy Tree immerses children in a literary world, therefore creating strong levels of engagement to provide meaningful and authentic contexts for primary English. Children become critical readers and acquire an authorial style as they encounter a wide-range of significant authors and a variety of fiction, non-fiction and poetry.

The Literacy Tree (writing roots) is a whole school approach which we adopt from Year 1.  From Reception to the end of the Autumn term in Year 1, children are taught using drawing club.  Drawing club was created by a practitioner called Greg Bottrill and it brings the magic of story into the classroom. It is a way to share skills including fine motor, maths, early writing, vocabulary and most importantly, imagination and excitement! From the spring term, Year 1 transition into writing with literacy tree writing roots texts and will continue to apply their learnt skills from drawing club.

The Literacy Tree (writing roots) provides complete coverage of all National Curriculum expectations for writing composition, grammar, punctuation and vocabulary. All units of work lead to purposeful application within a wide variety of written outcomes.

A writing roots lesson involves a daily 60 minute session. We grow literary knowledge and develop skills by using whole books, rather than extracts, promoting a love of learning and an eagerness to engage with similar texts. Many of our texts links to aspects of other curriculum subjects, leading to deeper thinking and further discussion.

Intent Statement:

At St John's, we are committed to developing confident and creative writers from the very start of their educational journey. By incorporating Literacy Tree Writing Roots and Drawing Club into our Reception and Year 1 curriculum, we aim to provide a structured, engaging approach to writing that encourages students to explore ideas, plan their stories, and express themselves through both words and illustrations. Our goal is to cultivate a love for writing, spark imagination, and lay the groundwork for strong literacy skills that will support children throughout their academic careers.

Implementation Statement:

We will use the Literacy Tree Writing Roots framework to introduce pupils to the key elements of writing, including story structure, vocabulary development, and sentence construction. This approach will be embedded in our Reception and Year 1 classrooms through a combination of teacher-led lessons, interactive activities, and independent writing tasks. Alongside this, Drawing Club will be incorporated to support students in visualising their ideas and enhancing their storytelling through illustrations. Children are encouraged to plan their stories by drawing pictures and writing captions, gradually progressing to more complex compositions as they develop their skills. Teachers provide ongoing guidance and feedback, using resources from both Literacy Tree and Drawing Club to support individual progress and celebrate children's creative achievements.

Impact Statement:

By using Literacy Tree Writing Roots and Drawing Club, we expect to see significant improvements in pupils writing abilities, creativity, and confidence in both written and visual communication. Early engagement with these tools will promote a deeper understanding of story structure, vocabulary, and writing techniques, laying a solid foundation for future literacy learning. Children will develop a love for writing and drawing, which will not only enhance their academic performance but also encourage a positive attitude towards literacy throughout their educational journey. The integration of these resources will also foster a strong connection between home and school, as parents can support their children’s learning at home through shared writing and drawing activities. Ultimately, our approach will empower students to become imaginative, confident, and capable writers.



Tips for writing at home with your child

Encourage your child to write

Reading and writing are linked – success in one skill helps the other. Children love to make their own birthday cards, write thank you notes, make place cards for the table, or send email to a friend. Keep birthday cards and holiday postcards to recycle as homemade cards.

Different ways to write

Keep magnetic letters or words on the fridge. Your child can use these to write words.  Take chalk and write your names on the pavement. Get a white board  that they can write on and wipe clean each time.

Play writing games

Play a game where they have to find a letter in the alphabet. Show them how to form a letter and then go letter hunting in your house or in a book. They can count how many 'Ds' there are on a page. Find a picture they like and ask them to write words or a sentence describing what they see.

Help your child build their vocabulary

Try rhyming games starting with one word such as 'mat'. Say and write down all the words that rhyme, like 'cat', 'hat', 'fat' and 'splat'. You'll be surprised how fast your child's word list grows.

Explore the meaning of words

Create a word book at home and have your child add words as they learn them. Ask them to write the words they use often and talk about why.

Read and write

Read stories, newspapers, advertisements, instructions to your child every day. Discuss what you have read. You could write and leave notes for your child in different places, like their lunchbox. Ask them to write a reply or write something new.