Planning Ideas Before Writing

PROCEDURAL

English›Writing Composition|Ages 6—10|ID: mt_9P9o6d0Qm3

Plan before writing by saying aloud or noting down what will be written, writing down ideas and key words, and encapsulating ideas sentence by sentence before composing

Mastery Evidence

Verbally rehearse sentences before writing them down
Jot key words or ideas in a planning format (e.g., story map) before drafting
Write a simple plan with beginning, middle, and end for a story

Assessment Prompt

“Before [child] starts a piece of writing, do they spend a few minutes planning — jotting down ideas, key words, or a rough structure — rather than jumping straight into writing the first sentence?”

Curriculum Standards9 alignments

W.1.1Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects

W.1.1

Write opinion pieces in which they introduce the topic or name the book they are writing about, state an opinion, supply a reason for the opinion, and provide some sense of closure.

English Language Arts

W.3.4Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects

W.3.4

With guidance and support from adults, produce writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task and purpose. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1–3 above.)

English Language Arts

W.4.10Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects

W.4.10

Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.

English Language Arts

Eng.UKS2.Write.Comp.1bThe national curriculum in England

Develop initial ideas

Plan their writing by noting and developing initial ideas, drawing on reading and research where necessary.

English · Key Stage 2

Eng/KS1/Y2/WC/2aThe national curriculum in England

Plan writing

consider what they are going to write before beginning by planning or saying out loud what they are going to write about

English · Key Stage 1

Eng/KS1/Y2/WC/2bThe national curriculum in England

Write down ideas

consider what they are going to write before beginning by writing down ideas and/or key words, including new vocabulary

English · Key Stage 1

Eng/KS1/Y2/WC/2cThe national curriculum in England

Encapsulate ideas

consider what they are going to write before beginning by encapsulating what they want to say, sentence by sentence

English · Key Stage 1

Eng_LKS2_Write_Comp_1The national curriculum in England

Plan writing: Discuss similar writing

Plan their writing by discussing writing similar to that which they are planning to write in order to understand and learn from its structure, vocabulary and grammar

English · Key Stage 2

Eng_LKS2_Write_Comp_2The national curriculum in England

Plan writing: Discuss and record ideas

Plan their writing by discussing and recording ideas

English · Key Stage 2

Prerequisites6

Describing Aloud
softAges 4—8
Organising Writing into Paragraphs
softAges 7—10
Building Writing Stamina
softAges 6—7
Simple Stories with Beginning and Ending
softAges 5—7
Writing Process Vocabulary
hardAges 5—8
Saying Sentences Before Writing Them
hardAges 5—6

Show full prerequisite tree

Describing Aloud soft
Oral expression supports saying aloud what you'll write
- Expressing & Justifying Opinions soft
  Oral expression skills support understanding formality in speech
- Group discussions soft
  Conversational skills support oral description
  - Listening and responding hard
    Listening and responding foundational to conversation
  - Exploring Ideas Through Talk soft
    Conversational skills provide foundation for evaluating viewpoints
    - Feeling of not understanding soft
      Using talk to explore ideas and speculate requires noticing what you don't yet understand — the comprehension-monitoring habit in a spoken register
      - Asking for Help hard
        Noticing confusion and acting on it requires already knowing that asking for help is a valid response to being stuck
Organising Writing into Paragraphs soft
Planning skills build on earlier oral skills
- Building Writing Stamina hard
  Paragraph organisation requires writing for different purposes
  - Joining Letters soft
    Joined handwriting supports sustained writing stamina
    - Forming Capital Letters soft
      Capital letter formation supports correct sizing in joined writing
      - Sitting and holding a pencil hard
        Master lowercase formation before capitals
    - Sitting and holding a pencil hard
      Joining letters builds on Y1 lowercase letter formation
  - Expressing Feelings with Words soft
    Writing about real events draws on the ability to put feelings into words — the SEL skill of expressing emotions verbally before encoding them in written form
    - Triggers and Causes of Feelings soft
      Expressing feelings in words benefits from understanding triggers
      - Feelings Change and Differ soft
        Identifying triggers benefits from knowing feelings change
        
