Introduction to the Speaking to Writing (S2W) Learning Hub

Welcome to the S2W Learning Hub where teachers will explore how to enhance writing instruction through speaking and other creative interactions. Evolving from the S2W "Seed" project, using the well-established ‘Talk for Writing’ (www.talk4writing.com) approach as a foundation, this hub focuses on enhancing students' writing skills and confidence by integrating oral language and performance into the writing process.

Through engaging with the key elements of the S2W Learning Hub, teachers will discover how to:

• Build Oracy: Utilising oral communication to strengthen writing, drawing on well-established evidence from educational and developmental psychology.
• Use Model Texts: Supporting students in internalising model texts through oral performance, story mapping and actions to provide examples of language and tools for improved writing.
• Move from Speaking into Writing: Fostering interactive discussion to build language knowledge, expand vocabulary and transition from speaking to writing in short bursts before creating unique versions of texts.
• Encourage Ownership: Empowering students to craft their own versions of texts, incorporating their own ideas, new vocabulary and targeted language elements.
• Design Tailor-made Units: Tailoring units to focus on specific language aspects such as character descriptions, settings, dialogue and non-fiction text structures.
• Assess Impact and Growth: Tracking students' progress through pre and post-unit assessment tasks, to monitor student growth and inform future teaching.

The S2W Learning Hub aims to build a community of practice where participants will experience the power of oral storytelling in shaping young writers' skills and unleashing their potential!