Thinking for Primary Writing

Drawing on the author's personal experience, this book provides a deeper understanding of how children experience the writing process in primary school. The framework termed 'think for writing' purports that training children in creative writing and providing creative thinking opportunities can develop their writing and improve their confidence in writing.

Aimed at all teachers and trainees, it examines each element of the framework: the thinking environment, task design, training creative thinking, the building blocks of the writing process, and developing children's creative self-efficacy. This range of ideas and approaches across all elements of the writing process that teachers can adapt, adopt and apply to their own practice. This book also demonstrates that a lot of the key work in developing writing is done in between the building blocks of the writing process. This work in the gaps includes process feedback and feedback on the application of ideas.

Ultimately, this book provides a resource for teachers to develop their writing pedagogy and children's outcomes whilst meeting National curriculum for England and Wales requirements and demands of standardised testing. Teachers can feel a lot more assured when designing units of work in primary English with this helpful framework, that provides them with this knowledge and details on how to apply it.

Introduction – ‘Think for Writing’: What? Where? Why? How?

Chapter 1: The architect’s brief: What is so hard about writing?

Chapter 2: Choosing the tools: Creative thinking skills

Chapter 3: Laying the foundations

Chapter 4: The building blocks

Chapter 5: The importance of cement: Connecting the blocks

Chapter 6: Working between the gaps

Chapter 7: Call the scaffolders: the role of the task

Chapter 8: Here comes the building inspector: Assessment and learning

Chapter 9: The big reveal: What they said

Chapter 10: Changing the landscape

Adrian Copping has been involved in primary education for over 25 years, as a teacher, subject leader, senior leader, and teacher educator. He taught in two contrasting primary schools and currently leads the University of Cumbria’s Primary PGCE where he has been involved in researching and writing on primary English for over ten years. He completed a PhD in creative thinking and children’s writing, using the research and framework for this book.