Download Progression in Writing

Hazelwood
Schools
PROGRESSION IN WRITING
What does your child need to develop in order to achieve the
different levels for writing?
The writing included in the following examples is based on an
Extended Writing opportunity that children from our school
have had. They are all from a narrative genre based around a
task involving characters and themes from traditional tales.
It shows the progression in levels and not in age as classes are
made up of children from a range of different attainment levels.
However there is a national expectation that a child has reached
a particular attainment level in writing at the end of each year.
This piece of writing is only a snapshot and the level a child’s
writing level is influenced by a number of different pieces
across different genres to give a more holistic picture.
The criteria below focus on the three main strands of writing:
- Sentence structure and Punctuation
- Text structure and Organisation
- Composition and Effect
Even though we recognise the importance of spelling and
handwriting as part of the writing process, it is these strands that
carry the largest weighting.
The writing examples included have gone through a
comprehensive monitoring process in the school in order to
determine an accurate level.
1
A child working below Level 1 may be able to:
Say a sentence orally.
Form most letters correctly.
Write simple words that they know.
Know that writing is done from left to right.
Read some of the words they have used in their writing.
Begin to make attempts at unknown words using the initial letter sound.
To move onto a 1C, the next level your child would need to:
Sentence Structure and
Text Structure and
Composition and Effect
Punctuation
Organisation
 Include words and phrases
 Orally tell a story with a
that can be read by an adult.
beginning, middle and an end.
2
For a level 1C your child would need:
Include words and phrases that can be read by an adult.
Communicate at least one idea independently that can be read by an adult.
Order words correctly to make a simple sentence.
To move onto a 1b, the next level your child would need to:
Sentence Structure and
Text Structure and Organisation
Punctuation
 Begin to show an awareness  Join two simple ideas with
of full-stops.
‘and’.
Composition and Effect

Continue to use story
language E.G. Once upon
a time.
3
For a level 1B your child would need to:
Begin to show an awareness of how full-stops are used.
Link two ideas with ‘and’
Continue to use story language E.G. ‘Once upon a time’ – ‘They lived happily ever after’
Ensure that most writing can be read and understood by an adult
To move onto a 1a, the next level your child would need to:
Sentence Structure and
Text Structure and Organisation
Punctuation
 Use capital letters and full
 Join two ideas with ‘and’,
stops more consistently.
‘but’
Composition and Effect

Include some
interesting vocabulary
in their writing.
4
For a level 1A your child would need:
Writes simple sentences that make sense with some being extended with ‘and’ ‘then’ or
‘but’.
Evidence of ideas being sequenced beginning/middle/end.
Includes some interesting vocabulary choices in their writing.
Use of capital letters and full-stops is more consistent
To move onto a 2c, the next level your child would need to:
Sentence Structure and
Text Structure and Organisation
Composition and Effect
Punctuation
 Continue to use both simple
 Join two ideas in one  Begin to include more
and compound sentences in
sentence using ‘because’ or
interesting description
their writing.
‘so’.
e.g. a beautiful girl.
 Include ? and !
5
For a level 2c your child would need to:
Continue to use both simple and compound sentences in their writing.
Begin to experiment with other forms of punctuation
Join two ideas in one sentence using ‘because’ or ‘so’.
Begin to include more interesting description
To move onto a 2b, the next level your child would need to:
Sentence Structure and Punctuation
Text Structure and
Organisation

Full stops, capital letters and
question marks are mostly correct.

Include a beginning,
middle and end.
Composition and Effect


Include some exciting vocabulary to interest
the reader. E.G. big hairy fox
Developing ideas further E.G. Tom was very
sad in the oven and couldn’t escape
6
For a level 2b your child would need to:
Include a beginning, middle and end.
Ensure their writing contains descriptive words and additional detail to interest the reader.
In their use of vocabulary they are trying to use more ambitious words e.g. sizzling instead of hot.
Use capital letters, full stops and question marks more accurately in their writing.
To move onto a 2a, the next level your child would need to:
Sentence Structure and Punctuation
Text Structure and Organisation
 Full stops, capital letters,
 Begin to group ideas together
exclamation marks and question
in paragraphs/sections.
marks are mostly correct.


Composition and Effect
Include descriptive phrases to add
detail. E.G golden coins or steel
cage.
To have a recognisable ending.
E.G. They lived happily ever
after.
7
For a level 2a your child would need to:
Begin to group ideas together in paragraphs/sections.
Ensure their use of capital letters and full stops is mostly correct in their writing and question
marks/exclamation marks and speech are attempted.
Ensure their stories have imaginative openings and introduce a character or setting
Include descriptive phrases to add detail.
Ensure their understanding of writing in the past and present tense is beginning to be seen in their work.
To move onto a 3c the next level your child would need to:
Sentence Structure and Punctuation
Text Structure and Organisation
 Vary the use of sentence openers
 Paragraphs are more evident and
E.g. when, although, while, as.
becoming more balanced i.e. developing
one main idea.

