Pillar 1: The 5 Pillars of Effective Writing Instruction – Purposeful Planning

In the first episode of their 2026 series, Phil and Sharon welcome two Year 6 teachers from Fairview Primary School in Collie, Western Australia — Danielle Monique and De Ludlum — to share the first of five pillars underpinning their approach to writing instruction: purposeful planning. Danielle and De describe how every unit begins with the end in mind. Working backwards from a clear goal, they map each learning intention against curriculum expectations, anticipate where students will struggle, and plan day by day across five- to six-week blocks. Front-end loading — a two-week immersion in a mentor text through reading workshops — ensures students enter every writing unit already familiar with the language, style, and structure they are about to produce themselves. To bring the pillar to life, the teachers walk listeners through an actual unit built around Philip Bunting's picture books, in which students mash two animals together to create an entirely new creature. The unit's title — When Animals Collide: The World's Most Bizarre Creatures — signals immediately the spirit of the work: ambitious, joyful, and purposeful. Throughout the conversation, Danielle and De emphasise that planning is never kept in the teachers' heads. Students receive a critical features document that maps the full unit, including staged submission dates, so that every child can see exactly where they are heading and take genuine ownership of the journey. The episode closes on a quietly powerful note. A student named Riley — dyslexic and living with ADHD — writes to his teachers at year's end, saying he never knew he could be creative until they gave him the chance. It is, the teachers agree, exactly why purposeful planning matters: not for the grids and documents, but for what becomes possible when every child is genuinely planned for. RESOURCES MENTIONED ON THIS PODCAST The Five Pillars of Effective Writing Instruction - Overview Writing Unit 1 - Text Innovation Writing Unit 2 -  Autobiography Writing Unit 3 -  Poetry ballads Student text: Voices Under the Southern Sky: Australian Ballad Anthology Purposeful Planning - Photo examples from the classroom Other resources coming soon! READ THE BLOG HERE JOIN TEACHIFIC NOW AND SAVE! Join Teachific  today. Access thousands of resources and a growing number of 'anytime' courses within your membership. FURTHER INFORMATION Tune in to "Teacher's Tool Kit For Literacy," a free podcast where accomplished literacy educator Sharon Callen and her team share valuable insights and tips. With over 30 years of experience, they provide strategic learning solutions to empower teachers and leaders worldwide.  Subscribe on your favourite platform for exclusive literacy learning content.  Apple, Spotify,  Google, YouTube Read our insightful blogs, which make valuable connections between resources, podcasts and courses. Visit our Cue Learning website and sign up for the Teacher's Toolkit Weekly newsletter to stay updated on resources, events and discover how Cue can support you and your school. Explore Teachific, our vast collection of PDF resources, to enhance your teaching toolkit. And get even more support from our growing number of 'anytime' online courses. Connect with the latest news and other educators by joining our Teacher's Toolkit Facebook group Have questions or feedback? Reach out to us directly at [email protected]