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

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Year 2 Writing Expectations

Writing - transcription

Spellings:

• spell by:
  • segmenting spoken words into phonemes and representing these by graphemes, spelling many correctly
  • learning new ways of spelling phonemes for which 1 or more spellings are already known, and learn some words with each spelling, including a few common homophones
  • learning to spell common exception words
  • learning to spell more words with contracted forms
  • learning the possessive apostrophe (singular) [for example, the girl’s book]
  • distinguishing between homophones and near-homophones
• add suffixes to spell longer words including –ment, –ness, –ful, –less, –ly
• apply 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, common exception words and punctuation taught so far

Handwriting

Pupils are  taught to:

• form lower-case letters of the correct size relative to one another
• start using some of the diagonal and horizontal strokes needed to join letters and understand which letters, when adjacent to one another, are best left unjoined
• write capital letters and digits of the correct size, orientation and relationship to one another and to lower-case letters
• use spacing between words that reflects the size of the letters

Writing - composition

Pupils are  taught to:

• develop positive attitudes towards and stamina for writing by:
  • writing narratives about personal experiences and those of others (real and fictional)
  • writing about real events
  • writing poetry
  • writing for different purposes
• consider what they are going to write before beginning by:
  • planning or saying out loud what they are going to write about
  • writing down ideas and/or key words, including new vocabulary
  • encapsulating what they want to say, sentence by sentence
• make simple additions, revisions and corrections to their own writing by:
  • evaluating their writing with the teacher and other pupils
  • rereading to check that their writing makes sense and that verbs to indicate time are used correctly and consistently, including verbs in the continuous form
  • proofreading to check for errors in spelling, grammar and punctuation (for example, ends of sentences punctuated correctly)
• read aloud what they have written with appropriate intonation to make the meaning clear

Writing - vocabulary, grammar and punctuation

Pupils are  taught to:

• develop their understanding of the concepts set out in English appendix 2 by:
  • learning how to use both familiar and new punctuation correctly - see English appendix 2, including full stops, capital letters, exclamation marks, question marks, commas for lists and apostrophes for contracted forms and the possessive (singular)
  • learn how to use:
  • sentences with different forms: statement, question, exclamation, command
  • expanded noun phrases to describe and specify [for example, the blue butterfly]
  • the present and past tenses correctly and consistently, including the progressive form
  • subordination (using when, if, that, or because) and co-ordination (using or, and, or but)
  • the grammar for year 2 in English appendix 2
  • some features of written Standard English
• use and understand the grammatical terminology in English appendix 2 in discussing their writing