Talk for writing

[Guest]

Does anyone have any good suggestions for a 'talk for writing' story? I have not yet had any training and will be doing this (as a lesson observation :huh:) after half term! I have been thinking about 'We're going on a bear hunt' but have no experience of 'talk for writing' and wondered if anyone else has used this book and whether it would be suitable or if there are any better ideas!

All suggestions appreciated :rolleyes:

[Susan]

Its definitely suitable but you need to really embed the story first, the children should be able to tell it with actions orally before they begin to write.

There used to be lots of resources online and Id be very surprised if they are not still there. Google Pie Corbett as well and if you can find any locations where he is talking do go if you can....I felt as if I had spent 6 hours at a theatre when I saw him!

[Guest]

I had intended, for the observation, to take the children on a 'real' bear hunt outdoors; but am worried about taking the 'risk' - I am new to reception, it will be the first day back after half-term and the children may be less 'controllable' outdoors. However, I had thought about making a 6 foot large bear and attaching it to the side of an outbuilding for the children to find when we get to the 'cave' - but what else can I do? A pile of broken twigs/sticks for the children to walk over (without any 'trips', I hope!)? What about the mud and the river? So many questions!!

[Susan]

We used PE apparatus when we did this together with other props, but I cant remember what exactly....certainly no mud or water! You might need to think about if you have a large indoor space if the weather is not suitable to be outside? That would be my concern for an observation, its one thing going out whatever the weather but your children and your observer may be less responsive? If you know your children well and you have moved with most of them to reception then you will know whether this is likely to be a problem or not?

I would suggest that you are not over ambitious but what do you consider is the risk?

What are the objectives of the observation?

I still think I would want the children to know the story reasonably well before role play.

[twistedficus1]

Why not do all the roleplay and embedding before half term? Act it out at forest school if you have one or just outside in wellies if not.

Really stress how dejected the bear looks at the end of the story.

Then after the hols recap quickly on the final pages from quick back through the cave etc and at the end of the book have an envelope stuck in with a message from the bear. It could ask for their help saying they just want to play with the family but cant find the way back to them. Then you could have big paper for the children to create a kind of map from the cave to the house. They could draw and write at this end of the year and Id have the action words and places on a working wall to help them. You could have the house at one end with a pic of the family and the cave at the other with a bear on a lolly stick to move around.

In the plenary you could share the maps then leave them out on display for the bear to read.

The next day a reply could be pinned to the maps with a thank you note. You'll have a pretend pen pal for the year too.

I would probably go around 6 children at a time at this end of the year on the writing task with others choosing from a range such as roleplay of story, small world cave building, cave den building, mud kitchen creating squelchy mud for small world charachters, cutting swishy grass, using gloop to make the snowstorm, jumping in puddles etc, making bridges from big bricks to cross a river etc

Good luck. I might even try this myself x

[Guest]

Thank you twistedficus1 - great ideas!