Bite into Writing: What's included?

We believe that quality writing stems from the use of quality texts which help pupils develop the skills of ‘reading as a writer’, and inspire them to write for a range of purposes and audiences. That’s why each Bite into Writing book focuses on a quality text, organised into lesson-sized chunks to support teachers who prefer this kind of structure – but versatile enough for those who appreciate greater flexibility.

Watch the short video to see how Bite into Writing supports year 6 teachers with the teaching and assessment of writing. 

Bite into Writing also includes Spotlight texts with teaching prompts, for a more forensic drilling down to the nuts and bolts of language.  These texts are short enough to be shared on a visualiser, and can be annotated with the class to tease out and explore their features.

More information on the 'Talk and explore' activities that support reading comprehension, the 'Write-bite' activities that entice pupils to engage with incidental writing, and the 'Showcase' writing prompts that provide opportunities for more extended writing can be found below. 

Lastly, we have incorporated exemplified samples (WAGOLL) of year 6 pupils’ writing to support teacher assessment. These include detailed annotation and overall commentaries with suggested next steps and can be used summatively – to support in-school teacher assessment, or formatively – to help pupils to progress on their writing journeys.

The initial catalyst for the writing process, these activities stimulate discussion and investigation through engagement. They aim to develop a secure understanding of the quality published text prior to writing.

These bite-sized opportunities for short-burst, incidental writing enables pupils to capture ideas through text exploration. They contribute to a more in-depth understanding of the text, and can be drawn on to support extended writing. 

Complementing the quality published text, these texts are written by the authors of Bite into Writing to shine a spotlight on language. They represent different text types and provide modeled support for the 'reading into writing' process, particularly the way writing is adapted for purpose and audience. 

This is the final stage in the 'read-to-write' process. Pupils are encouraged to showcase their writing through a choice of extended writing tasks for different purposes and audiences.