Writing

Early Years (EYFS) – Building Foundations

-Focus on mark-making before formal writing (drawing, tracing, patterns)

-Develop fine motor skills (playdough, threading, tweezers, cutting)

-Encourage talk before writing (“Tell me your story” approach)

-Use environmental print (labels, signs, name cards)

-Model writing during play (shopping lists, role-play menus)

-Encourage drawing and scribbling

-Practice writing letters in fun ways like in sand or painting

-Build find motor skills with playdough and cutting

BBC Bitesize- Simple phonics, letter formation, and storytelling activities

Phonics Play-Interactive phonics games (great for early writing readiness)

Choose a book and use as a stimulus for drawing and early sentence attempts

-Teach phonics-based spelling (segmenting and blending)

-Use sentence stems (e.g., “I went to…”, “I saw…”)

-Encourage oral rehearsal before writing

-Introduce basic punctuation (capital letters, full stops)

-Use story maps and picture prompts

-Keep a simple diary

-Practice finger spaces

-Add describing words when retelling a story

-Write for real purposes like Birthday or Holiday cards

Oxford Owl-Free eBooks, writing tips, and grammar support

Teach Your Monster to Read-Fun game that reinforces phonics and supports spelling for writing

Topmarks- Interactive games for spelling, punctuation, and sentence building

Pobble- Picture prompts and story starters to spark ideas

-Teach planning, drafting, and editing

-Focus on vocabulary building (word banks, synonyms)

-Introduce different genres (stories, reports, persuasive writing)

-Model sentence variation and structure

-Encourage peer editing and feedback

-Encourage longer writing

-Focus on sentences and paragraphs

-Read work aloud to check it makes sense

-Improve or up-level vocabulary choices

BBC Teach-Writing videos, grammar lessons, and classroom clips

Literacy Shed- High-quality videos and images for creative writing prompts

National Literacy Trust- Research-based tools, writing challenges, and family resources