Big Writing: Talk the big talk :

"If a child can't say it, a child can't write it." Big Writing is a teaching methodology in which pupils learn and develop the ideas, vocabulary and higher level grammatical structures needed to improve their writing almost entirely through talk. Talk the Big Talk: Laying the Foundations for Big Writing and beyond is aimed primarily at teachers and leaders in the Foundation Stage, although the principles can be applied across the primary phase.

As well as giving an overview of the importance of talk and the problems caused by language deprivation, this provides a wealth of practical ideas for promoting talk in the early years and beyond, including suggestions for developing higher-level talk as a basis for writing.

Professional development courses to help schools understand and deliver Big Writing and Big Talk are available through Andrell Education Ltd - www.andrelleducation.co.uk