        Naming Basic Emotions soft
        Understanding feelings change benefits from naming basic emotions
    - Simple Calming Strategies soft
      Expressing feelings in words benefits from calming down first
      - Naming Basic Emotions soft
        Calming strategies benefit from naming the emotion you're trying to manage
      - Words for Big Feelings hard
        Calming strategies (calm, breathe, settle) rely on knowing this vocabulary to name and apply the techniques
  - Writing to inform soft
    Informative writing skills support writing for different purposes
    - Writing Process Vocabulary hard
      Informative writing requires knowing 'genre', 'audience', 'purpose', and 'detail' as concepts
    - Saying Sentences Before Writing Them hard
      Oral rehearsal precedes informative writing
      - Describing Aloud soft
        Oral description supports oral rehearsal
        
        Expressing & Justifying Opinions soft
        Oral expression skills support understanding formality in speech
        
        Group discussions soft
        Conversational skills support oral description
        
        Listening and responding hard
        Listening and responding foundational to conversation
        
        Exploring Ideas Through Talk soft
        Conversational skills provide foundation for evaluating viewpoints
        
        Feeling of not understanding soft
        Using talk to explore ideas and speculate requires noticing what you don't yet understand — the comprehension-monitoring habit in a spoken register
        
        Asking for Help hard
        Noticing confusion and acting on it requires already knowing that asking for help is a valid response to being stuck
      - Building sentences hard
        Need to understand sentences for oral rehearsal
      - Writing Process Vocabulary hard
        Oral composition requires vocabulary like 'compose', 'sentence', and 'sequence' to participate meaningfully in the exercise
  - Simple Stories with Beginning and Ending hard
    Writing about real events builds on narrative writing skills
    - Rote counting to 100 soft
      Sequencing events in narrative writing draws on the ordinal/sequential thinking developed through counting
      - One-to-one counting hard
        One-to-one correspondence requires knowing the number name sequence
    - Writing Process Vocabulary hard
      Writing simple narratives requires 'narrative', 'sequence', 'beginning', 'middle', 'ending' as shared vocabulary
    - Saying Sentences Before Writing Them hard
      Oral rehearsal precedes written narrative
      - Describing Aloud soft
        Oral description supports oral rehearsal
        
        Expressing & Justifying Opinions soft
        Oral expression skills support understanding formality in speech
        
        Group discussions soft
        Conversational skills support oral description
        
        Listening and responding hard
        Listening and responding foundational to conversation
        
        Exploring Ideas Through Talk soft
        Conversational skills provide foundation for evaluating viewpoints
        
        Feeling of not understanding soft
        Using talk to explore ideas and speculate requires noticing what you don't yet understand — the comprehension-monitoring habit in a spoken register
        
        Asking for Help hard
        Noticing confusion and acting on it requires already knowing that asking for help is a valid response to being stuck
      - Building sentences hard
        Need to understand sentences for oral rehearsal
      - Writing Process Vocabulary hard
        Oral composition requires vocabulary like 'compose', 'sentence', and 'sequence' to participate meaningfully in the exercise
    - Characters, settings, and events soft
      Story elements from reading inform writing
      - Listening to Texts Read Aloud hard
        Need to engage with stories before identifying elements
    - Sitting and holding a pencil soft
      Handwriting needed for written narrative
  - Writing Process Vocabulary hard
    Writing for different purposes requires the vocabulary of purpose, genre, recount, and instruction
- Simple Stories with Beginning and Ending hard
  Organising paragraphs requires narrative writing ability
  - Rote counting to 100 soft
    Sequencing events in narrative writing draws on the ordinal/sequential thinking developed through counting
    - One-to-one counting hard
      One-to-one correspondence requires knowing the number name sequence
  - Writing Process Vocabulary hard
    Writing simple narratives requires 'narrative', 'sequence', 'beginning', 'middle', 'ending' as shared vocabulary
  - Saying Sentences Before Writing Them hard
    Oral rehearsal precedes written narrative
    - Describing Aloud soft
      Oral description supports oral rehearsal
      - Expressing & Justifying Opinions soft
        Oral expression skills support understanding formality in speech
      - Group discussions soft
        Conversational skills support oral description
        
