What schools expect
By the end of Year 1, the National Curriculum expects children to:
- Write sentences by saying them aloud first
- Use a capital letter at the start of every sentence
- Use a full stop, question mark, or exclamation mark at the end
- Use a capital letter for names of people and places, the days of the week, and the word "I"
- Leave finger spaces between words
By the end of Year 2, they should also use commas in lists, use exclamation sentences correctly, and start using "and" / "but" / "because" to join two simple sentences.
Realistic note: many children don't hit all of these by the deadline. That's typical. The trajectory matters more than the deadline.
The "talk first" rule
Single most powerful thing you can do at home:
Before they write a sentence, get them to SAY it out loud.
Most writing problems are speaking problems in disguise. If a child can't say it as a full sentence, they can't write it as one.
Try this:
- Child says: "play park"
- You ask: "Can you say that as a full sentence?"
- Child says: "I played in the park."
- Now they can write it.
It feels tedious. It works.
The 3 most common errors
Fix: have them put their actual finger on the paper after each word. Sounds silly. Works permanently.
Fix: read their writing back to them aloud, exaggerating each sentence. Ask "where should the capital go?" Let them spot it.
Fix: ask "what did they do?" or "what about the bus?" Push them to add the verb.
Don't correct everything in one go. Pick ONE error to focus on per week. Children get overwhelmed if you correct everything.
5-minute daily habits
5 minutes a day beats 30 minutes once a week.
Each evening, child says ONE sentence about their day. Write it down together. Read it back.
Write "i went to the park" on paper. Ask them what's wrong. They'll find it.
Tell them three things. They write them down (with capitals, full stops). Real-world purpose makes writing feel useful.
Pick a phone photo. Child writes one sentence about it. Print it. Stick on fridge.
Best writing happens when there's a real reader. Cards to extended family are gold.
When to talk to the teacher
Most children land somewhere on the typical curve. Some catch on fast, some take longer.
Worth a quick chat with the teacher if:
- By Easter of Year 1, your child can't write a single complete sentence (with capital and full stop) even with prompting
- They form letters backwards (especially b/d, p/q) consistently — could be a sign to investigate
- They get visibly upset whenever writing is mentioned
- They can SAY a sentence fine but completely freeze when asked to write it
A simple "How is my child's writing? Is there anything we should be doing at home?" is enough. Teachers genuinely appreciate parents who ask.
If there are persistent letter-reversals or word-recall difficulties beyond Year 2, ask the school about a SENCo (Special Educational Needs Coordinator) conversation. Earlier is easier than later.
Well done!
You finished this lesson. You worked hard and learned something new today. 🎉
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