Year 2 News - Mrs Fenton & Ms Zeleznik
Year 2 - ‘At the End of the Rainbow’
Students in Year 2 are currently working on their first ‘Talk for Writing’ unit for this year. The Talk for Writing approach:
- Provides a model – the teacher systematically models the speaking, listening, vocabulary and sentence patterns students will need to be successful.
- Regular oral rehearsal – students internalise the pattern of the language required by ‘talking the text’ before they write it.
- Facilitates co-constructed learning – students are involved in activities that deepen their understanding, supporting them towards being independent thinkers and writers.
- Promotes visible learning – model texts and co-created samples are displayed for reference on the journey towards students’ independent application.
Students are guided throughout the process by learning and applying specific Rules & Tools. The Rules & Tools explicitly outline what a student should and could do to create a successful piece of writing.
Year 2 began the unit by participating in a ‘cold task’; this is an independent piece of writing showcasing students’ current knowledge and skills, therefore guiding future teaching. Students then assisted Mrs Fenton in growing a rainbow; an invaluable hook into our text, ‘At the End of the Rainbow’. As the story was being read, we created a story map with simple illustrations. The story map is on display in our classroom and allows students to refer to it when we retell the story collaboratively. We are exploring new vocabulary such as "enormous", and experimenting with using alternative words in our writing to make it more interesting for the reader. Students have displayed excellent engagement and enthusiastically shared their creative ideas with a partner and the class.