        Listening and responding hard
        Listening and responding foundational to conversation
        
        Exploring Ideas Through Talk soft
        Conversational skills provide foundation for evaluating viewpoints
        
        Feeling of not understanding soft
        Using talk to explore ideas and speculate requires noticing what you don't yet understand — the comprehension-monitoring habit in a spoken register
        
        Asking for Help hard
        Noticing confusion and acting on it requires already knowing that asking for help is a valid response to being stuck
    - Building sentences hard
      Need to understand sentences for oral rehearsal
    - Writing Process Vocabulary hard
      Oral composition requires vocabulary like 'compose', 'sentence', and 'sequence' to participate meaningfully in the exercise
  - Characters, settings, and events soft
    Story elements from reading inform writing
    - Listening to Texts Read Aloud hard
      Need to engage with stories before identifying elements
  - Sitting and holding a pencil soft
    Handwriting needed for written narrative
- Writing Process Vocabulary hard
  Organising into paragraphs requires 'paragraph', 'heading', 'theme', and 'organisation' as named concepts
Building Writing Stamina soft
Planning before writing builds on earlier compositional skills
- Joining Letters soft
  Joined handwriting supports sustained writing stamina
  - Forming Capital Letters soft
    Capital letter formation supports correct sizing in joined writing
    - Sitting and holding a pencil hard
      Master lowercase formation before capitals
  - Sitting and holding a pencil hard
    Joining letters builds on Y1 lowercase letter formation
- Expressing Feelings with Words soft
  Writing about real events draws on the ability to put feelings into words — the SEL skill of expressing emotions verbally before encoding them in written form
  - Triggers and Causes of Feelings soft
    Expressing feelings in words benefits from understanding triggers
    - Feelings Change and Differ soft
      Identifying triggers benefits from knowing feelings change
      - Naming Basic Emotions soft
        Understanding feelings change benefits from naming basic emotions
  - Simple Calming Strategies soft
    Expressing feelings in words benefits from calming down first
    - Naming Basic Emotions soft
      Calming strategies benefit from naming the emotion you're trying to manage
    - Words for Big Feelings hard
      Calming strategies (calm, breathe, settle) rely on knowing this vocabulary to name and apply the techniques
- Writing to inform soft
  Informative writing skills support writing for different purposes
  - Writing Process Vocabulary hard
    Informative writing requires knowing 'genre', 'audience', 'purpose', and 'detail' as concepts
  - Saying Sentences Before Writing Them hard
    Oral rehearsal precedes informative writing
    - Describing Aloud soft
      Oral description supports oral rehearsal
      - Expressing & Justifying Opinions soft
        Oral expression skills support understanding formality in speech
      - Group discussions soft
        Conversational skills support oral description
        
        Listening and responding hard
        Listening and responding foundational to conversation
        
        Exploring Ideas Through Talk soft
        Conversational skills provide foundation for evaluating viewpoints
        
        Feeling of not understanding soft
        Using talk to explore ideas and speculate requires noticing what you don't yet understand — the comprehension-monitoring habit in a spoken register
        
        Asking for Help hard
        Noticing confusion and acting on it requires already knowing that asking for help is a valid response to being stuck
    - Building sentences hard
      Need to understand sentences for oral rehearsal
    - Writing Process Vocabulary hard
      Oral composition requires vocabulary like 'compose', 'sentence', and 'sequence' to participate meaningfully in the exercise
- Simple Stories with Beginning and Ending hard
  Writing about real events builds on narrative writing skills
  - Rote counting to 100 soft
    Sequencing events in narrative writing draws on the ordinal/sequential thinking developed through counting
    - One-to-one counting hard
      One-to-one correspondence requires knowing the number name sequence
  - Writing Process Vocabulary hard
    Writing simple narratives requires 'narrative', 'sequence', 'beginning', 'middle', 'ending' as shared vocabulary
  - Saying Sentences Before Writing Them hard
    Oral rehearsal precedes written narrative
    - Describing Aloud soft
      Oral description supports oral rehearsal
      - Expressing & Justifying Opinions soft
        Oral expression skills support understanding formality in speech
      - Group discussions soft
        Conversational skills support oral description
        