Include the use of pronouns (he,
them, they) to avoid repetition.
 To use commas in a list.
Composition and Effect
 More detailed description is
included to engage the reader
E.g. characters and setting.
8
For a level 3c your child would need:
To write a story that has a beginning, middle and end using paragraphs to organise and group together
related ideas.
Include more detailed description to engage the reader e.g. characters and setting.
Ensure their sentence punctuation is becoming more accurate including the use of commas.
Pronouns are varied.
There is some variety of sentence structure with different ways of starting sentences.
To move onto a 3b, the next level this child would need to:
Sentence Structure and Punctuation
Text Structure and Organisation
 Begin to include commas to mark
 Paragraphs are becoming more
clauses.
balanced and time connectives are
used effectively to structure the
 Include a wider range of punctuation
writing.
in the writing e.g.?, !, and ,.
Composition and Effect
 Use a greater range of
adverbs to add detail to
descriptions.
9
For a level 3b your child would need to:
Use full-stops and capital letters correctly and begin to understand about the importance of commas within
sentences to mark clauses.
Ensure their writing is clear, organised and imaginative with logical developments of ideas; with varied and
interesting choice of words and sentence starters /openers.
Use a greater range of adverbs to add detail to descriptions.
Use paragraphs to group sections of the story.
To move onto a 3a, the next level this child would need to:
Sentence Structure and Punctuation
Text Structure and Organisation
 Use a wider variety of sentence
 Narrative structure is beginning to
openers.
be clearly defined into paragraphs.
 Use speech punctuation accurately.
Composition and Effect
 Description is linked more
with thoughts, feelings and
actions – E.G. Pinocchio
began sobbing and felt
distraught.
10
For a level 3a your child would need to:
Ensure their writing shows a clear narrative structure with a beginning, middle and end.
Use a wider variety of sentence openers.
Use speech punctuation and other forms of punctuation such as commas and exclamation marks
accurately.
Ensure their characters thoughts, actions and feelings are developed.
To move onto a 4c, the next level your child would need to:
Sentence Structure and
Punctuation

Include a range of sentence
types to create suspense
and tension: simple
sentences for clarity,
compound sentences to
create flow and complex
sentences to add layers of
meaning
Text Structure and
Organisation

Paragraphs
link
clearly to structure
including a welldefined
conclusion.
Composition and Effect


Coherence – Logical link their opening has with the rest of the
piece:
E.G. ‘The blue fairy was going to make her nose grow’ but this
never actually happened because she died.’
Characterisation is clearly described and developed using thoughts,
feelings and actions e.g. “The young girl skipped merrily along the
winding path unaware of the dangers facing her.”
11
For a level 4c your child would need to:
Include a range of sentence types to create suspense and tension: simple sentences for clarity, compound
sentences to create flow and complex sentences to add layers of meaning.
Paragraphs link clearly to structure including a well-defined conclusion.
Characterisation is clearly described and developed using thoughts, feelings and actions.
Show evidence of adventurous vocabulary for effect on the reader.


To move onto a 4b, the next level your child would need to:
Sentence Structure and Punctuation
Text Structure and Organisation
Commas are used accurately to mark
 Ideas are more sustained and
clauses.
developed within paragraphs.
Sentence openings more varied –
 Dialogue is developed and
overuse of ‘after’ gives a repetitive feel
sustained.
to this narrative.

Composition and Effect
Be more adventurous with
different sentence types to
engage the reader and create
impact.
12
For a level 4b your child would need to:
Ideas are more sustained and developed within paragraphs.
Be more adventurous with different sentence types to engage the reader and create impact.
Attempt to create different effects E.g. humour and/or tension.
In dialogue – layout and punctuation are consistently correct.
To move onto a 4a, the next level your child would need to:
Sentence Structure and Punctuation
Text Structure and Organisation
 Begin to use the full range of  Paragraphs may vary in length to
punctuation (ellipses, hyphen,
achieve impact and extend detail.
brackets, colon, semi-colon).


