Creative writing brings together reading, vocabulary, imagination and organisation. Before pushing for long essays, check whether the foundations are in place.
Reading foundations
- Reads simple chapter books independently
- Can retell a story in the right order
- Notices how authors describe characters
Speaking foundations
- Can tell a short story aloud with a beginning, middle and end
- Uses describing words naturally
- Can explain why a character did something
Writing foundations
- Writes full sentences with capital letters and full stops
- Can write five connected sentences on a topic
- Is willing to try spelling new words
Not ticking every box?
That is completely fine. Start by telling stories aloud, then writing just three sentences, then adding one describing word to each.
Simple prompts to begin
- 1If my pet could talk, it would say…
- 2The day it rained chocolate
- 3A letter to my future self
- 4The secret door in our school
- #writing
- #checklist
- #ages 7-13
FAQs
Frequently asked questions
How much should my 8-year-old write?
Quality over length. A clear, five-sentence story is a great achievement at 8.
Should I correct every spelling mistake?
Not at first. Respond to the ideas, then pick one or two spellings to practise.
