Year 6 writing overview
The grid below is an overview of the writing units in Year 6. Each unit is driven by an engaging, vocabulary-rich book (or a school trip!) that inspires a wealth of writing opportunities. Some of these books have strong thematic links to other areas of our curriculum (for example Science, History and Geography). If you would like to see how writing units are mapped across the whole school, please read our 'Whole School Writing Overview' which is available HERE. If you would like to find our more about our writing curriculum, please follow the link to our 'contacts' page and get in touch.
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Poetry: What I didn’t do over the summer (1 week) Stimulus: ‘It ain’t what you do it’s what it does to you’ by Simon Armitage Purpose and Audience: Write poem based on your own life experiences. Prepare a poem for performing aloud. |
Poetry: Life Doesn’t Frighten Me (2 weeks) Stimulus: ‘Life Doesn’t Frighten Me’ by Maya Angelou Purpose and Audience: prepare a classic poem and perform it to a younger audience, and then create modern versions of the poem. |
Fiction: The Explorer - survival stories (4 weeks) Stimulus: 'The Explorer' by Katherine Rundell Purpose and Audience: build a shelter and include it in a survival story. Read the new story to a Year 5 audience. |
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Non-fiction: Youthquake! (Biography, 3 weeks) Stimulus: ‘Youthquake’ by Tom Adams (read various biographies including Anne Frank) Purpose and Audience: write a biography about a young person who 'shook the world'
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Fiction: Life Doesn’t Frighten Me (3 weeks) Stimulus: ‘A house like no other’ by Alexandra Sheppard Purpose and Audience: children plan and write their own story about overcoming fear; publish on school website. |
Non-Fiction: Explanation – How to build a shelter (2 weeks) Stimulus: ‘Survival for Beginners’ by Colin Towell Purpose and Audience: Explain how to build a shelter and include the features identified in published survival texts. |
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Fiction: Suspense (3 weeks) Stimulus: ‘Number the stars’ by Louis Lowry Purpose and Audience: write a passage using devices that conjure a feeling of suspense in the reader
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Formal and Informal letters (2 weeks) Stimulus: ‘Holes’ by Louis Sachar Purpose and Audience: in role as Stanley, write am informal letter home to mum; in role as mum, write a formal letter of complaint |
Poetry: Beachcomber Stimulus: 'Beachcomber by George Mackay Brown' Purpose and Audience: write a poem inspired by the place where you live, contribute to a class book of poems to be shared with the school community.
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Poetry: Lost words (1 week) Stimulus: ‘Lost words’ by Robert McFarlane Purpose and Audience: write detailed acrostics about a different animal –publish in class book and read aloud to the school |
The wave (2 weeks) Stimulus: ‘Wild horses’ television advert (video) Purpose and Audience: write fear story of wave and then their own
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Poetry: Transition to Year 7 Unit, A Good Weekend (1 week) Stimulus: ‘A Good Weekend’ by Theresa Lola Purpose and Audience: children create a poem about their ideal weekend to share with their Year 7 teachers. |
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Non-fiction: Waste Monsters (3 weeks) Stimulus: ‘Planet SOS’ by Marie G Rohde Purpose and audience: create a waste monster that explain a waste problem and provokes the reader to take positive action |
Newspaper articles: Hero journalism (3 weeks) Stimulus: Revisit the legends ‘Beowulf’ and ‘Theseus’ from prior year groups. Purpose and Audience: retell the stories in a journalistic style, shifting between editorial comment, direct speech and reported speech. |
Non-fiction: Animal Awards (3 weeks) Stimulus: ‘The Animal Awards’ by Martin Jenkins Purpose and Audience: create a new animal awards non-fiction page using knowledge and understanding from science sessions. |
Sentence Construction
Secure use of simple and embellished simple sentences
This is a simple sentence: The giant had a beard.
You can also add adjectives into a simple sentence on order to embellish it.
The giant had an enormous beard.
Click here to try a learning activity.
Secure use of compound sentences
A sentence made up of two clauses (or actions) which are joined by: but, so, or, and.
One way of thinking of this is to imagine two simple sentences joined togther.
James smiled. The kitten purred.
James smiled and the kitten purred.
I don't feel very well. I want to go to school.
I don't feel very well but I still want to go to school.
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Secure use of complex sentences
A complex sentence contains a main and subordinate clause.
The main clause makes sense on its own whereas the subordinate clause does not.
Although I was hungry, I didn't eat dinner.
It should also include a celection of a full range of connectives such as: although, if, as, when , while, before, after, until, because
Although Jess felt afraid, she refused to show it.
I ate a banana because I was hungry.
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Active and passive verbs
Active and passive verbs are used to create effect and to affect presentation of information.
Tom accidently dropped the glass.
The glass was accidently dropped by Tom.
The class heated the water.
The water was heated.
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Developed use of rhetorical questions
These are questions which are used to create an effect and are not necessarily meant to be answered. They can also be used as a persuasive devise.
Could things get any worse?
Would anyone believe their story?
Please?
