Talk for Writing (T4W), developed by Pie Corbett, is a research-informed, three-stage teaching framework Imitation,Innovation,Invention that boosts writing skills by using oracy to internalize text structures. It begins with students learning a story/non-fiction piece by heart using actions and mapping. They then adapt this model (innovation) before independently writing their own (invention).
Key Stages of the Talk for Writing Process
-
Innovation (Adapting the Text): Students adapt the familiar story or structure, such as changing characters, setting, or plot points, to create a new version. This stage involves shared writing and "magpie-ing" (stealing) good ideas, words, or phrases.
-
Invention (Independent Application): Students use the skills, language, and structures they have practiced to write their own, completely original piece of work.
-
Imitation (Learning the Text): Students learn a text by heart, often using a "story map" or "text map" and actions to help them remember it. This helps them internalize the language and structure, often focusing on a "cold task" (initial assessment) and then a "hot task" (final, independent piece).



.png)