Composition and Effect
Develop the story ending so
that is has an impact on the
reader.
Use of adverbs and adverbial
phrases to add specific detail.
13
For a level 4a your child would need to:
Begin to use the full range of punctuation (ellipses, hyphen, brackets, colon, semi-colon).
Begin to include unique and original narrative techniques to open the story.
Use adverbs and adverbial phrases to add specific detail.
Have ideas within their writing that are usually sustained and developed in a variety of interesting ways and
organised appropriately e.g. through paragraphs that vary in length.
Write in a lively and thoughtful way

To move onto a 5c, the next level your child would need to:
Sentence Structure and
Text Structure and
Punctuation
Organisation
Use the full range of  Extend paragraph
punctuation (ellipses, hyphen,
length to describe
brackets, colon, semi-colon)
events and actions.
more confidently.
Composition and Effect


Revise specific word choices such as ‘charming’
in the opening and conclusion considering the
impact on the coherence of the whole piece.
Sustain narrative form and develop ideas over a
more sustained piece of writing.
14
For a level 5c your child would:.
Use the full range of punctuation for effect.
Extend paragraph length to describe events and actions.
Ensure their imaginative word choices and narrative techniques are cohesive and coherent.
Sustain narrative form and develop ideas over a more sustained piece of writing.

To move onto a 5b, the next level your child would need to:
Sentence Structure and
Text Structure and
Punctuation
Organisation
Use the full range of  Ensure the narrative is
punctuation (ellipses, hyphen,
drawn to a wellbrackets, colon, semi-colon)
defined conclusion.
accurately.
Composition and Effect


Develop key events in greater detail E.G. the
demise of the witch and the big bad wolf.
Cohesion from the paragraph E.G. From the
paragraph where the witch and big bad wolf
die to the next paragraph when the group
reach solid ground.
15
For a level 5b your child would need to:
Use the full range of punctuation (ellipses, hyphen, brackets, colon, semi-colon accurately.
Use alliteration and figurative language, when necessary
Ensuring their text is cohesive and coherent by managing development of ideas across the text (closely
referring back to the opening from the conclusion).
To move onto a 5a, the next level your child would need to:
Sentence Structure and
Text Structure and Organisation
Punctuation
 Greater
control
and  Ensure the layout is
accuracy within clauses.
effective at all times,
E.g. ‘Scooping up the
particularly when using
abandoned glass slipper
speech and dialogue. E.G.
and clutching it in his
Troll’s response to the pigs
hand.’- This sentence is
should be on a new line.
unfinished.
Composition and Effect

Cohesive devices E.G. adverbials as sentence
starters, to link the reader back to events and
characters motives in previous paragraphs.
16
For a level 5a your child would need to:
Use a range of devices within and between paragraphs to achieve cohesion.
Ensure the style of the piece shows the writer’s control over language.
Ensure the narrative theme is developed throughout.
.
To move onto a Level 6, the next level your child would need to:
Sentence Structure and
Text Structure and Organisation
Punctuation
 Make greater use
 Writing
takes
into
of a range of
account of the reader’s
punctuation
to
likely reactions E.g. use
signify and make
of flashback in narrative
links in clauses.
or anticipating reader’s
questions.
Composition and Effect