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Improve dull sentences by:
- using more precise, colourful words
- choosing a different opening phrase or clause
- re-ordering words, phrases and clauses
- joining sentences with conjunctions and other connectives
- combining sentences to make them complex sentences with subordinate clauses
The difference between speech structures
This involves knowing the difference between structures that are typical of informal speech and structures appropriate for formal speech and writing.
e.g. The use of question tags: He’s your friend, isn’t he?
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Punctuation
Semi-colons, colons and dashes
These can be used instead of a comma to create a stronger subdevision.
It's raining; I'm fed up.
The weather is lovely - wish you were here!
The match was abandoned: rain poured down.
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Colon
A colon is often used to introduce a list.
You will need to bring three things: walking boots, a packed lunch and a bottle of water.
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Semi-colon within a list
A semi-colon can be used to make a more detailed and complicated list easier to read.
At the circus we saw a clown juggling with swords and daggers; a lion who stood on a ball; a fire eater with flashing eyes; and an eight year old acrobat.
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Bullet points
Bullets points are used to punctuate a list.
We will need:
- 6 eggs
- 500g flour
- 250g butter
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Hyphens to avoid ambiguity
A hyphen can be used between two words to make a sentence more clear.
Man eating shark.
Man-eating shark.
Recover (to get better)
Re-cover (put a new cover on something)
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Word Structure and Language
Word Choice
Children should carefully consider word choice when writing. They should choose or find words: for precision and impact, to create effects and to sustain the interest of the reader while considering the topic, style, audience and purpose of the text.
Here are some literary devices that they may use:
Onomatopoeia - Onomatopoeic words sound like the object or noise that they name.
The boy crashed down the stairs.
The keys rattled in the bowl.
Metaphor - A metaphor is a word or a phrase that is used to describe something as if it were something else.
The wave of terror crashed over him.
Her home was a prison.
Alliteration - This is when two or more words in a row begin with the same letter.
Wicked witch
Slimy slugs
Simile - A simile is where you compare two different things.
The ground was hot like fire.
Her hair was as bright as the sun.
Personification - Personification is where you give human feelings and actions to objects or ideas.
The room held its breath.
The rain trickled happily down the window.
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Difference between vocabularly for formal and informal speech and writing
Children must know the difference between the type of vocabulary used for formal and informal speech and writing.
"She never came in here," said the shop owner.
"She never came in here, " reported the shop owner.
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Understanding how words are related to synonyms and antonyms
These sound really scary but are actually quite simple.
A synonym is a word or phrase that means exactly the same, or nearly the same, as another word or phrase.
Right----Correct
Precise----Exact
Quickly----Rapidly
An antonym is a word or phrase which means the opposite of another word or phrase.
Good----Bad
Happy----Sad
Wrong----Right
Click here to try a learning activity.
National Curriculum Terminology
- active voice
- passive voice
- subject
- object
- hyphens
- synonym
- colon
- semi-colon
- bullet points
Text Structure
Word Choice
Choose or find words for precision and impact, to create effects and sustain the interest of the reader. The topic, style audience and purpose of the text should also be thought about when choosing what words to use.
Word Order
Manipulating the order of words within a sentence can create emphasis and make a point clear.
Use Expanded Noun Phrases
An expanded noun phrase is a group of words which are used to describe the noun.
These can be used:
- as subjects of sentences
Many different kinds of...
What really concerns us...
The dark looming form...
- as drop in phrases to convey complex meaning
The boy, who was waiting by the car, jumped over the fence.
The downpour, which was long overdue, signalled the end of sports day.
Choose from a wide variety of connectives
Appropriate connectives should be chosen, depending on text-type, to: start paragraphs, provide hooks and clues for the reader and link ideas.
Here are the ways in which connectives can be used:
- Addition: also, furthermore, as well as, moreover
- Opposition: but, however, nevertheless, yet, on the other hand, although
- Reinforcement: besides, after all, in any case, after all
- Listing: first, after that, next, when
- Indicating result: so, unfortunately, consequently, happily, luckily
- Indicating time: suddenly, first, just then, all at once, meanwhile, later, after, when, before, as soon as, that morning, at last, in the end, just when
Consolidate on:
- well-chosen adjectives and adverbs that add something new
- 'name it' (poodle not 'dog')
- powerful verbs
- speech verbs
- making sure that each word earns its place, this avoids over writing
- creating new combinations and avoiding clichés (the old lady was hobbling, the old lady was break-dancing)
Language Effects
Maintaining style throughout writing
Making sure that the style of a piece of writing is maintained is important. Here are a some aspects of writing that are difficult to maintain:
- formality of voice
- use of description
- persuasive devices
- talking to the reader
- humous
Use figurative language
Figurative language can be used for a variety of effects.This is where words and ideas are used to suggest meaning and create mental images.
This can be done through using:
- sounds: alliteration/ onomatopoeia
- images: similes/ metaphor/ personification
Word play for effect
Children should be using wordplay for effect through the deliberate use of:
- ambiguities
- homophones
- puns
- jokey or sarcastic similes and metaphors
Use Ellipsis
An ellipsis is a series of three dots in place of something that it missing. It can be used in different ways:
- to avoid repetition
- to leave the reader speculating (What on earth...?)
The Reader
When writing children should think about the reader and what effect their writing may have on them. This may effect their use of vocabulary, punctuation and other literary techniques.
