Writing Composition

From first sentences to whole stories and reports — 38 skills across 9 years. Every skill below shows what it builds on and how to tell your child has it.

English38 skillsages 5–14

Grouped by the age children typically start each skill. Ages are typical, not deadlines — follow your child’s pace.

Around age 5

Responding to Writing Feedbackages 5–7AC ✓ Saying Sentences Before Writing Themages 5–6AC ✓ Shared Research Projectsages 5–9AC ✓ Sharing and Publishing Your Writingages 5–11AC ✓ Simple Stories with Beginning and Endingages 5–7AC ✓ Writing opinionsages 5–7AC ✓ Writing Process Vocabularyages 5–8AC ✓ Writing to informages 5–7AC ✓

Around age 6

Basic Informational Writingages 6–11AC ✓ Building Writing Staminaages 6–7AC ✓ Planning Ideas Before Writingages 6–10AC ✓ Revising and editingages 6–7AC ✓ Structured Opinion Writingages 6–11AC ✓ Writing Poetryages 6–7AC ✓

Around age 7

Narrative Writingages 7–11AC ✓ Organising Writing into Paragraphsages 7–10AC ✓ Rehearsing and Varying Sentencesages 7–8AC ✓ Revising and editing (age 7+)ages 7–11AC ✓

Around age 8

Revising and editing (age 8+)ages 8–9AC ✓ Short Research Projectsages 8–11 Vivid Word Choicesages 8–10AC ✓ Writing Craft Vocabularyages 8–11AC ✓

Around age 9

Choosing Form and Tone for Your Audienceages 9–10AC ✓ Evidence-Based Writingages 9–11AC ✓ Literary Evidence in Writingages 9–11AC ✓ Writing for an audienceages 9–11AC ✓

Around age 10

Layout and Formatting in Informational Writingages 10–11AC ✓ Planning Narrativesages 10–11AC ✓ Research & Note-Takingages 10–11AC ✓ Writing a Précisages 10–11AC ✓

Around age 11

Cohesion and Transitions Across Writingages 11–14AC ✓ Developed Informational and Explanatory Writingages 11–14AC ✓ Persuasive Writingages 11–14AC ✓ Planning, Revising and Editing Writingages 11–14AC ✓ Research & Source Evaluationages 11–14AC ✓ Writing Across Genresages 11–14AC ✓ Writing Character & Dialogueages 11–14AC ✓ Writing Techniques for Effectages 11–14AC ✓

← Vocabulary · more English domains