Year 1 Writing Expectations 

Pupils are taught to :

• spell:
  • words containing each of the 40+ phonemes already taught
  • common exception words
  • the days of the week
• name the letters of the alphabet:
  • naming the letters of the alphabet in order
  • using letter names to distinguish between alternative spellings of the same sound
• add prefixes and suffixes:
  • using the spelling rule for adding –s or –es as the plural marker for nouns and the third person singular marker for verbs
  • using the prefix un–
  • using –ing, –ed, –er and –est where no change is needed in the spelling of root words [for example, helping, helped, helper, eating, quicker, quickest]

• apply simple spelling rules and guidance, as listed in English appendix 1

• write from memory simple sentences dictated by the teacher that include words using the GPCs and common exception words taught so far

Handwriting

Pupils are taught  to:

• sit correctly at a table, holding a pencil comfortably and correctly
• begin to form lower-case letters in the correct direction, starting and finishing in the right place
• form capital letters
• form digits 0-9
• understand which letters belong to which handwriting ‘families’ (ie letters that are formed in similar ways) and to practise these

Writing - composition

Pupils are  taught to:

• write sentences by:
  • saying out loud what they are going to write about
  • composing a sentence orally before writing it
  • sequencing sentences to form short narratives
  • re-reading what they have written to check that it makes sense
• discuss what they have written with the teacher or other pupils
• read their writing aloud, clearly enough to be heard by their peers and the teacher

Writing - vocabulary, grammar and punctuation

Pupils are  taught to:

• develop their understanding of the concepts set out in English appendix 2 by:
  • leaving spaces between words
  • joining words and joining clauses using ‘and’
  • beginning to punctuate sentences using a capital letter and a full stop, question mark or exclamation mark
  • using a capital letter for names of people, places, the days of the week, and the personal pronoun ‘I’
  • learning the grammar for year 1 in English appendix 2
• use the grammatical terminology in English English appendix 2 in discussing their writing