Teach Reading and Writing Issue 19

previous) learning in another curriculum area. The benefit of this is that children may be very knowledgeable about the subject if you’ve taught them well, and links to other subjects can give the writing some further purpose. There are drawbacks, however. Children may get bogged down in trying to accurately represent their learning in other subjects to the point that demonstrating their writing ability takes a back seat. Make clear to them that they are not being assessed on their recall of the subject, but rather on the English knowledge and skills they can demonstrate. Try to ensure that’s where your feedback is focused. That said, because non-chronological reports do not follow a sequential order, but instead focus on presenting facts and details in a structured manner, they can be a useful way to teach pupils how to organise their thoughts and understanding across the curriculum. KS1 – laying the foundations As previously mentioned, the national curriculum I t might surprise you to find that the term ‘non-chronological report’ doesn’t feature anywhere in the national curriculum. Nonetheless, it’s become a staple of primary teaching; and even though some schools have moved away from a genre-based way of teaching writing, you’re still very likely to find yourself being required to teach children how to produce one. What is a non-chronological report? The purpose of a non-chronological report is to inform the reader, and it can be about anything that doesn’t require a time-ordered account. Subjects might include an introduction to a hobby, an overview of a place, or a piece about a child’s family. Writing not suited to the non-chronological format would include things like a recount of a visit, a set of instructions, or a write-up of a science experiment. Linking writing to previous learning To remove the need to recall facts, pupils can also write non-chronological reports about fictional topics, for example, mythological beasts that they’ve created. However, in primary schools it’s often the case that you’ll link the piece of writing to some current (or doesn’t specifically require pupils in KS1 to write non-chronological reports. However, it does require you to teach pupils in Year 2 to ‘develop positive attitudes towards and stamina for writing by writing for different purposes’. The purpose, as we have discovered already, of a non-chronological report is to inform the reader; so this should be the focus of any non-chronological report writing in Year 2. Beyond this, any piece of writing in Year 2 should be a means of practising and showcasing other writing skills, as set out in the national curriculum under the headings of spelling, handwriting, composition, vocabulary, grammar and punctuation. KS2 – refining the technique In KS2, the national curriculum hints at what might be useful for pupils who are writing a non-chronological report. It says that pupils in Years 3 and 4 should be taught to draft and write by organising paragraphs around a theme, and in non-narrative material, using simple organisational devices (for example, headings and sub-headings). The non-statutory guidance given in the national curriculum says: Pupils should continue to have opportunities to write for a range of real purposes and audiences as part of their work across the curriculum. These purposes and audiences should underpin the decisions about the form the writing should take, such as a narrative, an explanation or a description . In the guidance for teachers of Years 5 and 6 it states: Pupils should be taught to plan their writing by identifying the audience for and purpose of the writing, selecting the appropriate form and using other similar writing as models for their own . It also says that pupils should be taught to plan and draft their writing using further organisational and presentational devices to structure text and to guide the reader (for example by using headings, bullet points and underlining). Progression through year groups In Year 2 , children can create simple non-chronological reports about topics they are familiar with, such as pets or favourite toys. Their focus can be on basic sections. 62 | www.teachwire.net ORDER Out of Want your Year 6 pupils to write great non-chronological reports? Start early, says Aidan Severs “Remember that the main purpose of a non-chronological report is to inform the reader of something”