Learning and Teaching

Celebrating Writing at LPS

As we approach the end of term, it has been fantastic to see the culmination of learning through our Literature and Knowledge units, with students across the school producing high-quality writing that reflects both their knowledge and creativity.

At Lysterfield Primary School, writing is not taught in isolation. It is carefully connected to our Literature and Knowledge Rich units, allowing students to draw on rich content, vocabulary and ideas as they develop their writing. This ensures that students are not just learning how to write, but also what to write about, an essential component in producing meaningful and engaging pieces.

Building strong foundations in Prep–2

In Prep to Grade 2, our writing instruction focuses on sentence-level grammar as the foundation for all writing. By explicitly teaching students how sentences work, through structure, vocabulary and grammar, students build the essential skills needed to communicate their ideas clearly.

From this strong base, students are then supported to move into composition writing. This carefully sequenced approach ensures that students can produce writing that is well-structured, organised and purposeful.

The success of this approach is clearly evident in our Grade 1 writing. With the support of strong scaffolds and explicit teaching, all students have been able to experience success as writers. Their work shows clear sentence construction, growing confidence, and an ability to communicate imaginative ideas, something we are incredibly proud of.

Grade 1 writing

Developing voice and purpose in the middle years

As students move into the middle years, this strong foundation allows them to expand their writing further. Our Grade 3 students have been working on persuasive writing pieces linked to their Literature learning. After reading Matilda, students explored the question: Are books more powerful than screens? The writing I had the privilege of reading this week was overwhelmingly in favour of this statement.

Students carefully developed their point of view using high-modality language such as will, must, absolutely, certainly, obviously, and definitely. They began with engaging general statements, often using rhetorical questions, then moved into specific arguments and concluded with clear thesis statements. It was fantastic to see students confidently articulating ideas such as books building imagination, strengthening vocabulary and helping readers visualise stories in their minds.

One of the highlights of the week was having several Grade 3 students proudly come to the office to share their writing. The excitement and pride they showed when reading their work aloud was wonderful to see. Students were eager to explain their arguments, point out persuasive language, and discuss how they structured their pieces. These moments are always special, seeing students view themselves as authors and take genuine pride in their work is what strong writing instruction is all about.

Have a wonderful weekend,

Kristine Roose | Assistant Principal