Make greater use of ambitious vocabulary
throughout paragraphs.
Although ‘fatigued’ and ‘sinister’ are
ambitious word choices, this is not
sustained throughout.
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For a 6 your child would need to:
Extend their use and control of complex sentences, using punctuation to signify and clarify relationships
between clauses and ideas.
Choose effective and ambitious vocabulary and make use of this throughout their writing.
Use sentence structure that is imaginative, precise and accurate.
Ensure their writing is convincing and is establishing an individual voice.
Sustained awareness of the reader shown.
Ensure their characters are developed in detail so the reader gains a clear picture of themes and situations.
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Glossary of terms:
Adjective A word that describes someone or something. They can:
Pre-modify a noun eg. big book
be used on its own as a complement eg. the book is big.
can be intensified eg. the very big book.
can appear as a comparative eg. the bigger book.
can appear as a superlative eg. the biggest book.
Can be modified into adverbs by adding –ly eg. sad _ sadly, great _
greatly. But not old _ oldly.
Adverb Adds meaning to a verb. They can:
pre-modify a word, phrase or sentence eg.
You sounded terribly anxious (adverb + adjective)
You spoke very anxiously (adverb + adverb)
I spoke to nearly everyone (adverb + pronoun)
We had quite a party (adverb + noun phrase)
We thoroughly enjoyed our holiday (adverb + verb)
Really, it was awful! (adverb + sentence)
There are 4 main types of adverbs:
How – slowly, happily, solemnly
Where – outside, upstairs, under
When – yesterday, afterwards
How often – regularly, yearly
Adverbials/ adverbial phrases
A group of words that function in the same way as a single adverb eg.
The parcel arrived a few days ago.
After the play, the family went for a meal.
Clause
A group of words forming part of a sentence or a whole (simple) sentence
It contains a subject (noun) and verb eg.
Hilary yawned.
NB. A clause is different from a phrase
Coherence
An effective text needs to be coherent.
The term coherence refers to the underlying logic and consistency of a text. The
ideas expressed should be relevant to one another so that the reader can follow the
meaning.
Cohesion
The term cohesion refers to the grammatical features in a text which enable the
parts to fit together. One way of creating cohesion is the use of connectives:
I sat down and turned on the television. Just then, I heard a strange noise.
Part 3, Section 7
184
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Complex sentence
A sentence with a main clause and at least one subordinate clause.
When it began to rain, the children came in from the playground
subordinate clause main clause
The children went out at break time, even though it was very cold.
main clause subordinate clause
Compound sentence
A sentence with two independent clauses joined by a coordinator. The coordinators
are as follows: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so.
(Helpful hint: The first letter of each of the coordinators spells FANBOYS.)
I tried to speak Spanish and my friend tried to speak English.
Alejandro played football so Maria went shopping.
Conjunction
A word that links clauses within a sentence.
eg. If was raining but it wasn’t cold
The FAN BOYS conjunctions are: for / and / nor / but / or / yet / so.
Connective
A word or phrase that joins ideas together. There are different types of
connectives with different functions:
Addition also, furthermore, moreover
Opposition however, nevertheless, on the other hand, but, instead, in
contrast, looking at it another way
Reinforcing besides, anyway, after all
Explaining for example, in other words
Listing first of all, secondly, finally
Indicating result therefore, consequently, as a result, thanks to this,
because of this
Time
o Subsequent just then, next, in due course, in the end, after
that, later, finally, eventually
o Prior at first, before, in the beginning, until then, up to that time
o Concurrent in the meantime, simultaneously, concurrently
meanwhile
Dialect
A dialect is a variety of a language used in a particular area and which is
distinguished by certain features of grammaror vocabulary.
Examples of such features in some English dialects are:
non-standard subject + verb patterns, eg I knows, you was, he like
past tense forms, eg I done, I seen
various individual words and expressions, eg owt/nowt for anything/nothing
Expanded noun phrase
A group of words in a sentence that function like a noun. They expand
the noun and give the information in a more economical way
eg. The small black cat with the yellow eyes
The athletic footballer in the blue strip
A soaring, impressive tree spread its massive limbs into the sky
Modal verb
The modal verbs are:
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can/could
will/would
shall/should
may/might
must/ought
They are also called auxiliary verbs and are used to help the main verb.
eg. I could go to the beach this afternoon
You must finish your homework before bed
Noun
A word that denotes somebody or something.
eg. table, sister, money
Proper nouns are for names of people, places and things and start with a
capital letter
eg. Dorset, November, Emma
Collective nouns refer to a group
eg. herd of cows, the clergy, the jury, the class
Paragraph
A section of a piece of writing. A new paragraph marks a change in
focus, time, place of change of speaking in dialogue.
It usually begins on a new line with a one-line gap separating it from the
previous paragraph. Some paragraphs may be indented on the first line.
Phrase
A group of words that form a unit of meaning or replace one word
eg. in a hurry, half an hour ago
Pronoun
There are several kinds of pronoun which often replace a noun or noun
phrase to avoid repetition.
Personal pronouns: I, me, he, him, she, her, we, us, they, them, it
Possessive pronouns: mine, yours, hers, ours, theirs, its
Reflexive pronouns: myself, herself, themselves …
Indefinite pronouns: someone, anything, nobody, everything
Interrogative pronouns: who, whom, whose, which, what
Relative pronouns: who, whom, whose, which, that
Simple sentence
A simple sentence, also called an independent clause, contains a subject
and a verb, and it expresses a complete thought.
E.g. He didn’t like them.
Subordinating connective/ subordinator
A connective introducing a subordinate clause in a sentence.
Although
That
Because
Until
Before
Whereas
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eg. Although it was raining, the children went out to play
(subordinate clause) (main clause)
Because of the time, the man missed his breakfast to catch the train
(subordinate clause) (main clause)
Subordination
The use of main and subordinate clauses within a sentence
eg. Unless you save up, you will not afford to go on holiday
(subordinate clause) (main clause)
The old man, who had fought in the war, showed off his medals
(subordinate clause)
.
Verb phrase
Two or more words that express an action or state of being
eg. I am going to the shops
I have been to the cinema
He might win the race
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