        Listening and responding hard
        Listening and responding foundational to conversation
        
        Exploring Ideas Through Talk soft
        Conversational skills provide foundation for evaluating viewpoints
        
        Feeling of not understanding soft
        Using talk to explore ideas and speculate requires noticing what you don't yet understand — the comprehension-monitoring habit in a spoken register
        
        Asking for Help hard
        Noticing confusion and acting on it requires already knowing that asking for help is a valid response to being stuck
    - Building sentences hard
      Need to understand sentences for oral rehearsal
    - Writing Process Vocabulary hard
      Oral composition requires vocabulary like 'compose', 'sentence', and 'sequence' to participate meaningfully in the exercise
  - Characters, settings, and events soft
    Story elements from reading inform writing
    - Listening to Texts Read Aloud hard
      Need to engage with stories before identifying elements
  - Sitting and holding a pencil soft
    Handwriting needed for written narrative
- Writing Process Vocabulary hard
  Writing for different purposes requires the vocabulary of purpose, genre, recount, and instruction
Simple Stories with Beginning and Ending soft
Experience with narrative writing supports planning narratives
- Rote counting to 100 soft
  Sequencing events in narrative writing draws on the ordinal/sequential thinking developed through counting
  - One-to-one counting hard
    One-to-one correspondence requires knowing the number name sequence
- Writing Process Vocabulary hard
  Writing simple narratives requires 'narrative', 'sequence', 'beginning', 'middle', 'ending' as shared vocabulary
- Saying Sentences Before Writing Them hard
  Oral rehearsal precedes written narrative
  - Describing Aloud soft
    Oral description supports oral rehearsal
    - Expressing & Justifying Opinions soft
      Oral expression skills support understanding formality in speech
    - Group discussions soft
      Conversational skills support oral description
      - Listening and responding hard
        Listening and responding foundational to conversation
      - Exploring Ideas Through Talk soft
        Conversational skills provide foundation for evaluating viewpoints
        
        Feeling of not understanding soft
        Using talk to explore ideas and speculate requires noticing what you don't yet understand — the comprehension-monitoring habit in a spoken register
        
        Asking for Help hard
        Noticing confusion and acting on it requires already knowing that asking for help is a valid response to being stuck
  - Building sentences hard
    Need to understand sentences for oral rehearsal
  - Writing Process Vocabulary hard
    Oral composition requires vocabulary like 'compose', 'sentence', and 'sequence' to participate meaningfully in the exercise
- Characters, settings, and events soft
  Story elements from reading inform writing
  - Listening to Texts Read Aloud hard
    Need to engage with stories before identifying elements
- Sitting and holding a pencil soft
  Handwriting needed for written narrative
Writing Process Vocabulary hard
Planning before writing requires 'plan', 'draft', 'compose', 'sequence', and 'key words' as working vocabulary
Saying Sentences Before Writing Them hard
Planning writing builds on Y1 oral rehearsal
- Describing Aloud soft
  Oral description supports oral rehearsal
  - Expressing & Justifying Opinions soft
    Oral expression skills support understanding formality in speech
  - Group discussions soft
    Conversational skills support oral description
    - Listening and responding hard
      Listening and responding foundational to conversation
    - Exploring Ideas Through Talk soft
      Conversational skills provide foundation for evaluating viewpoints
      - Feeling of not understanding soft
        Using talk to explore ideas and speculate requires noticing what you don't yet understand — the comprehension-monitoring habit in a spoken register
        
        Asking for Help hard
        Noticing confusion and acting on it requires already knowing that asking for help is a valid response to being stuck
- Building sentences hard
  Need to understand sentences for oral rehearsal
- Writing Process Vocabulary hard
  Oral composition requires vocabulary like 'compose', 'sentence', and 'sequence' to participate meaningfully in the exercise

Unlocks3

Writing for an audience
hardAges 9—11
Drawing conclusions from evidence (age 9+)
softAges 9—11
Choosing Form and Tone for Your Audience
hardAges 9—10