VCOP - Big Writing
Big Writing is a teaching method developed by Ros Wilson. The aim of Big Writing is to advise schools on how to raise a child's attainment level in speaking, listening and writing. The method is currently used by many schools, primarily in the UK but also overseas. The target audience for Big writing is KS1 and KS2 although a slightly adjusted method is also taught to Foundation Stage pupils, known as 'Big Talk'. Big Writing has proved to be successful in a number of schools.
VCOP are the initial letters of the words Vocabulary, Connectives, Openers, and Punctuation. These are the categories which are used to stimulate children into more imaginative writing. They are used to ensure that children improve their story writing by using 'WOW' words, different ways of connecting sentences, to give more ideas as to how to use more inspired openings to sentences, and to use punctuation correctly.
Classrooms may have charts on display helping children to be creative in the use of words.Colourful word mats are constantly on the wall to help them use their imagination and to create more atmosphere in their writing.
There are many games, puzzles and interactive opportunities for children to use to help them develop and improve their writing. These are used in schools and here are some suggestions for you to use together as a family.
As you are reading bedtime stories to your child you might like to emphasis the words which make the story you are reading exciting. One I like best is 'Going on a Bear Hunt' where the grass goes 'swish' and the mud goes squech! ' Also listen to songs which stimulate your children's imagination like 'There was an old lady who swallowed a Fly....'it wriggled and jiggled and tickled inside her!' These are all excellent Wow words!. I hope the ideas above are useful to you.
Here are some books which will help you to find new ways of consolidating VCOP and to help make children's writing more colourful, stimulating and interesting to read. Comics and DVDs are also useful. Poetry and limericks can be utilised to illustrate tgood use of descriptive words.e.g.The land of the Bimbly Boo by Spike Milligan.