Building confident writers in the Junior School

The approach was introduced across selected year levels in 2025 and is now embedded in classroom practice, including a recent Year 4 lesson co-taught by Mrs Megan McAntee and Mrs Chantelle Bauer, Deputy Head of Junior School - Teaching and Learning.

Developed by Pie Corbett, Talk for Writing supports students to move from imitation to innovation and, ultimately, independent writing by internalising language structures through spoken rehearsal and shared texts.

In the Year 4 classroom, students have spent the term learning a model text through actions and oral storytelling before applying their understanding to shape their own narratives.

"During the term we've learned four different sentence structures and students are now using that story as a base to create their own," Mrs McAntee said.

"At the start, they weren't given any written version of the story. They learned it through gestures and words, then built on that with specific sentence work, including techniques like piling up descriptions and personification."

For many students, the impact has been immediate and personal. Year 4 student Artie Morrissey shared, "I used to find English really hard but now it's my favourite lesson." Digby Easton was equally enthusiastic, saying, "This is the best writing I have ever done!" while Cooper Coutts reflected on his growing confidence with language techniques: "I never knew how to use personification and similes but now I love using them!"

As the unit progresses, students draw on those sentence structures to draft extended pieces of writing, demonstrating increasing independence and creativity.

"This is our first unit using the approach and it's been incredible. It's the best writing I've seen," Mrs McAntee said.

The Junior School's work in this space is closely connected to Mrs Bauer's ongoing doctoral research. Alongside her leadership role at TGS, Mrs Bauer is undertaking a Doctor of Education (EdD), with a focus on advancing professional practice through research in real-world educational settings.

Her research explores how evidence-informed approaches to teaching writing are understood and implemented by primary school teachers, with a focus on how these practices are introduced and sustained across a school.

Rather than evaluating a single program in isolation, the research considers the conditions that support consistent, high-quality writing instruction over time.

The implementation of Talk for Writing at TGS provides a practical example of this work in action, highlighting the value of shared language, structured professional learning and consistent classroom practice.

As an EdD candidate, Mrs Bauer's research remains ongoing and reflects a broader commitment within the Junior School to strengthening writing through thoughtful leadership and evidence-informed decision-making.

Arlie Felton-Taylor
Content Coordinator

References

• Talk for Writing. About Talk for Writing. Available at: https://www.talk4writing.com/about/