2. Aims
To consider the benefits of a cross
curricular approach to writing
To explore how different aspects of writing
can be applied across the curriculum
To exploit opportunities for writing in
different subject areas.
3. Learning and teaching of literacy across the curriculum
has three major aims:
1. To broaden and enhance children’s command of
literacy skills by providing them with a range of different
contexts in which to use and practise these skills
2. To locate the teaching of the literacy skills which are
central to the language of a particular subject within that
subject.
3. To enhance the learning of the subject itself and the
attitudes of children towards that learning.
Additionally, work across the curriculum provides a rich
source of experience, language and stimulation to
support the development of speaking, listening, reading
and writing.
4. Key principles
Writing is a key skill in its own right and as a tool for
other learning.
Composition opportunities using a range of media should
occur not just in literacy lessons but across all areas of
the curriculum.
Learning writing skills is most effective when it is applied
as part of a cohesive piece of work and not just a ‘one-
off’ or formal exercises.
Opportunities to practise and apply literacy skills across
the curriculum in order to give context and real purpose
to writing should be encouraged.
5. Key principles
Children should learn how a skill or concept can be
applied to other learning, or in another curriculum area.
Literacy skills are enhanced and developed in specific
subject areas as part of learning and teaching processes
but also subject knowledge from a range of areas of
learning should be used to inform and develop literacy
teaching
Opportunities to apply literacy across the curriculum
should extend beyond non-fiction.
Application across the curriculum gives children
opportunities to make informed choices and decisions
about form and purpose when writing.
6. Discussion
What happens in your school now?
Is there two way traffic between Literacy and
other subject areas?
Which subjects have the strongest links?
Where do links need to be developed?
7. The benefits for boys
Boys make best progress when there is
choice of topic or content with clarity over the form required;
balance within the curriculum between an emphasis on ‘skills’ and a focus
on content;
talk for writing across the curriculum;
from the Foundation Stage onwards, an opportunity for ‘real’ writing
activities ;
a cohesive unit of work and is not just ‘one-off ’ sessions;
an awareness of the purpose of each task within the unit, in particular how a
skill or concept can be applied to other learning, or in another curriculum
area;
teacher input on how skills learned in word-level and sentence-level
teaching are applied in ‘real’ writing activities;
a scheme of work for Literacy and across the curriculum providing for a
wide range of genres to be studied and practised;
a curriculum including approaches to learning that feel ‘active’, such as
drama, working with media texts and ICT, etc.
9. Writing Strands
9- Creating and shaping texts
10- Text structure and organisation
11- Sentence structure and punctuation
12- Presentation
Always plan from the objectives and assess using
the AFs
10. Application of Sentence Construction and Punctuation
Across the Curriculum (AFs 5 and6)
Adopt a zero – tolerance attitude to punctuation and sentence
construction across all subject areas.
Display expectations for sentence construction and punctuation
across the school.
From time to time, children are asked to include certain sentence
construction and punctuation features in writing from another subject
area.
Self and peer assess against sentence and punctuation focus.
Encourage children to speak in complete and extended sentences in
different contexts.
Always model sentence structure and punctuation appropriate to the
age related expectations for your year group when demonstrating
writing.
12. Application of Phonic/ spelling across the curriculum
Skills (AF8)
Use sound talk
Link letters and sounds to physical activity
Create opportunities in non- literacy situations to foster an interest in
sounds and words.
The first attack when reading and spelling should always be
phonics. Children should always be encouraged to work out reading
and spelling independently.
Children need to attempt to write the bits of a word they can tackle
before asking for a word in any writing.
Once children have been taught how to use a dictionary/spell check,
they should use these in all lessons.
Incorporate topic related words into spelling and phonics lessons.
Incidental teaching across the curriculum-technical vocabulary.
Model segmenting, blending and spelling strategies during shared
and guided writing.
Marking – should reflect the age- appropriate high frequency words
and phonics.
13. Activity
Think of a commonly mis-spelled word
from a subject area of your choice e.g
angel/angle
Think of a “silly” way to help children to
remember.
e.g. An angel wearing hair gel.
14. Application of Text Structure and Organisation Across
the Curriculum (AF3 and 4)
Encourage children to write captions for displays and
class books on a range of subjects.
Write chronological and non chronological reports on a
range of topics- link to school visits and events and all
subjects. This will allow children to use what they have
learned in literacy for a real purpose.
Children should use organisational features such as
paragraphs, subheadings, glossaries etc across all
writing. Age related expectations should be used by
children in all writing e.g once paragraphs have been
taught and practised, you would expect children to use
them in all writing.
Use of connectives, pronouns and adverbials for
coherence should be used in all writing.
15. Application of Creating and Shaping Texts (All AFs,
especially AF1,2 and 7)
Stories can be written or told based on familiar or different places
and cultures. Also, pictures and sculptures can be used as the basis
for a story.
Instructions are used in DT, Music, ICT, Science, PE and Art. They
can also be written for other children to use with equipment around
schools.
Plan and write non- narrative texts on a range of topics. Children
can write captions, sentences, paragraphs, chapters, fact files or
information leaflets on screen or paper.
Summarise and shape material and ideas from different subjects to
write convincing and informative non-narrative texts
Create multi-layered texts, including use of hyperlinks and linked
web pages on a range of topics.
Adapt non-narrative forms and styles to write fiction or factual texts,
including poems
Write biographies, autobiographies and diaries for historical and
religious characters; people from different places and cultures etc.
16. Consider
Strand 12- presentation- how do you/could
you encourage application across the
curriculum?
17. More able children benefit when…
they have the opportunity to write about their
own interests
they can research and write about a topic in
depth
they can experiment with their own formats and
cross-genres
they have the freedom to risk take
How could you incorporate their needs into a
cross-curricular approach?
18. Activity
Look at the sheets of ideas for writing in
different subject areas.
Which of these have you used?
Which could you adapt to use with the
children you teach?
What ideas can you add to the lists?
19. Implications
Exploiting links between subjects
Planned opportunities to write for a real
purpose and audience
Expectations of Literacy skills across the
curriculum
Balance between skills and content
Timetable issues
