English Writing Unit - Early Stage 1

Term 3 - 2015

Focus: Guided Writing, Independent Writing

Duration: 34 lessons/week

Overview

Links to other KLAs

In this unit, students develop their knowledge of concepts about print as they engage in a range of
modelled and shared writing experiences. Students are taught specific skills and strategies for composing
and structuring texts. They learn to express themselves and respond to a variety of texts.

Selection of texts for shared and guided reading to support

This unit provides a general framework for teaching independent and guided writing. Effective use in the
classroom will require meaningful contextualisation. Skills and strategies should be taught through relevant
and engaging texts with an appropriate thematic basis. Students should be provided with opportunities to
build their understanding continually, eg through viewing picture books and animations, engaging with
relevant objects and people (such as guest presenters), and discussing their personal experience of the
theme.

HSIE and Science and Technology units.

Direct link to HSIE unit of Countries

Inclusion of Indigenous texts or multicultural perspectives
for shared and guided reading.

Outcomes

Assessment overview

ENe-2A

composes simple texts to convey an idea or message

ENe-3A

produces most lower case and upper case letters and uses digital technologies to construct
texts

Observation notes/anecdotal records to be maintained as ongoing

assessment of learning.
Differentiated responding and writing activity examples:

ENe-5A

demonstrates developing skills in using letters, simple sound blends and some sight words to
represent known words when spelling

sequence the beginning, middle and end of the story using the

ENe-9B

demonstrates developing skills and knowledge in grammar, punctuation and vocabulary when
responding to and composing texts

draw the beginning, middle and end of the story

draw a story map, adding more detail possibly writing
using ICT to create, view or read different texts

ENe-10C thinks imaginatively and creatively about familiar topics, simple ideas and the basic features of
texts when responding to and composing texts

text
for support

ENe-11D responds to and composes simple texts about familiar aspects of the world and their own
experiences

Week
1

Writing - Grammar Link to Geography Unit

Specific Writing Focus

Sentence a Day

Recount
In my holidays

Focus on when yesterday, over the

holidays, on Tuesday etc

After school I.

eg/ On my holiday I went to a farm.

Focus on where a farm, Fiji,

Grandparents house etc

Variations and extension

Sentence starters written or copied for students

Sentence starters written or copied with spaces for adjectives to be added

Using conjunctions and, with and pronouns

Planning for who, what, where, when, how and why

2

Descriptive Sentences
Students are given pictures of different landscapes and jointly construct sentences describing the
place. Pictures can be of country studied this week in HSIE unit Countries - not mandatory. Use
above differentiation examples where necessary.
eg/ This is a long, sandy beach.
This mountain is tall and has lots of green trees.

Reconstructing Sentences
Use sentences from authentic texts and other known texts to reconstruct the sentence structure.
Write the sentences out on cards and cut up into separate words, students then place the sentence
in order and rewrite in books or whiteboards. This can be linked to shared/modelled reading program
texts.

In Term 3, I am looking forward

to.

Full stops and capital letters

Adjectives

My favourite place
is..because

Full stops and capital letters

My favourite sport is.because
Extension: encourage alliteration
green grass
Sentence structure

Use 1 or 2 adjectives within

sentence
My friends are. They are
special because

Full stops and capital letters

I giggle when

Mystery word students choose a word from the selection on cards. They then write their own
sentences using that mystery word. Read sentence to a partner to check if the meaning is
maintained.
4

Who and what is in the illustration? Link to HSIE Countries Unit.

Choose one of the landscapes from country studied this week in class or alternatively from Patterns
of Australia by Bronwyn Bancroft that is similar to our local landscape and show the students the A3
copies or a representation of this page.
Ask students:
Who or what is in the illustration? (List and record their responses)
What is happening in the illustration? (List these words on green cards.)
Are there any other circumstances surrounding the activity? (Record their responses on blue
cards.)

Sentence structure

Here is a .

Making sentences make sense

On the weekend.

Full stops and capital letters

If I could fly I would

Model for the students how we can use this information to help us write a simple sentence such
as, The wide river is flowing through the trees. Get the students to turn to a partner and rehearse
constructing a sentence using the information on the cards as a guide. Bring the group back
together to share some of the sentences they have constructed in pairs. Provide each pair with a
strip of paper for them to record a sentence that they constructed themselves or one that they heard
from another group. ACELA1451, ACELY1655

Writing the story based on the illustrations

Using a text such as Rosies Walk show the pictures to the students with the words covered over.
Discuss the illustrations and the sequence of the story as each page progresses. Return to the
beginning of the book and jointly construct the text for each page. Explicitly demonstrate qualities
good writers use such as re-reading, editing, proof-reading for punctuation etc

Sentence structure

I love my Mum because

Making sentences make sense

I love my Dad because.

