Perth and Kinross Building Bridges case study
Writing attainment / extended writing:
Kinross High School and Kinross Primary School
Functional writing:
Perth Grammar School and North Muirton Primary School
PDF file: Perth and Kinross Building Bridges case studyKinross High School and Kinross Primary School
In August 2003 Kinross High School formed a Literacy Team of 10 teachers working in a variety of curricular areas. Following on from National Conference Seminar 3 in March 2004, work began with the associated primary, which had three large P7 classes. Together they would examine the relationship between writing attainment and the learner’s preferred learning style. They would also investigate the importance of structure and planning in the improvement of extended writing.
The planned piece would be about recollections of Primary 1. Planning for writing would be prefaced by three discrete processes. The kinaesthetic approach introduced the writing task via music, movement and animated activity. The auditory approach would involve pre-writing home interviews with parents on the subject of ‘My earliest memories of primary school’. The third stage was visual with P7 returning to their P1 classrooms to look at souvenirs and photos and to recollect their experiences. This was the setting in which they designed their plans for writing. The draft piece was examined and pupils completed a Visual/Auditory/Kinaesthetic (VAK) questionnaire to identify preferred learning style.
Matching pupil learning style with teaching style helped pupils improve their selection and organisation of ideas, with kinaesthetic approaches suiting the majority.
Although there were some reservations, staff resolved to progress this approach into other areas of the curriculum and to maintain the close working relationships established by the project.
Perth Grammar School and North Muirton Primary School
Involving a P6, a P7 and two S1 classes, this project was concerned with planning for extended functional writing. Good practice in imaginative and expressive writing had been established but teacher reservations remained regarding similar practices in extended functional writing.
A previous literacy project had trained staff in PELT (Partnerships for Effective Teaching and Learning) techniques advocated by Ann Tregenza. Important elements of PELT include paired working, classroom observation and lesson evaluation. This approach would be the basis on which a newspaper report would be produced.
A course of three lessons was planned and delivered. These lessons featured reading aloud, sequencing exercises, brainstorming, paragraph planning and teacher modelling.
Outcomes were mixed. Nevertheless, teachers remained convinced that exposure to these techniques over a longer period of time would produce more significant outcomes. In terms of their continuing professional development, the project was a success, making a positive impact on teaching and laying the foundations for future endeavours.