The Key for School Leaders
Supporting pupils with EAL
Improving the writing of pupils with EAL: strategies
We relay advice on strategies to help EAL
learners in primary schools to improve
their writing skills.
DfES report: improving the
writing of pupils with EAL
This booklet features
a selection of articles
we’ve written in
A study commissioned by the Department for
Education and Skills (DfES), a predecessor of
the Department for Education (DfE), looks at
the writing of Key Stage (KS) 2 pupils who are
considered 'advanced learners' of EAL.
response to school
leaders’ questions.
Thousands of up-
to-date articles are
Pages 86-89 of the study look at the implications
of the research for teaching and learning. We relay
some of the advice below.
currently available
online on www.
Raising pupils' awareness of writing
thekeysupport.com/sl
The document looks at ways of raising pupils'
awareness of how writing works, for example by:
• Exposing them to good writing
• Drawing their attention to particular features of texts,
such as how verbs show the timing of events
• Where there are adults who share the pupil's first
language, comparing grammar and vocabulary
use between this language and English
Helping pupils to develop strategies for writing
The report explains that strategies for writing are
actions that pupils can take to make the writing
process easier. Adults can demonstrate these
strategies and then help pupils to internalise them.
Strategies that might be useful include planning
the whole text before beginning to write, including
the opening, the plot and the ending.
Skills for pupils to practise
The document highlights the importance of pupils
practising different aspects of writing, such as:
• Writing fast and at length
• Spotting mistakes
• Adapting grammar and vocabulary for different genres
8
Activities for 'guided writing'
sessions
The DfES also published guidance on working
with primary school pupils for whom English is an
additional language. It was developed as part of
the Primary National Strategy, which has since
been discontinued, but you may still find it useful.
The guidance includes teaching activities for small-
group 'guided writing' sessions with pupils in years
2 to 6. They cover aspects of grammar such as:
• Verbs in the past and present tense
• Phrasal verbs
• Modal verbs
The document is hosted on GOV.UK.
Link on our website
Excellence and enjoyment: teaching units
to support guided sessions in writing in
EAL, GOV.UK (Adobe pdf file)
Suggested teaching strategies
from the British Council
The British Council supports pupils with EAL
through its EAL Nexus project. The EAL Nexus
pages of its website have information on "tried and
tested approaches" that it recommends for pupils
with EAL, such as:
• Drama and role play, to create opportunities for
learners to hear good models of English in context
• Flashcards, to help pupils memorise vocabulary
and to stimulate discussion
• 'Modelling', which involves providing pupils with
written models of correct responses to writing
tasks and pointing out key features of the
language used in the model answers
• Using ICT, for example to enable pairs or groups
of learners to engage in collaborative tasks
For each strategy, there is a link to a page with
more information.
Link on our website Link on our website
Writing in English as an additional
language at KS2, GOV.UK (Adobe pdf file) Great ideas pages, EAL Nexus – British
Counci
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