Revisit jointly constructed story on a following day. Read the text as a class and ask the students to
comment on the meaning, sequence and link to the illustrations.

Full stops and capital letters

Story structure and fluidity

*Alternatively, this can be done on the IWB with the pages of the story scanned.
** Text may be altered based on Teacher preference or text availability
6

Story sequencing and writing Fairy Tales

Use picture cards for well-known Fairy Tales, even if students are unfamiliar with the story, they will
be able to create their own storylines.

Sentence structure

I like stories about.

Story structure and fluidity

I feel happy when

Resources available on K-3 Resources websites

Full stops and capital letters

Similes
Introduce similes to the students and ask them to identify some during a reading of a well-known
text.

Full stops and capital letters

I feel sad when.

Similes

I love eating.

Students complete the following examples (try to link to HSIE unit Countries):

As brown as a

As cold as

As dry as

As quiet as

As smooth as

As green as

As hard as

Adjectives

Variations and Extension

Students can complete independently as part of Literacy Group rotations. K-3 Resources website
has a collection of simile starters. Print, laminate and make available for students to use
independently.
Students write their own similes in books or on whiteboards. Students can be presented with a
picture or video stimulus to assist with writing and creativity.

Composing a Sentence using visual stimuli Direct link to HSIE Countries Unit.
Students will be engaging with an illustration from Alison Lesters Are We There Yet? and using this
to assist them to construct a sentence. Alternatively, using a text with an Aboriginal perspective is
encouraged for this lesson sequence.
Who or what is in the illustration?
What is happening?
What else can we tell? or Are there any other circumstances surrounding the activity?
Copy several different illustrations, ensuring there are sufficient copies so all students will have
access to an illustration.
**Assessment task

Introduce students to Storybird.com and encourage the students to create their own stories by
inserting pictures and writing a story. Complete a whole class guided writing session on the site first.
Variations and extension
Students requiring more support could retell a known story using the Storybird.com pictures and
their own text.
Students could be asked to create a what happens next story for a known text using Storybird.com
pictures.

10

Revisit Storybird.com to re-read and edit their stories. Students are welcome to create new or extra
stories as needed. Emphasis is on story sequence and sentence structure.

Story structure

At Moving Bodies, I enjoy.

Meaning

I do not like eating.

Link between text and illustrations

Basic grammar and punctuation

Using ICT to create a narrative images and text match and

complement

I would like to visit.

I am grateful for.

Typing skills
Basic sentence structure
Using ICT to create a narrative images and text match and
complement

At home I help
At lunchtime I like to.

Typing skills
Basic sentence structure

Evaluation

Were the program outcomes achieved?

Were the activities relevant and appropriate to the needs of the students?
What teaching strategy was most effective?
Did students enjoy the program?
Were there sufficient challenging opportunities for extension?
What would I change next time?

SUGGESTED RESOURCES
Dictionary of Classroom Strategies K6, Board of Studies
Teach this: www.teachthis.com.au
Shared reading titles only suggestions

Teachers pet: www.tpet.co.uk

Joy Cowley series

Bronwyn Bancroft collection: Patterns around Australia

Weblinks

Story Box collection

BBC: www.bbc.co.uk/schools/games (interactive literacy games)

Jeanie Adams collection: Pigs and Honey, Little Black Books (Indigenous titles)

Kidzone: www.kidzone.ws (photos and printable activities)

Pamela Allen collection: Who Sank the Boat?, Grandpa and Thomas, Mr McGee
Sheena Knowles collection: Edward the Emu, Edwina the Emu

Literacy Zone: www.woodlands-junior-kent.sch.uk/interactive/literacy.html (interactive

phonics activities)

Mem Fox collection: Koala Lou, Where is the Green Sheep?, Possum Magic

Mem Fox Stories: www.memfox.net/mem-reads-aloud (audio stories no pictures)

Alison Lester collection

Roy the Zebra: www.roythezebra.com (interactive reading games, guided reading

stories, literacy worksheets, songs)

Computer resources

Starfall: www.starfall.com (interactive phonics activities and animated picture books)

ABC Reading Eggs

Online classroom resources
Story Bird: www.storybird.com
ABC Teach: www.abcteach.com
SparkleBox: www.sparklebox.co.uk/australia

Storyline Online: www.storylineonline.net (popular stories reread for children by famous

people)
Storynory: www.storynory.com (audio stories)
Youtube: www.youtube.com and Teachertube: www.teachertube.com
Tumblebooks: www.tumblebooks.com (online collection of animated talking picture bo