Synchronised Sentences

Embedding Functional Writing skills across the curriculum.

What is the link between literacy levels and self esteem? Pupils' low literacy skills often leads to

under-achievement across the curriculum.  All teachers have a vital role to play in helping our pupils to access and engage with the curriculum at Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4’. (DFES)

75% of all Emmaus referrals came from the Bishop Challoner ‘W’ band.

An extreme example!

Although the same age, these students

were never in the same class.

Literacy and self esteem.

Putting pen to paper often triggers poor behaviour.

Students identify their written work as a series of failures.

Synchronised Sentences

It identifies 18 sentence types and arranges them into a four stage hierarchy as follows :

The Competent writer. (1-4) The developing writer(5-11) The reflective writer ( 12-16) The Versatile writer ( 17-18)

It identifies and celebrates the evolutionary steps of a maturing writer. Each step is a new skill. Weaker students tend to

perceive their written work as a catalogue of small failures. Synchronised sentences is a ‘from the floorboards up’ approach.

The World Cup Final 2010

Why are the Dutch so much better than the English?

….because their coaches teach children ‘skills’ from a very early age

Trevor says

Let's concentrate on teaching the basic skills that will help them express themselves. Let's allow them to have fun, take away the importance of winning and stop the young players being afraid of making mistakes.’

Free flowing Controlled Flair Skill Poised Artistic

They could almost be describing gifted writers………..

When England hit their glass ceiling,

commentators will say that they are …. Technically flawed Too afraid of failure Lacking the confidence

to express themselves All heart and passion

and not enough skill.

Just like the English F.A. we’re churning out

writers who have the same limitations.

Technically flawed Too afraid of failure Lacking the confidence

to express themselves All heart and passion

and not enough skill.

Like footballers, great writers are not

artists but master craftsmen and women.

A possible starting point.

Autumn Spring Summer

7 EF Revise 1-2 Revise3

4

7 Mid Revise 3 & 4 5 6

7 Top Revise 1-7 8 9

8 EF 5 6 7

8 Mid 7 8 9

8 Top 10 11 12

9 EF 8 &9 10 11

9 Mid 10 & 11 12 13

9 Top 13 14 15 & 16

10 Ef 12 13 14

10 Mid 14 15 16

10 Top 14-15 16 17

11 EF 16 16 16

11 Mid 17 17 17

11 Top 17/18 17/18 17/18

What will I be doing?

Not much hopefully. It's the English teacher' s job to embed these skills.

Your role is one of reinforcement. Whenever there's an synchronised sentence moment in your lessons it will seem incidental and insignificant. Its potential powerpotential power stems from the way in which these moments will be synchronised across the timetable.

When will I be doing it ?

Whenever you set a writing task in class or for homework you simply need to remind students that their work needs to contain one underlined example of the sentence they're currently working on. It should have the appropriate number next to it in the margin. When you mark the books, simply tick the sentence to show that you recognise the effort.

What might students ask you? Am I doing it

right?

18. It’s not about genius; it’s about craftsmanship. If you’re traumatised by the

thought of synchronised sentences -baffled by its apparent complextity- take heart from the experiences of Charles Dickens; despite a lack of formal education, and by devouring a discarded grammar primer,the young man overcame his early years as a child labourer to ,slowly, step by step, master the basic skills that would make him the greatest writer English prose writer in history.

18. It’s not about punctuation; it’s about expression. If you’re traumatised by the

thought of synchronised sentences -baffled by its apparent complextity- take heart from the experiences of Charles Dickens; despite a lack of formal education, and by devouring a discarded grammar primer,the young man overcame his early years as a child labourer to ,slowly, step by step, master the basic skills that would make him the greatest writer English prose writer in history.

Advantages of Synchronised Sentences. There is , in effect a single ‘currency’ of exchange

in which writing skills can be discussed and understood by staff, pupils and parents.

Students know that their developments will be identified and celebrated.

It can become an aspect of differentiation and a means of extending the abler students in every teaching group.

It is not onerous. If it is, it’s not being done properly.

More Advantages

Staff who are unsure can consult an English specialist attached to the group.

It mobilises the entire staff against the single biggest error in British exercise books: the failure to use full stops to close down sentences.(Sentence 1)

We should inherit ‘A’ level students who have the skill to conceptualise and articulate subtle, abstract ideas.

The Analogy

English teachers are the coaches.

The kids are the players.

Who are you?

A well informed spectator actively cheering their attempts to use their skills.