Literacy

Supporting Writing at Home – Fun Ways to Build Young Authors

This term, students across our school are diving into a range of exciting writing genres—from crafting creative stories to writing persuasive arguments that could change the world! Writing is a powerful skill that grows best when supported both at school and at home. Here’s what your child is learning right now—and how you can help build their confidence, vocabulary and love of writing in everyday moments.

Prep – Procedures and Narratives

Our youngest learners are exploring two types of writing: procedures (how to do something) and narratives (stories).

Try this at home:

• Make something together! Bake cupcakes or build a Lego creation, and help your child say or write each step as they go.
• Read simple how-to books or watch craft videos together, then talk about the order of steps.
• Tell stories at bedtime and ask your child to suggest “What happens next?” or “How does it end?”

Focus on time words like first, next, then, finally, and words for actions (verbs) like cut, stir, mix.

Years 1 & 2 – Better Procedures and Story Structure

Students are fine-tuning procedural texts and learning to craft strong story beginnings and endings.

Try this at home:

• When reading books, pause and talk about how the author grabs your attention at the start. Ask: “What made this a great beginning?” or “How do you think it will end?”
• Write fun instructions together: How to brush a dragon’s teeth or How to catch a fairy!
• Encourage storytelling with structure: beginning, middle and end. Try: “Once there was a…” and let them finish it over dinner.

Look out for words that help make stories exciting and instructions clear: adverbs like carefully or precisely and timing words like after that, next.

Years 3 & 4 – Narrative Picture Storybooks, inspired by Oliver Jeffers

These students are studying the picture books of Oliver Jeffers. Throughout the term, they will be learning how to combine pictures and words creatively.

Try this at home:

• Read Oliver Jeffers books like Lost and Found or Stuck together. Talk about the illustrations and how they add to the meaning.
• Encourage your child to create their own mini picture book. Fold paper to make a book and let them write and draw a story.
• Ask: “What could the character be thinking here?” or “What if the story went a different way?”

Help your child play with creative language—descriptive words, playful dialogue, or unexpected twists.

Years 5 & 6 – Persuasive Writing and Bills for Parliament

Our senior students are developing powerful arguments through persuasive texts and learning the formal structure of writing a bill for parliament.

Try this at home:

• Have fun debates at the dinner table: “Cats are better than dogs—prove it!”
• Watch a kid-friendly news segment and ask: “What’s your opinion? How would you convince someone to agree with you?”
• Ask them to write a bill for your family: “A Bill for Longer Recess” or “A Law to Ban Homework on Fridays!”

Focus on using strong persuasive language: because, for example, must, should, clearly.

A Few General Tips:

• Praise effort, not just spelling! Writing takes time—celebrate your child’s ideas and growth.
• Use writing in real life: shopping lists, thank you notes  or messages for family.
• Talk, talk, talk: Oral language builds vocabulary and helps organise thoughts before writing.

By making writing playful and connected to home life, you’re helping your child build confidence and skill as a communicator. Happy writing!

Rachel Gray

Literacy Leader