Literacy at Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1

c. Non-fiction writing

There are useful sections on non-fiction writing in the KS1 videos from the CLPE. The work of David Wray and Maureen Lewis is also important in this area. Although they deal mainly with KS2, their ideas on reading and writing non-fiction can be adapted. Their frames or grids provide a good starting point for working with student teachers.

The CD Rom pack from the Primary National Strategy (2004) has good examples of children from Year 1 and Year 2 looking at non-fiction over a range of subjects. Complete lesson plans, objectives, resources and video clips are all included.

Even a cursory look by student teachers through the Stepping Stones from the Curriculum Guidance for the Foundation Stage emphasises the cross curricular nature of language in mathematical development and knowledge and understanding of the world.

An activity which student teachers enjoy involves using an ‘Art Attack’ video on the making of a balloon puppet, to encourage non-fiction writing. This aims to widen student teachers’ knowledge of the different genres of non-fiction and encourage them to draw on popular culture.

Activity i

• The student teachers watch the video.
• They watch it a second time, while taking notes on how to make a balloon puppet.
• In pairs, they discuss and go through each other’s notes to notice any discrepancies and write one set of instruction
• They watch the video a third time to check if their instructions are accurate (diagrams may be included)
• They exchange instructions with another pair in order to check accuracy and evaluate.

The video Developing Early Writing (NLS) has an extract on non-fiction, showing a teacher taking her class for Shared Writing. They are learning how to use the appropriate genre for an account of the work they have done using scooters on the playground. This provides a useful context for student teachers to consider the importance of focused questioning and the value of children working in pairs and talking about their work.

Connections to Standards
Q 4, 6, 12, 14, 15, 17, 18, 19, 25, 26.