The Writing Process and Disciplinary Literacy

In recent years, Kettlethorpe High School teachers and support staff have received extensive training on the writing process, beyond simply their own subject area.

We have worked in detail on understanding writing as a process and the physical and mental barriers that can exist as part of the process. To be able to develop a pupil’s writing, we need to understand the different elements of writing and what each element could demand from a pupil:

• Transcription – motor skills, posture, and handwriting
• Text generation – knowledge of words and ideas; tier 2 (higher level, but transferrable) and tier 3 (subject-specific) vocabulary
• Executive function – the correct process for planning, drafting, revising, editing and publishing.

One idea we have developed as a school to support pupils with their writing is our ‘let’s sit the “write” way’ initiative. Prior to any extended writing task, pupils will be reminded of the following: