creative writing year 6 ideas

Year 6 Writing Units

I have a large collection of fully planned and resourced writing units. Nearly all of these units are based around the core concept of a high-quality text that teaches.

As with any of my resources, feel free to use ‘as is’ or adapt, amend, share – whatever makes you happy!

2024 – Narrative – based on ‘The Ice Bear’ by Jackie Morris

2024 – Biography – inspired by ‘Women in Science’

2023 – Narrative – based on Wolves of Currumpaw

2023 – Poetry – inspired by ‘The Lost Words’

2023 – A story involving a ghost – inspired by ‘A Christmas Carol’

2023 – Video clips for ‘A Christmas Carol’ unit – separate download.

Persuasive Letter – based on Holes

Old Versions of Planning – Might need refreshing / updating:

A diary entry – inspired by ‘My Secret Wat Dairy’ (2023 version)

Narrative – based on Holes

Persuasive Letter – based on Holes (much older version than above)

Writing in Year 6 (age 10–11)

In Year 6, your child will continue to develop develop as a writer, becoming more independent and creative. Read on to discover the National Curriculum expectations for writing in Year 6, and to find out how you can support your child at home.

How to help at home

There are lots of ways you can help your Year 6 child with writing. Here are our top ideas.

1. Read to your child

While children do learn new language and ideas from speaking and listening, the type of language we use in writing is often very different from that in speech. Reading regularly to your child, especially longer chapter books that they might not be able to yet read independently, is a great way to support their writing.

When you are reading together, look at how authors use different techniques for effect. For example, how do they show excitement or build a sense of tension? How do they make use of interesting language, such as metaphors or similes?

For books to read with your child, take a look at our free eBook library .

2. Have your child to read to you

Even though your child may be able to read independently now, making time to hear them read is great for their reading development. Also, by frequently seeing words in print, they will be able to see how different words (and the punctuation and grammar that join them) are used to share meaning.

When you read, occasionally look at the punctuation and talk about what it is telling the reader to do. Show your child how a question mark tells you to raise your voice at the end of the sentence to indicate a question being asked.

Explore how you can show the ‘feeling’ behind an exclamation mark. Are the characters shouting? Has something unexpected happened? Has something gone wrong?

3. Try some real-world writing

Writing at home can be a great way of practising writing, including using grammar and punctuation to create particular effects. Here are some ideas to encourage regular writing:

• Create a story about a space adventurer with strange planetary systems to explore. Every week or month, your child could write about a new chapter about a different planet. Before long, the chapters will have built into a book they can be really proud of.
• Write an A-to-Z. It could be based on anything your child is interested in – animals, space, dinosaurs, fairies, even their favourite TV programme. A page for each letter of the alphabet gives you 26 short pieces of writing spread over the year that build into one big project.
• Produce a version of a book for a younger child. For example, they could write  The Rhino Who Came to Tea  or  The Very Hungry Angler Fish . Books with a distinctive format such as  The Day the Crayons Quit  or  The Last Polar Bears  are perfect for this.
• Write the book of a film or TV programme. If children have watched something they’ve really enjoyed, they could try and tell the same story in writing. Watching the story on screen can give them a useful frame to hang their own writing on.
• While writing using a pen and pencil is useful practice, writing on the computer counts too. You might want to turn the spelling and grammar check off to help children to learn to confidently use their own knowledge. The grammar check can be wrong, too, so this can be confusing for children.

4. Tell stories aloud

Giving your child the opportunity to tell stories orally is a great way to get them used to structuring their ideas and using adventurous language. If they’re not sure where to start, see if they can retell a story that they already know well. Our Traditional tale titles activity sheet has some fun ideas for retelling old stories.

If your child finds it useful to plan out their story first, try our free Story mountain to make a great plot with a beginning, middle, and end. Your child might also enjoy reciting poetry – see if your child can memorise and perform ‘Who has seen the wind?’ with our Perform a poem activity sheet .

Activity: Story mountain

Activity: Perform a poem

Read the poem, talk about what it means, and perform it to an audience.

5. Find story inspiration

You can find fun story ideas anywhere! Why not raid your kitchen cupboards or hunt through the attic to find lost treasures? Anything from an old hat to a telescope will do the trick. What could the object be used for? Who might be looking for it? What secrets could it hold? Suggest different genres such as mystery or science fiction and discuss how the item might be used in this kind of story.

Real-world facts can also be a great source of inspiration. For example, did you know a jumping flea can accelerate faster than a space rocket taking off into orbit? What crazy story can your child make out of this fact? Newspapers and news websites can be great for finding these sorts of ideas.

For more storytelling ideas, download our free Story idea generator  or our Character profile activity sheet .

Activity: Story idea generator

Activity: Character profile

6. Draw your ideas first

If your child isn’t sure where to start with a story or even a piece of non-fiction, it can sometimes be helpful to sketch out their ideas first. For instance, can they draw a picture of a dastardly villain or a brave hero? How about a scary woodland or an enchanted castle?

Your child might also find it useful to draw maps or diagrams. What are all the different areas of their fantasy landscape called? How is the baddie’s base organised?

Some children might enjoy taking this idea a step further and drawing their own comics. This is great practice – it stretches your child’s creativity, gets them thinking about plot, character, and dialogue, and is a big confidence boost once they’ve finished and have an amazing story to look back on.

What your child will learn

In Year 6 (age 10–11), your child will be aiming to build upon the goals and expectations they were first set in Year 5. They will be expected to:

• Identifying the audience for and purpose of the writing
• Noting and developing initial ideas, drawing on reading and research where necessary.
• Selecting appropriate grammar and vocabulary, understanding how such choices can change and enhance meaning
• In narratives, describing settings, characters and atmosphere and integrating dialogue to convey character and advance the action
• Using a wide range of devices to build cohesion within and across paragraphs
• Using further organisational and presentational devices to structure text and to guide the reader (for example, headings, bullet points , and underlining).
• Assessing the effectiveness of their own and others’ writing
• Proposing changes to vocabulary, grammar and punctuation to enhance effects and clarify meaning
• Ensuring the consistent and correct use of tense throughout a piece of writing
• Ensuring correct subject and verb agreement when using singular and plural , distinguishing between the language of speech and writing and choosing the appropriate register.
• Proof-read for spelling and punctuation errors.

Handwriting, spelling, grammar, and punctuation are all important aspects of writing too. You can find out more about them on our dedicated pages:

Handwriting in Year 6 (age 10-11)

Find out more about handwriting in Year 6 at Primary School.

Find out more

Spelling in Year 6 (age 10-11)

Find out more about spelling in Year 6 at Primary School.

Grammar and punctuation in Year 6 (age 10-11)

Find out more about grammar and punctuation in Year 6 at Primary School.

• Age 5–6 (Year 1)
• Age 6–7 (Year 2)
• Age 7–8 (Year 3)
• Age 8–9 (Year 4)
• Age 9–10 (Year 5)
• Age 10–11 (Year 6)
• Year 1 (age 5–6)
• Year 2 (age 6–7)
• Year 3 (age 7–8)
• Year 4 (age 8–9)
• Year 5 (age 9–10)
• Year 6 (age 10–11)
• Grammar glossary
• Grammar books

50 Exclusive 6th Grade Writing Prompts that are Printable for Free

• February 22, 2024

Table of Contents Hide

Table of contents, personal narratives:, creative stories:, opinion pieces:, descriptive essays, expository essays, book reviews, research projects, journal entries:, exclusive 6th grade writing prompts , 6th-grade writing prompts , creative writing topics for grade 6 , 6th grade writing prompts with reading passages , recommendations.

For sixth graders, imagination can be the key to creative expression. It’s a strong weapon. With specialized 6th Grade Writing Prompts, you can have an insight into the distinctive thoughts of these young authors and inspire a wide range of creative and inventive ideas.

As a student, every prompt offers you the chance to use narrative to explore new aspects of yourself, from ones that take them to far galaxies to those that delve deeply into your feelings and experiences.

In this article, we will take you through 50 exclusive 6th grade writing prompts that are printable for free. Carefully read through!

• Exclusive 6th Grade Writing Prompts
• 6th-grade Writing Prompts
• Creative Writing Topics for Grade 6
• 6th Grade Writing Prompts with Reading Passages

What Should a 6th Grader Write about?

A sixth grader’s writing can cover a wide range of subjects, contingent upon their experiences, interests, and the particular assignment or goal of the writing work. Some possibilities for topics a sixth grader could write about are as follows:

Students are encouraged to explore their own experiences and share them with others through the use of personal narratives.

They can relive with vivid detail special occasions, like the time they overcame their fear of heights by scaling a mountain, obstacles they’ve overcome, like learning to ride a bike without training wheels, or memorable times spent with loved ones, like a touching holiday celebration or an adventure that strengthened their bond with siblings.

Students acquire insight into their own lives and ideals by thinking back on these experiences and expressing them in writing, in addition to honing their storytelling abilities.

Students can express their imagination and ingenuity via creative stories. Authors can showcase their storytelling skills by creating inventive stories with captivating characters, compelling narratives, and unique settings.

Students are free to let their imaginations run wild, whether they go on an exhilarating journey through a magical kingdom, solve a mystery in a chilling haunted mansion, or explore the depths of space in a futuristic starship.

They hone their narrative abilities, create gripping stories, and bring their imaginative ideas to life on paper via the process of storytelling.

Students can express their opinions on a variety of subjects that are important to them through opinion pieces. Students can use persuasive writing to communicate their ideas, advocate for their beliefs, and express their perspectives on a variety of topics, from pop cultural phenomena to environmental issues to school laws.

Students gain the ability to effectively express their thoughts, provide evidence to back up their claims, engage in critical thinking, and debate—whether they are advocating for tighter environmental rules, defending their favorite book or movie, or suggesting changes to school procedures.

Descriptive essays require students to use language to conjure up vivid images in the readers’ minds and arouse their senses. They can paint a detailed picture of a location they have been to, such a busy city street, a calm beach at dusk, or a comfortable lodge in the woods.

As an alternative, individuals can use rich descriptions and striking pictures to delve into the sensory nuances of a beloved memory, a favorite dish, or an interesting object. Students who practice descriptive writing are better able to arouse readers’ emotions, appeal to their senses, and produce immersive writing.

Expository essays educate students how to present facts and provide a clear, structured explanation of difficult subjects.

They can delve into a variety of topics, including historical events, cultural customs, how-to manuals, and scientific ideas.

Whether they’re breaking down a cultural ritual, exploring the history of ancient civilizations, or explaining how photosynthesis works, students learn how to effectively research, analyze, and present information. This helps them improve their writing, research, and critical thinking abilities.

Through the skillful use of language and images, poetry provides students with a unique means of expression, enabling them to explore themes such as nature, emotions, friendship, and identity. They can play around with various poetry forms, including limericks, sonnets, haikus, or free verse, and investigate the lyrical and rhythmic aspects of language.

Students learn how to use words to express emotions, generate images, and build meaning in their poetry, whether they’re writing a whimsical limerick, a heartfelt sonnet, or a haiku that captures the majesty of a sunset.

By giving students a platform to express their ideas and opinions about books they’ve read, book reviews support the growth of their analytical and critical thinking abilities.

They can assess the book’s advantages and disadvantages, character and topic analysis, and storyline summary.

Students gain the ability to engage with literature thoughtfully, express their opinions clearly, and participate in literary discussions and debates—whether they are analyzing a classic work of literature, suggesting a favorite novel to their peers, or delving into the themes of a recent bestseller.

Research projects allow students to explore interesting subjects in-depth, gather data, and present their results in an orderly and systematic manner. They can delve into a variety of topics, such as social issues, cultural customs, historical events, and scientific occurrences.

Whether they’re looking into the origins of climate change, studying the past of ancient civilizations, or examining how social media affects society, students gain important research skills from these projects.

These skills include how to collect data from trustworthy sources, assess the validity of the data, and effectively and persuasively present their findings.

Keeping a journal gives students a private place to consider their feelings, ideas, experiences, and observations. Journaling allows them to keep track of their daily activities, examine their feelings and responses to situations, and think back on their development and education.

Regular journaling helps kids develop self-awareness, introspection, and mindfulness. This can be done by having them write down their ideas before going to bed, reflect on their experiences after a difficult day, or capture moments of inspiration and insight.

Read ALSO:  107+ Creative Writing Prompts For Middle School Students

• Write a tale about a time-traveling excursion to a significant historical occasion.
• Describe a world in which all people’s dreams come true.
• Which historical figure, and why, would you want to meet if you could?
• Ten years from now, write a letter to yourself.
• Consider being able to teleport to any location on Earth. Which place would you visit first?
• Describe a superhero’s typical day in the life of a neighborhood resident.
• If you could communicate with animals, how would you respond?
• Write a story about a magical item that, although granting desires, has drawbacks.
• Describe a future society in which all aspects of existence are governed by technology.
• What superpower, if any, would you choose to have, and how would you use it?
• Write a tale about a bunch of pals figuring out a mystery in their community.
• Describe an unruly world. How would that feel?
• What exactly does being a good friend entail? Write about an instance where you showed friendship.
• Which disciplines would you include in your own curriculum, if you could create one?
• Write a letter expressing your admiration for the writing of your favorite author.
• Tell about a moment when you had to make a tough choice and how you came to an answer.
• Consider being able to travel to any fictitious place from a book. To what place would you go?
• Write about a moment when, despite the difficulty, you stood up for what you believed in.
• What would you alter, and why, if you could, in the world?
• Write a tale that takes place in a bleak future when humanity is about to perish.
• Write about a day in the life of your favorite movie or book character.
• For you, what does success mean? Write about a moment when you felt accomplished.
• Consider being able to speak with extraterrestrials on a different world. How would you respond?
• Write a letter expressing your admiration for your role model.
• Describe a society in which mind reading is a common skill.
• What new technology, and how might it help civilization, if you could create it?
• Write about a failure you’ve had and the lessons you took away from it.
• Describe a civilization that is utopian and in balance with the natural world.
• What would you change if you could travel back in time to alter one particular historical event?
• Write a tale about a party of adventurers finding a lost culture.
• Describe a world in which magic exists but is kept out of the public eye.
• What does being brave really mean? Write about a brave moment in your life.
• Which historical period—past or future—would you like to live in, and why?

Read ALSO:  140 Exclusive Writing Prompts For Adults

• A Magical Land : Describe a world where magic is real and part of everyday life.
• Time Travel Adventure : Write a story about traveling back in time to a significant historical event.
• Superhero Origins : Create the origin story of a new superhero, including their powers and motivations.
• Mystery Mansion : Describe a spooky mansion and the mysteries hidden within its walls.
• Animal Kingdom : Imagine a world where animals can talk and interact with humans.
• Dream Vacation : Describe your ideal vacation destination and what you would do there.
• Invent a New Planet : Design a planet with unique geography, inhabitants, and customs.
• Lost in the Wilderness : Write about being lost in the wilderness and the adventures that follow.
• Sports Star : Imagine becoming a professional athlete in your favorite sport. Describe your journey to success.
• School of Magic : Enroll in a school for wizards and witches. Describe your experiences learning spells and potions.
• Alien Encounter : Describe an encounter with an alien species and the impact it has on Earth.
• Underwater Adventure : Dive deep into the ocean and explore an underwater world full of wonders and dangers.
• Robot Revolution : Write about a future where robots have become sentient and demand equal rights.
• Time Capsule : Imagine burying a time capsule with items representing your life. What would you include and why?
• A Day in the Life of a Celebrity : Describe a day in the life of a famous celebrity of your choice.
• The Quest for a Magical Artifact : Write a story about a quest to find a powerful magical artifact and the challenges faced along the way.
• Haunted House : Explore a haunted house and uncover its dark secrets.
• Space Exploration : Describe a journey to explore a distant planet in search of new life forms.
• Future Career : Imagine your future career and what a typical day in that profession would be like.
• Invisible Friend : Write about having an invisible friend and the adventures you have together.

Read ALSO:  50 Exclusive 4th Grade Writing Prompts That Are Printable For Free

• Prompt : Imagine you are one of the characters in the passage below. Write a diary entry describing your thoughts and feelings about the events that unfolded.

Reading Passage : “The bell rang, signaling the end of the school day. As Sarah packed her bag, she couldn’t shake off the feeling of dread. She knew she had to face her bully on the bus ride home.”

• Prompt : After reading the passage below, write a persuasive essay arguing whether or not schools should implement a dress code policy like the one described.

Reading Passage : “As students entered the school gates, they were greeted by the sight of their peers dressed in a rainbow of colors and styles. Some wore jeans and T-shirts, while others donned skirts and blazers. There was no uniform requirement, allowing students to express their individuality through their clothing choices.”

• Prompt : Use the information from the passage to write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper expressing your opinion on the issue discussed.

Reading Passage : “The town council is considering banning plastic bags in an effort to reduce pollution and protect the environment. Many residents are divided on the issue, with some arguing that it would inconvenience shoppers and hurt businesses, while others believe it is a necessary step towards a greener future.”

• Prompt : After reading the passage below, write a narrative describing a day in the life of the protagonist, using details from the passage to inspire your story.

Reading Passage : “Jake woke up to the sound of birds chirping outside his window. As he stretched and yawned, he glanced at the clock and realized he was running late for school. He quickly dressed, grabbed his backpack, and raced out the door, eager to start the day.”

• Prompt : Based on the information provided in the passage, write a summary of the main arguments presented by each side of the debate.

Reading Passage : “The school cafeteria is considering replacing unhealthy snacks with nutritious options. Proponents of the change argue that it will improve student health and academic performance, while opponents worry about increased costs and decreased student satisfaction.”

• Prompt : Use the passage below as inspiration to write a descriptive essay about your favorite outdoor activity.

Reading Passage : “As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting a warm glow over the landscape, Sarah and her friends gathered around the campfire. They roasted marshmallows, told stories, and gazed up at the starry sky, feeling at peace in the great outdoors.”

• Prompt : After reading the passage below, write a compare and contrast essay discussing the similarities and differences between the two characters.

Reading Passage : “Emily was outgoing and adventurous, always eager to try new things and meet new people. In contrast, her sister Olivia was shy and reserved, preferring to spend her time lost in books or exploring nature alone.”

• Prompt : Using the information provided in the passage, write a persuasive speech arguing for or against the proposed changes.

Reading Passage : “The city council is considering implementing a curfew for teenagers in an effort to reduce crime and keep young people safe. Supporters believe it will decrease juvenile delinquency, while opponents argue it will unfairly restrict the freedoms of law-abiding teenagers.”

• Prompt : Write a narrative inspired by the passage below, imagining yourself as the protagonist navigating the challenges described.

Reading Passage : “Mark stared at the blank page in front of him, feeling overwhelmed by the enormity of the task ahead. He had a history essay due tomorrow, but he had no idea where to begin. With a sigh, he picked up his pen and started writing, determined to conquer his writer’s block.”

• Prompt : Based on the information provided in the passage, write a response discussing your opinion on the topic and providing evidence to support your viewpoint.

Reading Passage : “The debate over homework continues to divide educators, parents, and students alike. Some argue that it reinforces learning and teaches responsibility, while others believe it causes stress and detracts from family time. What is your stance on the issue?”

Yes, these writing prompts are designed to be age-appropriate and engaging for all 6th graders.

Yes, these writing prompts have been carefully crafted to align with common core standards for 6th grade writing.

It’s recommended to introduce a new prompt regularly, such as once a week, to keep your students inspired and practicing their writing skills consistently.

Engaging with a variety of creative and thought-provoking prompts can definitely help enhance your students’ writing abilities over time.

These varied subjects for sixth-grade writing assignments are sure to stimulate young writers’ creativity and critical thinking. Teachers and parents can easily include these prompts in their lesson plans or home-schooling activities because they are free to print.

Students will be able to convey their own views and perspectives while practicing a variety of writing abilities by responding to these prompts.

These writing prompts can be used as homework assignments, daily warm-ups, or creative writing exercises. They are an invaluable tool for supporting the development of young writers.

• Journalbuddies.com
• Yourdictionary.com
• 50 Exclusive 4th Grade Writing Prompts That Are Printable For Free
• 140 Exclusive Writing Prompts For Adults
• 107+ Creative Writing Prompts For Middle School Students
• Chinese vs Japanese Writing: A Side-by-Side Comparison

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Free Printable Creative Writing Worksheets for 6th Year

Creative Writing: Discover a world of imagination with our free printable Reading & Writing worksheets for Year 6 students. Enhance your students' skills and creativity with Quizizz's diverse resources.

Explore Creative Writing Worksheets by Grades

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Explore printable Creative Writing worksheets for 6th Year

Creative Writing worksheets for Year 6 are an excellent resource for teachers looking to engage their students in the world of reading and writing. These worksheets provide a variety of activities and exercises designed to help students develop their skills in fiction writing, as well as other forms of creative expression. By incorporating these worksheets into their lesson plans, teachers can provide a structured and supportive environment for students to explore their creativity and improve their writing abilities. With a focus on reading and writing, these Year 6 worksheets offer a comprehensive approach to developing students' literacy skills, ultimately preparing them for more advanced writing tasks in the future.

Quizizz is a fantastic platform that complements Creative Writing worksheets for Year 6, offering teachers a variety of interactive and engaging activities to further enhance their students' learning experience. This platform provides a wide range of quizzes and games that can be tailored to specific topics, such as reading and writing or fiction writing, allowing teachers to reinforce key concepts and assess their students' progress. In addition to its extensive quiz library, Quizizz also offers a variety of other resources, including flashcards and interactive presentations, making it an invaluable tool for teachers seeking to create a dynamic and immersive learning environment for their Year 6 students. By incorporating Quizizz into their lesson plans, teachers can ensure that their students are not only developing their creative writing skills but also having fun in the process.

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Part 4: How to Write a Year 6 Creative in 8 Steps | Free Short Story Planner

Guide Chapters

• 1. Grammar Mistakes
• 2. Comprehension Skills
• 3. Reading Journals
• 4. Creative Writing
• 5. Extended Responses

Creative writing can be hard, but it needn’t be. Many Year 6 students get overwhelmed by creative tasks. In this post, we’ll show you how to write a Year 6 creative in 8 steps as if you were in Year 7.

Get ready to rock your marker!

How do you write Year 6 creatives?

This is the process we teach students for writing high scoring creatives:

• Design your character
• Work out how your narrative ends
• Decide what happens to them
• Choose your structure
• Write your draft
• Get feedback
• Redraft for submission

Why do Year 6 students struggle with writing creatives?

Many High School students struggle with creative writing. So, it is no wonder that Year 6 students find creative writing difficult.

Year 6 students tend to get frustrated because they can come up with imaginative ideas, but then have difficulty developing them.

Do any of these sound like you?

• I can come up with a character, but I can’t make her believable
• I’ve got an idea for a plot, but I don’t know where it goes
• The narrative I’ve written is too short
• My dialogue is terrible
• I don’t know how to finish my story
• My story tells and doesn’t show
• I can’t use techniques in my narrative

These are common problems. And the good news is that they can be solved by following a process!

We’ve developed a method for writing compelling and exciting creatives that will work for Year 6 students all the way to Year 12!

What we’re going to do now is step you through the step-by-step process for writing fantastic creatives.

How to write a Year 6 creative in 8 steps!

The secret to doing anything well is following a process. Just because narratives are creative doesn’t mean they just pour out of you.

No. There’s a reason it’s called the creative PROCESS!

So, let’s go through the Matrix step-by-step process for writing creatives.

Step 1: Design your characters

Narratives require a character to be engaging. This is because we relate to people (or anthropomorphised creatures – like Simba from the Lion King or Groot from Guardians of the Galaxy.

One of the things that makes characters compelling is having qualities and flaws that are prominent and change over the course of the story.

So, the first thing you want to do is decide on who your character is.

You should use a table to plan out your character details.

Once you’ve created a character, you’re in a position to start figuring out what happens to them.

Step 2: Decide how your narrative ends

Sometimes it is hard to figure exactly how your story ends.

That’s okay. Writing endings, especially good endings, is the hardest part of writing a story.

Remember, you don’t need to produce a complete resolution. Farah doesn’t need to learn how to be a perfect bassist or acquire a taste for his Teta’s baking. You just need to show what the next logical step is in his development.

Here are some questions to ask when deciding on an appropriate ending:

• What are some negative traits that the protagonist has demonstrated? How can they change these?
• Does the protagonist have a damaged relationship that needs addressing or repairing?
• What likes or dislikes that the character has can shape what they need to overcome
• If the protagonist can’t solve their problem, what is the first thing they could do in trying to solve it?

It doesn’t matter if you can’t totally pin down the exact ending, you can always develop it further as you work through the second or 3rd draft

Once you’ve figured out a rough ending, you can plan out the structure in more detail.

Step 3: Decide what happens to get to the ending

Narratives work because they have characters we care about (like the one you just created!) that have interesting and relatable things happen to them.

When you are trying to figure out the broad elements of the narrative, it may help you to break it down into three parts:

• Introduction : Where you introduce the protagonist (the main character), other characters and the setting
• Complication : Something happens that disrupts the regular life of the protagonist, challenging them
• Resolution : The protagonist works out how to solve their challenge and tries to solve it.

Step 4: Choose your Structure

When you plan structure you need to consider:

• The scaffold of events that occur in the text
• The tense that the story is told in (past/present/future)
• The perspective the narrative is told from (1st/ 2nd/ 3rd)

Step 4a: Choose your plot scaffold

A plot scaffold develops your plot in more detail and gives you the structure to tell it. Do you want to use a flashback as a narrative device or would you rather tell your story from start to finish?

Your choice here would shape your plot scaffold. Below is a pair of flowcharts illustrating the two most common scaffolds:

• Scaffold 1 is a linear narrative that runs from start to finish
• Scaffold 2 uses a flashback to develop the resolution

One scaffold is not better than the other. Flashbacks can be confusing, cliche or unnecessarily convoluted, similarly linear narratives can be predictable or a little plain.

You will need to play around to see which one works best for YOUR story.

You’ll notice that this is more detailed than the initial plot structure:

• The introduction has been split into  ORIENTATION and  TRIGGER
• The complication has been developed into FIRST and SECOND COMPLICATIONS

Let’s see what this might look like:

Step 4b: Choose your tense

Once, you’ve picked a scaffold, you need to decide if it is told in the present or the past tense.

Writing in the simple past is the most common. It is easy to read and relatively straight forward to write.

Narratives written in the present continuous (-ing) are not uncommon but are a little harder to write. They can become hard to follow when characters in the present are remembering events in the past or they can seem overly simple and childish.

Blake Crouch’s  Dark matter (2017) is a good example of an engaging and well-written present continuous narrative. You can read a sample on this page .

You should think about whether the events in the narrative are being narrated as they happen to the protagonist or if they are being remembered later on:

• Use the present tense if events are being narrated in real-time
• Use the past tense if they are being remembered later on

Step 4c: Choose your perspective

You have three choices when choosing the perspective your story is narrated from:

• First-person : Events are told from a character’s perspective. the narrator uses “I”, “me”, and “we” to describe their actions
• Second-person : Events are told from the reader’s perspective. This means that you use “you” to describe the narrator’s actions. This is a difficult perspective to write and can be quite jarring
• Third-person : Events are told from an omniscient (god’s eye-view) perspective. The common pronouns used to describe the protagonist’s actions are “they”, “he”, “she”, “it”, etc.

if you’re just getting confidence writing narratives, you’ll find it easiest to start off with a third-person perspective. As you develop confidence and skill, you should start practising first-person narration.

As a rule, second-person narration should be avoided intially as it is to get wrong and can seem quite gimmicky.

To help you choose, here are some pros and cons for each tense:

Okay, now you’ve done your planning, you’re ready to… write your 1st draft!

Step 5: Write your draft

First things first,

It’s okay for your first draft to suck!

Like, really really suck. That’s okay. That’s the point of a first draft. it is a starting point for something much much better.

Be prepared to produce something terrible and then rebuild it into something great!

Now grab your plan and we’ll develop a first draft.

Let’s see how you should do that:

Step 5a: Compose the orientation

Your narrative needs a compelling hook. It also needs to introduce the characters and setting.

Don’t worry too much about getting the hook right in the first draft.

Introduce the setting and prominent characters by providing brief descriptions rather than detailed ones. Stories are more effective when the reader gets to paint the picture of characters.

For example, compare these two openings:

• Farah was hunched over his controller focused on clearing the map with his teammates when the door to his room nearly blew off the hinges. His mother hulked in through the frame, eyes glaring.
• Farah was a fourteen-year boy with blue eyes and black hair. He was playing Fortnite Season 9 with his friends. His mum knocked on the door, but Farah couldn’t hear her. His mum opened the door and walked in. She was wearing a green dress and had her hair in a ponytail. She was unhappy with Farah.

See the difference between the two? The first is more concise and only gives the reader as much information as they need. The second is much too detailed and in the process of being detailed loses any tension.

When writing your orientation, aim to only introduce the setting and key characters. You can start developing things further when you introduce the trigger.

Step 5b: Write your trigger

The trigger is an incident that sets the course of events in the narrative in motion. It could be something small like something said in a conversation. Or it could be something huge like an alien invasion.

You should make it clear that your trigger is important. You do this by describing the protagonist’s (and other characters’) response to it.

Step 5c: Write the 1st complication

The first complication is an obstacle that a character or characters encounter

Remember, complications are meant to provoke the character to find a solution to something and to have an emotional response.

For example, in Farah’s story, the first complication is being told by his Mum that he needs to go with the family to see his Teta and Gido at the hospital. He doesn’t want to go he has band practise with his friends, but has no choice but to go to the hospital.

When you write your complication, be sure to explain what the character’s response to it is. Describe their physical response and consider how they speak to people about it.

Ask yourself:

• How does this make the character feel?
• What will my character do in response?
• Does this change the character’s environment or the story’s setting?
• Is there an impact on the character’s relationships because of this complication?

Then you can describe what the characters do in response to the first complication.

Step 5d: Write the 2nd complication

The second complication occurs while the character(s) is overcoming the first one.

As in the first one, you need to describe:

• What the complication is
• How it affects the character
• If it affects their emotions
• Whether it changes their relationships
• What the character(s) will do in response to it

For example, in Farah’s case, the second complication occurs when his Grandma gives him a hard time about not playing the cello and challenging him to play them some music. It doesn’t go well, Farah isn’t as good a bass player as a cellist.

Once you’ve written the complication and its consequences, you can finish the story by writing the resolution.

Step 5e: Write the resolution

A resolution is where you conclude the narrative.

When you resolve a narrative, you don’t need to write the complete ending!

What does this mean? When you write a creative, you are only relating a short series of events that happen to a character or group fo people. You don’t need to tell their whole life stories!

Instead, you need to think about what part of their lives you want to relate and focus on that.

For example, in Farah’s story, we don’t need to see him go to his band practice after the hospital trip. Instead, we can focus on a smaller resolution. Farah’s Gido reveals he was in a punk band, plays some really good music, and explains why he left Lebanon in the 80s. He agrees to teach Farah how to play bass. The end.

Step 6: Edit your creative

When you edit a piece of work you want to break it down into two types of editing:

• Macro edits: This is where you consider bigger picture things like structure, plot holes or characterisation, symbols and leitmotifs
• Micro edits: Where you work on correct grammar, tense consistency, incorporating techniques, making your writing concise

To edit your creative, you want to tick off the items on the following checklist.

✔ Macro: Check for plot holes

Read through your story, make sure all of the events make sense.

Ensure there are no logical flaws.

✔ Macro: Look for consistency

Make sure you’ve used the correct tenses throughout.

Ensure sure you haven’t confused tenses.

Make sure the perspective is consistent throughout.

✔ Macro: Choose a symbol/ leitmotif and develop it

You need to develop a symbol, symbols, or leitmotif (a recurrent symbol) throughout.

For example, instruments in Farah’s narrative show his passion and come to be a leitmotif showing his renewed connection to his Gido

✔ Micro: Develop your dialogue

Dialogue is important. It shows the reader how characters relate to one another.

Dialogue is hard to write right.

It takes practice. When learning how to write dialogue, focus on keeping it tight by only including dialogue that:

• Shows a relation to another character
• Develops character
• Moves the plot along
• Is only related to the plot!

If it doesn’t do any of the above, then it is unnecessary.

✔ Micro: Incorporate techniques

You need to include techniques in your writing to help represent things.

This is how you SHOW and don’t tell.

Look for parts of your narrative where you only describe things in plain language and change them to using techniques like rhetorical questions, metaphors, similes, or symbols to convey your meaning.

For example, consider the following statements:

• “In the backseat of the car, Farah sat silently but inside he was very upset”
• “Silence engulfed the car, Farah’s cold burning resentment in the backseat was a black hole that compressed the small talk to nothing.’

The second statement might be longer but, clearly, it is more evocative because it compares Farah’s mood to a black hole.

✔ Micro: Edit for grammar

Read your narrative aloud. This will help you find grammatical mistakes and other errors.

You should:

• Look for sentences that aren’t complete sentences
• Make sure you’ve used the correct form of verbs
• Ensure you’ve used possessive apostrophes
• Check you’ve spelled things correctly
• Look to see that you’ve employed paragraphing.

if you want help learning about grammar. You must read our English grammar Toolkit .

✔ Micro: Edit for concision

Finally, you want to get rid of all of the rambling and fluff from your story.

Short stories are meant to be concise. You don’t want to waste a reader’s time. Instead, you want to make sure that the action is moving along throughout.

Read through your narrative and consistently ask yourself:

Does my reader need to know this?

If the answer is no, then you should consider removing or rewriting it.

Once this is done, you’ve finished your first draft!

That’s the hardest bit done.

Now you need feedback.

Step 7: Get Feedback and incorporate

Once you’ve got the first draft and tidied it up, you’re ready to get some feedback.

Feedback is important, as it will tell you what works in your narrative and what doesn’t.

When we write, it is often very easy to write for ourselves:

• Writing big flowery sentences
• Making assumptions about events or characters in the text that a reader needs to make sense of things
• Indulge certain techniques or phrases we like that don’t work for other readers

Feedback is a way of identifying these issues.

It can be hard receiving criticism on our work. Sometimes we don’t like hearing that our work isn’t fantastic.

It’s really important that you separate criticism of your work from criticism of you. The two are not the same (take note, parents!)

To get effective feedback, it will help if you give your reader a feedback form so they can tell you what they like and don’t like.

Step 7a: Give your reader a feedback form:

Once you get the feedback, you want to review it and take on board what the reader says.

You don’t need to follow all of their suggestions, but you should pay attention to those things that the reader says affect the readability of the piece.

Step 7b: Plan your changes

Before you redraft, make a plan outlining the changes you need to make to the story to make it better:

Now you can redraft.

Step 8: Redraft

This is where you redraft your story.

Some of the pieces may need only one redraft, other times they may need to go through several drafts.

The main rule of redrafting is that you

Rewrite the story in full and don’t just cut and paster or drag and drop.

At Matrix, we prefer students to write their first and second drafts by hand. When you rewrite a second or third draft by hand, you are more willing to make drastic changes (which are really great improvements). When you use a word processor, you tend to make things that are bad work, rather than letting them go.

Make sure that after you’ve redrafted the story you give it a final proofread before you…

Now you’ve done all the hard work, you’re ready to submit it.

Remember, writing good narratives won’t happen overnight. Good writers become good through practice AND WIDE READING they weren’t born as good writers.

Don’t be afraid to write fan-fiction or try and imitate your favourite writers.

The best High School English Students try and write in a range of styles for fun and not just for school assessment tasks.

Part 5: How to Write a Year 6 Extended Response in 6 Steps

© Matrix Education and httpsprimarybkinstacloud.kinsta.cloud, 2023. Unauthorised use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Matrix Education and httpsprimarybkinstacloud.kinsta.cloud with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

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300 Fun Writing Prompts for Kids: Story Starters, Journal Prompts & Ideas

Are you a parent or teacher? Here are 300 fun and creative writing prompts for kids to spark the imagination of young writers everywhere. Use these kids writing ideas as journaling prompts, story starters or just for fun!

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It’s never too early to start writing, and so we’ve created this fun list of 300 creative kids writing prompts for teacher and parents to use.

You’ll love these fun ideas for kids writing prompts to use as creative sparks to get young imaginations writing in no time!

These are perfect to use as kids journal writing prompts, as short story writing prompts, or just for exercises to help students and children of all ages tap into their creativity. Maybe your kids will write an essay, maybe a poem, or maybe even a whole book!

Whether you are a teacher or parent looking to inspire your kids to write, or maybe even an adult who would like to practice writing with a more playful and young-hearted approach, I hope you find these creative writing prompts inspiring!

Buy the Printable Cards!  We will always have this list of 300 kids writing prompts available for free, but I’m very excited to now also offer an  ad-free printable version of these prompts  in my online Etsy shop. Thank you for your support!

The Ultimate List of 300 Fun & Creative Writing Prompts for Kids

#1. Imagine a giant box is delivered to your front doorstep with your name on it. What’s inside and what happens when you open it?

#2. Write a short story about what it might be like if you woke up one morning with a mermaid tail.

#3. Which is better, winter or summer? Write about the reasons why you think winter or summer is better.

#4. Write about what would it be like if you had an alligator as a pet.

#5. If you had $1,000, what would you buy and why?

#6. Write a story using these 5 words: apple, train, elephant, paper, banjo

#7. What do you want be when you grow up and why?

#8. Who is your favorite person on the planet? What do you like most about that person?

#9. If you could have any secret super power, what would you want it to be and why?

#10. Write about 3 places you would like to travel someday. What do these three places have in common?

#11. Write about a time you felt really happy. What happened? What made you feel happy?

#12. Imagine what would happen if someone shrunk you down to be only 1″ tall. How would your life change?

#13. If you were in charge of the whole world, what would you do to make the world a happier place?

#14. Write a story about what it would be like to climb to the very top of the highest mountain in the world.

#15. If you were in charge of planning the school lunch menu, what foods would you serve each day?

#16. What are some of your favorite animals? What do you like about them?

#17. Imagine that dogs take over the world. What do they make the humans do?

#18. Write a story about flying to outer space and discovering a new planet.

#19. You are a mad scientist and have invented a new vegetable. What is it called? What does it look like? What does it taste like? Most importantly: Is it safe to eat?

#20. You go to school one morning to discover your best friend has been turned into a frog by an evil witch! How do you help your friend?

#21. Describe what it is like when trees lose all of their leaves in the autumn season.

#22. Write about your favorite sport and why you like it so much.

#23. Imagine what it might be like to live on a boat all the time and write about it.

#24. If you had one wish, what would it be?

#25. Write about what you might do if you have the super power to become invisible.

#26. You are walking through the forest when one of the trees starts talking to you. What does it say? What do you do?

#27. The weather forecast is calling for a blizzard in the middle of the summer. What do you do?

#28. What types of transportation will people have in the future?

#29. What were some of your favorite toys when you very little? Do you still enjoy playing with them?

#30. What would a day in your life be like if you were a movie star?

#31. Imagine you’ve invented a time machine! What year do you travel to?

#32. What are your favorite things to do over summer vacation?

#33. What is your favorite holiday and why?

#34. If you could meet any fictional character from a book, who would it be?

#35. You are writing a travel guide for kids visiting your city. What places do you think they should visit?

#36. What is a food you hate? Write about it!

#37. Imagine what it would be like if there was no electricity. What would be different in your daily routine?

#38. You are building a new city! What types of things do you think your city needs? How will you convince people to move to your new city?

#39. What is your favorite movie? Write your review of the movie and why you think people should watch it.

#40. Imagine you get a magic sweater for your birthday. What happens when you wear the sweater? What do you do with these new found magical powers?

#41. You are the security guard at the zoo and someone has stolen a rhinoceros! How do you track down the thief?

#42. You have been invited to have lunch with the queen. What foods do you eat and what topics do you and the queen discuss?

#43. If you could design a school uniform, what types of clothes would you suggest? What colors would they be?

#44. Imagine you are a reporter interviewing a celebrity about their life. What questions do you ask?

#45. You are running a lemonade stand. Describe the steps for how you make lemonade and the types of customers you see during the day.

#46. Write a story about being the ruler of an underwater world.

#47. Write an acrostic poem for the word “treehouse”.

#48. You decide to grow a sunflower, but the sunflower grows so tall it reaches up to the sky! Write about what happens when you decide to climb to the top. What do you discover?

#49. Imagine you look out the window and it is raining popsicles from the sky! Write a story about the experience.

#50. If you could be any animal, which one would you be and why?

#51. If you were on a spaceship, what would you be most excited about seeing?

#52. Do you have any pets at home? Write an essay about how you take care of your pets. If you do not have a pet, what type of pet might you like?

#53. Imagine you are opening a store that only sells items which are blue. What types of items do you sell?

#54. Have you ever lost something that is important to you? Were you able to find it?

#55. Write a story about a kid who is moving to a new school. How do you think they might feel?

#56. Rewrite the ending of your favorite fairy tale. For example, what would have happened if Cinderella never went to the ball?

#57. Have you ever forgotten to do your homework? What happened?

#58. Do you have a favorite song? Write about the type of music you like to listen to.

#59. Imagine your parents wake you up one morning to tell you they will take you to do anything you want to do for the whole day – you don’t even have to go to school or do your chores. What would you choose to do and why?

#60. Do you like amusement parks? What are some of your favorite rides?

#61. Write a story using these three words: detective, piano, and pizza.

#62. Have you ever been to the beach? Write about your favorite things to do. If you have never been to the beach, what would you like to do the first time you visit?

#63. Is there a favorite tv show you like to watch? Write about your favorite character and why they are your favorite.

#64. Write a poem using onomatopoeia , where the words you use are pronounced similar to the sound they make. For example, buzz, bark, sizzle, slam and pop.

#65. Have you ever had to stand in line to wait a long time for something? What did you do while you waited? How did you feel while waiting? How did you feel once the wait was over?

#66. Is it a good idea to keep ALL secrets a secret? Write about examples of when it is okay to spill a secret – and when it isn’t.

#67. Is there something you are good at doing? Write about your best strengths.

#68. What historical time period and location would you go back to live in if you could? Write about it!

#69. Write about 5 things you can do that are important for you to stay healthy and safe.

#70. Do you think thunderstorms are scary? Why or why not?

#71. What would you most like to learn over the next year? Think about things that interest you or questions you might have about the world and make a list!

#72. You are going on a trip to a jungle safari! What items do you pack in your suitcase?

#73. Imagine you are sitting at home one day and you hear someone shrieking in the living room they see a mouse in the house! Write a story about what might happen next.

#74. You are writing a letter to someone who is having a hard time making new friends at school. What do you write? What advice do you give them?

#75. Imagine you just met a magician – but their beloved rabbit who they pull out of a hat for all the tricks has been kidnapped! How do you help find the rabbit?

#76. Do you hear what I hear? Set a timer for 5 minutes and write about all of the sounds you hear in those 5 minutes.

#77. Imagine you go to get a haircut and they accidentally shave your head! How do you feel about that and what would you do?

#78. Do you find it easy to talk to people you don’t know? What are some ways you can start up a conversation with someone you have never met before?

#79. Are there any chores you have to do at home? What are they? What do you like – and not like – about each one?

#80. Open up a random book to any page. Write for 5 minutes about the first word you read.

#81. Pretend you are a writer for your city’s newspaper. Who would you like to interview for a news story and why?

#82. There are many fictional characters who live in unusual houses, such as the old woman who lived in a shoe. What kind of unusual house would you like to live in? Write about what it would be like to live in an unusual house!

#83. Write a list of 10 things you can do to practice kindness to others.

#84. Is there a homework subject you dread? Why do you not like getting homework in that subject?

#85. What is your favorite month of the year? Write about why you like it and some of your favorite things to do during that month.

#86. Imagine you are planning a surprise birthday party for someone. How do you keep it a surprise?

#87. Pretend you walked outside to find a sleeping dragon in the grass! Why is the dragon there? Is it a friendly dragon? What do you do? Write about it!

#88. What are you grateful for today and why?

#89. You were on your way to a very important event when you fell into a puddle. Now what?

#90. Have you ever watched a movie and didn’t like how it ended? Write what you think should happen instead.

#91. Can you answer this riddle from Alice in Wonderland ? How is a raven like a writing desk?

#92. Imagine you are the captain of a pirate ship. Write a diary entry for what your day was like.

#93. If you could start any type of business, what kind of business would you start? What types of products or services would you provide?

#94. Write a sequel to one of your favorite fairy tales. For example, what was Goldilocks’s next adventure after she left the bears?

#95. What is something you are afraid of? What helps you to feel less afraid of something? What would you say to a friend who feels scared to help them feel less afraid?

#96. Write a letter to your future self in 20 years.

#97. In addition to basic survival needs such as food, water, air and shelter, what are 3 things you would you need to be happy?

#98. If you could invent a robot of any type who could do anything you imagine, what types of things would you would have the robot to do?

#99. Which do like better? Apples or Oranges? How are they alike? How are they different?

#100. Why did the chicken cross the road? You are a detective and are assigned to the case. How do solve the mystery?

#101. Write instructions for how to make your favorite snack. Be sure you add your favorite tips and suggestions for how to select the best ingredients!

#102. Imagine you borrowed a friend’s favorite lucky pencil to help you pass a math test – but then it snapped in half! How will you ever tell the news to your friend?

#103. Look around the current room you are sitting in and choose 3 random objects that are nearby. Now write a story or poem that includes those three items!

#104. Write a letter to the author of a book you recently read and tell them what you liked most about the book.

#105. Ernest Hemingway is famous for writing a six word story. Can you write a story in just 6 words?

#106. What do you think will be the future for cell phones? Will people still use them in 25 years or will something else take its place?

#107. Do you want to go to college? Why or why not?

#108. Write a story or poem about a kitten who wanders off and gets lost. How does the kitten find its way home?

#109. Currently, it is required by law that kids go to school. Do you think this is a good or bad idea?

#110. If you could invent a new board game, what would it be called? How is it played? What are the rules? What makes it fun to play? Write about it!

#111. Imagine you come home to discover your entire bedroom is covered in ketchup! What on earth happened? What is your reaction? How do you clean everything up?

#112. What is something you learned today?

#113. Would you rather have a goldfish or shark as a pet?

#114. From A-Z: make a list of something for every letter of the alphabet.

#115. Have you ever gone fishing? If you have, did you like it? Why or why not? If you haven’t, do you think you might want to?

#116. What is one of the most important things you do each and every day?

#117. Write a story about Gretchen the Grouch, a girl who is always angry! Will she ever be happy? Why is she so grumpy all of the time?

#118. How do you feel when someone takes something of yours without asking? What is a good way to deal with it when that happens?

#119. Write a poem that starts with the word “if”.

#120. Write a story about a family of rabbits who live in the woods. What are some of the challenges they face?

#121. What clothes do you think are the most comfortable? What kind of clothes do you like to wear the most? What clothes do you NOT like to wear?

#122. Imagine there are no grocery stores and you must get your own food. What are some of the ways you find food? What types of things do you eat?

#123. What are 3 things you can do that are good for the environment?

#124. If you could meet any famous person today, who would you want to meet and why? What questions might you ask them?

#125. A tongue twister is a quick poem where many of the words start with the same letter and are similar in sound. For example, “Peter picked a peck of pickled peppers.” Try writing your own with this fun kids writing prompt!

#126. What is the first thing you think of when you hear or see the word green?

#127. A hero is someone who is admired for their courage and achievements. What do you think makes someone a hero? Who are some of your heroes?

#128. What did you do during summer vacation last year? What do you want to do for summer vacation this year?

#129. Write a story about a super hero dog who saves the day! Who does the dog help and why?

#130. Would you rather live somewhere that is always cold, or somewhere that is always hot? Write about which one you would rather choose.

#131. Have you ever volunteered to help a charity? If so, write about the experience! If not, what are some charities you think you might like to volunteer for?

#132. What does the word courage mean to you?

#133. What makes you unique? What are some things about you that make you an individual?

#134. Have you ever been to a museum? What is your favorite thing to look at on display?

#135. What can you do to set a good example for others to be kind?

#136. A Tall Tale is a story that exaggerates something that actually happened. Write a tall tale about something that recently happened to you.

#137. What is one of your favorite toys that you think you might still want to have and play with when you are 22 years old?

#138. Oh no! Everyone around you is sick with a nasty cold! Write a silly poem about how you try to avoid catching their germs!

#139. Personification is when a non-living object takes on human characteristics. Write a story where you personify a common electronic gadget in your house, such as the Television or toaster.

#140. Write a poem using similes, which is when you say an object is like something else. Here is an example of a simile: “Her eyes were as blue as the sky.”

#141. Have you ever read a book written by Dr. Suess? Write your own “Suess-style” story, complete with rhymes and made up words.

#142. Do you have any siblings? Think about what it might mean to be a good brother or sister and write about it!

#143. Make a list of questions to interview your parents or grandparents about what it was like when they were growing up as a kid. Then, ask them the questions and write about their answers!

#144. You are in charge of writing a new radio show just for kids! What topics will you talk about? What music do you play?

#145. What do you usually eat for breakfast every day? What, in your opinion, is the greatest breakfast food ever created? What makes it so great?

#146. Write a 12 line poem where every line is about a different month of the year.

#147. What is something you look forward to doing the most when you are an adult?

Use these prompts in your classroom!  Get the  ad-free printable version of these prompts  to inspire your students to write! Thank you for your support!

#148. Do you like to try new things? What is something new you have tried recently or would like to try?

#149. Imagine what it might be like to be alive in Egypt when the pyramids were built. Write about what it was like.

#150. A credo is a statement of personal beliefs. Try writing your own credo for things that you believe in and feel are important.

#151. The circus has come to town but they have no place to perform! How do you help the ringmaster find a place to put on a show?

#152. Do you like to act? What are some of your favorite actors or actresses? What do you think makes someone a good actor or actress?

#153. “Practice makes perfect” is a popular saying. What is something you like to practice so you can become better at it? A sport? A musical instrument? A special skill? Do you like to practice?

#154. Write about what it might be like to be water drops freezing and turning into ice.

#155. Do you think it is important to keep your room clean? What do you like about having a clean room?

#156. Imagine your parents are sending you away for a two week summer camp trip. Would you be excited? Why or why not?

#157. What are you currently learning about in history class? Write a fictional story about someone from the past you are learning about.

#158. Many wars have been fought in the past. Instead of going to war, what do you think countries could do to resolve their differences peacefully?

#159. Every year over 8 billion plastic bottles and cans are thrown away. What are some things you can do to help encourage your family and friends to recycle?

#160. Imagine if you were the principal of the school. What might you do differently? What things would you do that are the same? Write about it!

#161. Pretend that one day you are at your neighbor’s house and you notice a strange noise coming from the basement. You go downstairs to investigate to see a large machine running with many lights and buttons. Why is it there?

#162. Write an essay that starts with the line, “Tomorrow, I hope…”

#163. If you could give one thing to every child in the world, what would you want to give them?

#164. Do you have a piggy bank at home? How do you earn money to add to your savings?

#165. What qualities make a house a home? What are 3 things you think every house should have?

#166. Would you rather go scuba diving or rock climbing? Write about which one you think you would like to do more and why.

#167. Do you think it is a good idea for kids to write a daily journal? What are some of the benefits of writing every day?

#168. Do you like watching fireworks or are they too noisy? Write about a time when you saw fireworks in the sky.

#169. Oh no! Your friend has turned into a statue! How did this happen? What do you do? Does your friend ever turn back into a person again?

#170. If you could be any movie character, who would you be and why?

#171. A mysterious message appears in code on your computer screen. What could it mean?

#172. If you could go to work with one of your parents for a day, what do you think the day would be like? What types of things do your parents do at work all day long?

#173. Imagine you are the President and you are creating a new national holiday. What is your holiday about? How is it celebrated? What day of the year do you celebrate? Write about it!

#174. You won a never-ending lifetime supply of spaghetti noodles! What will you do with all of these noodles?

#175. Would you rather be a bunny rabbit or a hawk? Why did you choose the one you chose?

#176. Your teacher has been acting mysterious lately. After school one day, you notice a weird green light shining through underneath the door of your classroom. What do you do? What is happening with your teacher?

#177. Write an article about tips for how kids can be more organized and study well for tests.

#178. Look at any product in your house and read the ingredients labels. Research what each ingredient is. Do you think these ingredients are good or bad for people?

#179. If you were a doctor, what do you think would be the most important part of your job every day?

#180. The school librarian needs your help! A truck just arrived with 2,000 books and she can’t fit all the books onto the shelves! What do you do? How do you find a place to put all these books?

#181. Do you think it would be fun to plant a garden? What types of plants would you want to grow? Write about your garden ideas.

#182. What is a sport or activity you would like to try playing for the first time?

#183. Do you think kids should be allowed to do the same things as adults? What things do you think kids should be able to do that only grown-ups can?

#184. Imagine you and your parents switch places for a day. Your parents are the kids and you are now in charge! What would you do?

#185. Write a get-well letter to someone who has been sick. What can you say to make them feel better?

#186. If you could visit any planet in the solar system, which planet would you like to visit the most and why? Write about what it might be like.

#187. Have you ever been to a farm? What did you like about it? If you haven’t been to a farm, do you think you might like to visit one? Why or why not?

#188. The mayor of the city has a big problem and needs your help! What is the problem and how will you solve it?

#189. Pretend your little sister ate carrots for dinner and the next morning woke up with rabbit ears!  How did this happen? What do you do? Will she be a rabbit forever?

#190. Imagine you wake up in the morning to find out you get to relive any day of your life again for the whole day. What day would you want to experience again and why?

#191. Do you think you might like to be a firefighter? Why or why not?

#192. You are a lawyer and your client has been accused of stealing a car. How do you convince the jury your client is innocent?

#193. Think of the four elements: fire, air, earth, and water. Which of these four elements do you like the best?

#194. What would you do if you could be invisible for a whole day? Do you think you would enjoy it or be glad to be back to normal the next day? Write about it!

#195. Imagine you are a meteorologist and people are starting to get angry that your weather predictions are always wrong. What do you do?

#196. If you could create any law, what would it be? Why do you think the law is an important one to have?

#197. You are going incognito and need to hide to your identity so you aren’t recognized or discovered while you walk through the city. What type of disguise do you wear?

#198. Write a persuasive letter to your parents explaining why you should get a new pet. Make sure you provide a convincing argument they won’t be able to refuse!

#199. Your friend wants to do something dangerous. What should you do?

#200. How do you think the world would be different if there were no oceans?

#201. What do you do when someone disagrees with your opinions? Is there a better way to handle conflicting opinions?

#202. What do you think you as a kid could do to help encourage more people to read?

#203. Do you have a good luck charm? What makes this item lucky? When do you use it? How do you use it?

#204. What is at the end of a rainbow? Imagine you follow a rainbow to the end. What do you discover? Is it a pot of gold, or something else?

Use these prompts in your classroom!  Get the  ad-free printable version of these prompts  to inspire your students to write! Thank you for your support!

#205. What do you think the consequences should be for someone who is caught cheating on a test at school?

#206. Imagine you are riding your bike one day when you encounter an older kid who wants to steal your bike. What do you do?

#207. You are the lead singer and star of a famous rock and roll band, but there is one problem – your drummer is jealous of your fame! How do you solve this situation?

#208. If you could help a group of kids in any part of the world, what kids would you want to help the most and why? What are some things you think would help these kids?

#209. Everyone knows the house on the end of the street is haunted. What are some of the strange things that happen there? Why is the house haunted?

#210. You notice at school one day there is a door to a secret passage next to the janitor’s closet and decide to explore. Where does it lead? Why is it there? Do you go alone or bring a friend along?

#211. A bucket list is a list of things you want to accomplish in your lifetime. What are 5 things on your bucket list?

#212. Imagine the perfect treehouse or clubhouse for you and all of your friends as a place to hang out. Describe what it is like inside.

#213. Do you get bored easily? Make a list of things you can do whenever you feel like you are bored and there is nothing fun to do!

#214. Now vs. Then: Think about how today is different from one year ago. How have you changed? What things in your life are different?

#215. Write your autobiography about your life.

#216. It’s a heat wave! What do you do when the weather is hot? What are some of your favorite ways to stay cool?

#217. What are three important safety tips every kid should know to stay safe?

#218. What genre of books do you like to read the most? Write about the characteristics of the genre and list some of your favorite books as examples.

#219. Holiday Traditions: How does your family celebrate the different holidays and events? What are some traditions you do each and every year?

#220. Imagine one day in science class a science experiment goes terribly wrong and now you and all of your classmates have superpowers! What are your superpowers and what do you do with them?

#221. Who is favorite teacher? Why are they your favorite?

#222. You are baking a cake, but you accidentally put salt in the cake instead of sugar. Nobody will eat it! How do you feel? What will you do next time?

#223. Do you think it is important to have good table manners? What do you think some good manners to practice might be?

#224. Many schools no longer teach cursive handwriting. Do you think this is a good or bad thing? Do you know how to write cursive handwriting? Would you like to learn if you haven’t?

#225. If you were the owner of a theme park, what types of rides and attractions would have? Describe what they would be like and why people would want to visit your park.

#226. Your parents give you $100 to spend at the grocery store. What do you buy and why?

#227. Some people who are alive today grew up without computers or video games. What would you do if you didn’t have a computer or video games? How would life be different?

#228. You walk into your living room and discover there is a giant elephant standing there. How did the elephant get there? What do you do about it? How do you explain the elephant in the living room to your parents?

#229. Have you ever had a weird dream? What happened in the dream? What do you think it means?

#230. Do you like to draw or paint? Write a story inspired by a painting, doodle, or sketch.

#231. You are being sent on a mission to outer space to live in a space station for 5 years. What supplies do you pack and why?

#232. What is the scariest creature alive on earth? Describe in detail what makes it so horrifying.

#233. What do you think your pet might say if they could talk to you?

#234. Imagine your school is putting on a talent show. What act will you perform? What other acts will be in the show?

#235. If you could breathe under water, what would you do?

#236. What time of day do you think school should start? Write a convincing argument on why or why not the time of day school starts should change.

#237. If you were to start your own YouTube video channel, what would the videos on your channel be about?

#238. Do you like to cook? What are some things you like to make and eat?

#239. Your school is having a field day and you are in charge of planning the activities and games. What types of activities and games would you plan for the event?

#240. If you had a remote control drone that takes video of everything it sees from the sky and you could take it anywhere, what would you film? For example, the inside of a volcano or soar it over the plains of Africa.

#241. The Bermuda Triangle is an area of the ocean where many ships and planes have gone missing. Why do you think this could be? Write a story about what it might be like to travel there.

#242. There are 7 great wonders of the world – which one do you think is the most wonderful?

#243. If you could speak any foreign language fluently, which one would you like to speak and why?

#244. You are inventing a new flavor of ice cream! What is the new flavor called and what ingredients do you need to make it?

#245. Would you rather go to a baseball game or read a good book? What reasons do you have for your choice?

#246. You walk outside to get your mail and your mailbox starts talking to you! What does your mailbox have to say?

#247. Imagine you are a famous person. What are you most famous for? What is it like to be famous?

#248. What do you think would be the most fun job in the world to have? Give examples of why you think it would be a fun job to have.

#249. Write a poem about an object that is shiny and dazzling.

#250. Do you like to watch the Olympics? Why or why not? If yes, what is your favorite Olympic sport?

#251. What kind of car do you want to drive when you are older? Do you think learning to drive will be easy or hard?

#252. What do you think would make for a great gift to give someone on their birthday?

#253. Describe a time when you needed help and someone helped you. What did they help you with and how did it make you feel?

#254. If you could be any type of fruit or vegetable, what would you be and why?

Love these prompts?  Get the  ad-free printable version of these prompts  to use at home or in the classroom!

#255. Do you think it is more important to have a good imagination or have all the facts proven?

#256. Do you have a favorite aunt, uncle, or another relative? Write a story about their life and why you like to be with them.

#257. Think of a time you laughed really, really hard. What was so funny? Why were you laughing? Write about it!

#258. Write a poem about an emotion. For example: happy, sad, angry, embarrassed, guilty.

#259. Do you ever have a hard time falling asleep? What are some things that help you feel sleepy?

#260. If you could drive a car, where would you drive and why?

#261. Imagine you are trading places with your friend for a day. What will it be like to be at their house? What will your friend think while they are at your house? Write about it!

#262. If you could break a world record, what would it be? What do you think would be necessary to be able to break the world record?

#263. Imagine you live in Colonial times. What would it be like to grow up as a kid in Colonial America?

#264. You are building a new city. What is the name of your city? What is the weather like? What buildings will you build?

#265. What do you think it would be like to work as a sailor on big ship in the ocean each day?

#266. Imagine you are the teacher for the day. What types of activities do you make the students in the class do?

#267. How would you feel if your parents told you that you would be getting a new baby brother or sister? Write about it!

#268. Do you know any good jokes? What are some of your favorite jokes? What makes them funny? Do you think you could write your own?

#269. Imagine you are floating down a river on a raft. What types of things can you see from the river that you normally wouldn’t see from the land?

#270. You want to start a new hobby collecting something. What kinds of things would you collect and why?

#271. Your mom announces she is having a yard sale. Would you let her sell any of your things? Why or why not?

#272. Imagine you walk out your front door one morning and it is raining popcorn! What do you do?

#273.  You are camping in the woods one night and hear a scary noise. What do you do? What might be the cause?

#274. What do you think might make kids really happy to go to school? What are some things you think schools should do so that it could be more fun?

#275. Today’s lunch at the cafeteria was unusually horrible. You are a detective on the case to investigate. What do you think is the cause?

#276. If you had a tree that grows money, what would you do?

#277. What would you do if you had a unicorn as a pet?

#278. Would you rather go to the zoo or go to the aviary? Which one would you pick and why?

#279. What are some safety tips you should follow when riding a bike?

#280. You are designing the cover of a magazine. What are some of the headlines on the cover?

#281. Are you afraid of the dark? Why or why not?

#282. If you could learn to play any type of musical instrument, which one would you like to learn how to play and why?

#283. Imagine you are playing a sport that involves a ball, such as soccer, baseball or kickball. What would it be like if the ball could talk?

#284. You come home to discover a friendly alien has been living in your closet. What do you do? Why is there an alien in your closet?

#285. Is there something you are afraid of that you wish you weren’t afraid of? Write about it.

#286. Write about the best party you’ve ever been to. What made the day fun and special?

#287. What makes you feel loved and cared about? What are some ways people can show you that they love and care about you?

#288. There is a kite flying competition coming up and you are going to design your own kite. What will your kite look like? What colors will it be? Will it have any certain shape?

#289. You are given the challenge to drop an egg on the floor – without it breaking! What are some things you might try to make sure the egg won’t break?

#290. What are some of the things you can do every day to stay healthy?

#291. Do you think grown-ups are boring? Why do you think they are so boring all of the time? What is something fun that boring grown-ups could do instead of being so boring?

#292. Write a lyrical poem or song about what kids do while they are at school all day long.

#293. What are the first things you like to do when you are done with school each day? What are some of the activities you like when you are not at school?

#294. Imagine dinosaurs were still alive today. How do you think our lives would be different?

#295. Would you rather visit a volcano or a desert? Which one would you choose and why?

#296. Is there a sound you think is annoying? What types of sounds drive you crazy? Write about them!

#297. What do you think it would be like to be the size of an ant for a day? What types of things would you do?

#298. Imagine one of your stuffed animals comes to life and starts talking to you. What types of things will you talk about? What will you do?

#299. What makes you feel happiest? Write about the things in life that make you feel happy!

#300. Imagine there is no gravity. What kind of things would you do you for fun? How would some of the things you already do for fun be different?

Buy the Printable Cards!  We will always have this list of 300 kids writing prompts available for free, but I’m very excited to now also offer an  ad-free printable version of these prompts  in my online Etsy shop. Thank you for your support!

Parents and teachers, I hope you enjoyed these 300 writing prompts for kids and that you will use them to inspire your children’s creative imaginations.

These prompts of course can be used in a number of different ways and can be adapted for a variety of different styles of writing !

What do you think? Do you think these are good conversation and story starters for kids? Do you have any ideas for writing prompts you would like to share?

And of course, if you’d like to make it super fun and easy to use these prompts at home or in your classroom, be sure to get our ad-free printable version of these kids writing prompt cards now available in my Etsy shop.

We’d love to hear your thoughts on different creative writing ideas and topics for kids to write about! Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Chelle Stein wrote her first embarrassingly bad novel at the age of 14 and hasn't stopped writing since. As the founder of ThinkWritten, she enjoys encouraging writers and creatives of all types.

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Creative Writing: Y6 - Working At Greater Depth

Subject: English

Age range: 11-14

Resource type: Worksheet/Activity

Last updated

20 April 2016

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Key Stage 2 External Writing Moderation: 5 awesome independent writing ideas

You work incredibly hard to help your Year 6 children master the spelling, grammar and punctuation content all whilst juggling language comprehension and promoting a love of reading (phew!). Fostering that love for creative writing can be a slog, but it needn't be! Whether you’re a seasoned writing moderation veteran or new to the process, fresh ideas to capture interest and produce some awesome pieces of independent writing are always welcomed. We have included all you need to know about the 2022 external writing moderation process and collated 5 short-burst writing inspiration ideas for you to trial in your classrooms.

What is external writing moderation?

Undertaken by your Local Authority (LA) trained moderators, the Key Stage 2 (KS2) external writing moderation is a government-driven assessment strategy to ensure fairness across all Teacher Assessment (TA) judgements nationally. It can be easy to fall into the, ‘But I know he knows it!’ mindset when assessing, this process relies on objective, independent evidence to prove the child is working within the given category.

The LA, each year, selects 25% of their schools to be moderated. This can be a random selection but can be ‘encouraged’ by one or more of the triggers, you can find more information on the possible ‘encouragers’ for writing moderations here (section 11.1).

Schools will be notified 2 working days before the moderation is due to take place. One or more LA moderators will complete the moderation, looking at a selection of pupils around 15% of the cohort’s evidence collection to compare to the TA that child has been given (if you have a small cohort, a minimum of 5 pupils will be chosen). The moderators will take a selection of pupils from each of the 3 standard categories:

Children who are assessed to be working pre-key-stage or where the engagement model (previously P-Scales) has been used will not be included in the moderation process.  

How do I judge each child's writing standard?

Using The Teacher Assessment Framework , you will use the evidence collected from extended writing opportunities to make a judgement on the statements you can see the child has met, this is encouraged to be cross-curricular to show a breadth of skill application. Additional information can be found here .

The evidence needed to satisfy a standard will not be found in one piece of independent writing, this should be across several pieces of writing demonstrating different genres. If evidence can’t be found in the independent writing pieces additional forms of evidence can be used. If Year 5/6 statutory spelling lists (along with Year 3/4) are unable to be organically used in the written evidence, the use of spelling test data can be used in lieu. This applies also for handwriting, the use of handwriting exercises to show a child can meet this handwriting standard. Internal school and cross-school moderations are encouraged to be undertaken before the external moderation for confidence in TA judgements.  

What is independent writing?

5 engaging ideas to get awesome indpendent writing .

It can be difficult to generate independent writing opportunities. Sometimes what you need is a short burst of information to hook all children (even your reluctant writers) and a simple task that will produce writing that mirrors their understanding.

We have collated 3 of the best short-burst ideas for producing independent writing they will be proud to show off!

1. Skellig - Read in to Writing 

Descriptive narrative is a writing genre that demonstrates several statements in one piece. Children are often able to trial new grammatical features as well as play around with language. Skellig, by David Almond, is an excellent text to use as your vehicle to produce impressive writing. There is a full unit available here , with a film for reconsolidation and visual support for those who will benefit. When Michael discovers Skellig, this is a perfect opportunity to develop show-not-tell description, suspense building and sentence structure to reflect this tension. Another excellent writing piece is the description when Michael helps to tidy the garden, portraying it as a battle between man and weeds that can engage the reluctant writer. 

2. Tom's Midnight Garden - Read in to Writing

Opportunities to demonstrate the shifts in formality needed for Greater Depth can be challenging to create in modern texts. Using the free unit of work from Read in to Writing, there are a host of resources and writing ideas to stretch traditional vocabulary and phrases. This resource is often used for letter writing from Tom to Peter and is perfectly designed for diary writing, from several perspectives to show personal choice. The option to supplement the book with the filmed version can also be useful when you are against the clock.

3. Beach Comparison 

Thinking outside of the box for this next writing opportunity, an excellent one for those auditory and visual preference learners, they will write two detailed contrasting paragraphs. The first will focus on the chaos and the turbulence of a shoreline in a thunderstorm , just think of the adjectives alone. Moving onto the contrasting setting of a tranquil, calm after the storm .

4. The Blitz - eduu.school

Moving to a historical focus now, World War 2 is an engaging yet complex topic, regularly studied in Year 6. Beginning with a contained slide focusing on all you need to know about The Blitz, this free resource from eduu.school highlights technical and adventurous vocabulary and provides engaging images for the pre-writing discussion and is an excellent jumping-off point for newspaper articles, diary writing and radio broadcast play scripts.

5. Macbeth - Read in to Writing

Persuasive writing can be a challenging concept, highlighting Greater Depth writing skills when executed correctly. Speaking of executions… this free resource unit from Read in to Writing on Macbeth allows for persuasive letters, monologues and play scripts. A 6-week unit that can be easily used for short-burst writing for moderation. There are many online short film versions to allow for total understanding of the book when writing their speech from Macbeth to Lady Macbeth or even a defence or prosecution closing statement. The drama and role-play available will support the range of learning style preferences in your classroom. You can find over 24 free Key Stage 2 writing units packed full of writing ideas, here.

Know a Year 6 teacher who needs some fresh ideas? Share these top five with them.

Click here to learn more about Read in to Writing. 

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How do I use writing topics in my classroom?

Do you want to inspire your students to write great narratives, essays, and reports? Check out these grade-specific writing topics organized by mode (explanatory, creative, and so on). Or search for writing topics that relate to a theme, such as “life” or “animals” or “family.”

Jump to . . .

Explanatory writing.

• A day in the rainforest
• After-school games
• An important person I know about
• At the library
• Foods I don't like
• Friendly places
• Games I play with friends
• Games we play at recess
• Good things in my neighborhood
• How plants grow
• How to make my favorite dessert
• How to make new friends
• I like spring because . . .
• I like to make . . .
• I'd like to see . . .
• Insects, insects everywhere
• Learning to ride a bike
• My favorite food
• My favorite pet
• My favorite season
• My mom's/dad's hobby
• My new friend
• My shopping list
• Our clubhouse
• The biggest bubble-gum bubble
• The funniest zoo animal
• This person makes me laugh
• What I know about . . .
• What I know about an animal
• What I know about dinosaurs
• What I know about stars
• What I know about the ocean
• What I like about math
• What makes me laugh?
• What will I share?
• Who I will be in the future
• Who's at the zoo?
• Why I like to read
• Why I love to sing
• Words I think are funny

Persuasive Writing

• Don't litter!
• Things that would make my neighborhood better

Narrative Writing

• A day at the beach
• A special birthday
• Buying something with my own money
• Cooking dinner with Mom/Dad
• Eating lunch with my friends
• Going grocery shopping
• Going to the circus
• I rode on a . . .
• I'm happy when . . .
• Losing my teeth
• My adventure
• My trip to . . .
• Noisy times and quiet times
• Playing a game with Grandma/Grandpa
• Playing with pets
• Something funny that happened to me
• The biggest thing I ever saw
• The last time I cried
• When _ was born

Response to Literature

• A book I just read
• Some of my favorite books

Creative Writing

• A story about a holiday
• A trip on a rocket ship
• Dear George Washington
• Seeing the world through the eyes of . . .
• Sometimes I wish . . .
• What if I met a . . .
• What if I were 10 years old?
• What if I were someone else?
• What if toys could talk?
• What's under my bed?

Research Writing

• I wonder why . . .
• Something I don't understand
• A bicycle I'd like to have
• A day in the desert
• A great place to go
• A great treehouse
• A place I like to visit
• A sport I'm good at
• A trip on a monorail
• Activities for indoor fun
• Activities for outdoor fun
• Amazing facts I know
• An amazing animal
• Dancing to the music
• Having fun at school
• Helping out around the house
• Magic tricks I can do
• Making my favorite food
• My favorite baby-sitter
• My favorite board game
• My favorite teacher
• My homework place
• Our classroom pet
• Some things I like about the museum
• The best house pets
• The weirdest house pets
• Things that are hard to believe
• Things to do in the snow
• Unusual fruits and vegetables
• Water balloons!
• What I like about where I live
• What makes me special
• Who is beautiful?
• Let's help the environment by . . .
• Things I'd like to change
• A cozy spot at home
• A funny time in my family
• A great day with a friend
• A helpful person I have met
• A person who means the world to me
• A walk in the woods
• Funny things my pet has done
• My best birthday
• My favorite family story
• Putting on a play
• Swimming at the pool or lake
• When everything goes wrong
• Book characters I'd like to meet
• A dark hallway
• Donuts for dinner
• Something I wish would happen
• What if there were no electricity
• All about an amazing animal

Business Writing

• A cartoon character that I like
• A song that means a lot to me
• A special photograph
• A special, secret place
• A trip in a submarine
• An important time in history
• Building a fort
• Creatures that live in the ocean
• Creepy, crawly things
• Dirt bikes and skateboards
• Do I want to be famous?
• Doing homework
• Going to the dentist
• Gone fishing!
• How to stop hiccups
• How we divide the chores at our house
• I don't understand why . . .
• I'd like to invent a machine that . . .
• If I started my own business, I'd . . .
• Instructions for a pet sitter of my pet
• Let's help the animals by . . .
• Looking at the globe
• My favorite clothes
• My favorite form of exercise
• Pizza is . . .
• Staying at a friend's house
• The first day of school is the worst/best because . . .
• The rules we follow
• Things I see when I take a walk
• What I use a computer for
• What if I were the teacher?
• What is important to me?
• What it's like to use a wheelchair
• What my dreams feel like
• When I see nature, I . . .
• Why I like/dislike playing team sports
• Why my mom and dad are the greatest
• My school really needs . . .
• A day in the life of my pet
• A visit to a friend's school
• An excellent birthday party
• Discovering a new friend
• Getting my first pair of glasses
• Grandma's attic
• I'll never eat another . . .
• My best day
• My first school memories
• My most embarrassing moment
• Rings on her fingers
• Talk about being scared!
• When I did something amazing
• When I was upside down
• When the big storm hit
• If I wrote like the author of . . .
• A really spooky story
• Summer games
• What if we suddenly had to move?
• A game that meant a lot to my childhood
• A school field trip
• A toy I've held onto all these years
• A trip to a space station
• A typical lunch hour
• Can farmers grow enough food for everyone?
• Here's what a new student needs to know
• How I can change the way I look
• How I picture myself four years from now
• How I would define the word . . .
• I would have liked to have lived during this time.
• I'm principal for the day. Here is my schedule.
• I've done something that no one else has done
• If I could be someone else, I would be . . .
• My bedroom from top to bottom
• My favorite place
• My idea of a fun weekend
• My life as a . . .
• My participation in an activity outside of school
• One thing I want to do by the time I leave 8th grade
• Overcoming health problems
• The wildest hairstyle I have ever seen
• What a family member taught me
• What a house of the future might look like
• What I broke or lost that belongs to someone else
• A big hazard on the road
• A big problem in education is . . .
• A cool store
• A dedicated teacher or coach
• Dear Senator
• Discover nature
• Finally, a good assembly
• How could TV be better?
• Let's save _ in our schools
• My best class ever
• My favorite neighbor
• My favorite singer(s)
• Rights that kids in my grade should have
• The worst food I ever ate
• This really bugs me
• What's good about hard work?
• Why I deserve a larger allowance
• Why parents should be honest with their kids
• Why school fund-raisers are important
• Why weekends need to be longer
• A memorable bus ride
• A narrow escape from trouble
• A time that was just not fair
• A visit to a relative's house
• If I lived back in history
• If only I would have listened!
• My first concert
• My first friend
• Summer in a cabin by a lake
• The most fun I've had recently
• We couldn't stop laughing!
• We got caught!
• When I was lost
• A great book made into a great movie
• My favorite character from a book
• What if a book came to life?
• What this story means to me
• How _ came to be.
• Life among the cloud people
• Long ago and far away
• Meeting myself in the future
• Traveling west in a wagon train
• When the dinosaurs returned
• A job I'd really like to have
• All about an amazing place
• The most fascinating things I learned
• The tallest, the deepest, the longest, the biggest
• When I conducted an experiment
• When science took a big leap forward

Personal Writing

• The book that got me hooked on reading
• A day I will always remember
• A friend who moved away
• A great scientific breakthrough
• A person who changed history
• A personal habit I'd like to change
• A project I am working on
• A typical evening at home
• A visit with the doctor or dentist
• An invention that transformed the world
• Causes of a huge change in the world
• Coping with brothers and sisters
• Hanging out
• How a vehicle works
• How do people cope with constant pain?
• How I express myself artistically
• How it would feel to walk in space
• I admit it: I enjoy professional wrestling.
• I take some things too seriously
• If I were a superhero, I'd be . . .
• Is pollution a necessary evil?
• Is this love?
• Morning madness
• My craziest experience in a restaurant or shopping mall
• My dream car
• My first crush
• My first encounter with a bully
• My muscles were so sore after . . .
• My Web site
• Self-esteem
• Something this school really needs is . . .
• Sometimes, adults seem . . .
• The environment: problem and solution
• The hardest thing I have ever done
• The idea hit me like a tornado.
• The next wave of social media
• The toys I'll never give up
• Tools I will need in my intended profession
• We all make mistakes
• What animals can teach people
• What different colors mean to me
• What do Americans do well?
• What do I do to break routine?
• What do I worry about?
• What if school sports were dropped?
• What invention would I like to see in my lifetime?
• What it's like where I work
• Who knows me best?
• Why are crime dramas so popular?
• Why are some people so cruel?
• "Obstacles are what you see when you take your eyes off the goal."
• A change that would improve school life
• Foods I love, foods I hate
• I couldn't believe that Mom/Dad volunteered me for that job
• It's a rule, so it's right . . . right?
• Let's hear it for my favorite senior citizen
• Let's push alternate forms of energy
• Putting my foot in my mouth
• The government should . . .
• What most drives me crazy is . . .
• Why appearance is not so important
• Why I deserve the job
• _ is like a boomerang
• A funny thing happened when . . .
• A meaningful gift I've given or received
• A time when I got in trouble
• An unforgettable dream
• Looking at pictures of family and friends
• My brother or sister made me so mad
• My worst vacation
• What I regret most
• When I faced my fears
• When I learned something difficult
• When I traveled to . . .
• A remarkable artist
• An all-new album from an important artist
• An amazing work of art
• Meet the characters of . . .
• The music that moves me most
• The theme of my favorite story is . . .
• Alone on a desert island

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Westgate Primary School

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• Year 6 Writing Examples
• Class Pages

In this page, you will find some examples of what is expected of Year 6 writers who are meeting all the age-related requirements.  SCROLL DOWN  to find out what to expect from your children and some of the reasons why this is expected at Year 6. All the examples below are from "extended writing" sessions, which are generally over two lessons and are completed independently having spent previous lessons building up and practising writing skills.

Why is this writing at the age-related expectation (ARE) for the end of Year 6?

• Almost entirely grammatically correct, allowing for occasional punctuation and spelling errors.
• Capitals, full stops, commas, apostrophes and question marks are all mostly accurate.
• Uses the full range of punctuation to include evidence of dashes, brackets, hyphens, semi-colons and colons.
• Writing structure, formality and purpose should be clearly met. For example, the tone and layout of a newspaper should be clearly different to a narrative or a set of instructions.
• Handwriting should be neat, joined and legible.
• Correct tense throughout.
• A range of multi-clause sentences, including some thought into when you would use shorter or longer sentences. This is why children learn about grammar skills, such as: fronted adverbials, relative clauses, subordinate clauses, rhetorical questions and so on.
• A range of devices to create flow in the writing.
• Evidence that they have checked, improved and/or corrected their writing and spelling.
• Year 6 notes for parents - ARE.pdf

Below is what writing should look like halfway through the year. It is not yet meeting all the criteria as set out above but it is very close.

Expected to be ARE - Halfway through the year images

Below is what "greater depth" writing may look like halfway through the year. Note the additional flair to the sentences, improved spelling and more consistent, challenging punctuation.

Greater depth writing halfway through the year

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25 Creative Writing Prompts for Kids

Writing is a transformative skill that nurtures a child's ability to articulate thoughts, understand emotions, and express themselves with confidence. While some children find joy in putting pen to paper, others may need a gentle nudge into the world of writing. Recognizing this, we're committed to providing engaging and enjoyable resources that make the journey of learning to write both accessible and exciting!

We've gathered 25 creative writing prompts created to spark creativity and inspire storytelling adventures. Whether you're navigating the homeschooling landscape or seeking enriching activities for the weekend, these prompts promise endless possibilities for exploration and growth in your child's writing journey:

• You find a door in the school that you have never seen before. You peer through the large keyhole and see something that resembles a time machine… What happens next? Do you try to open the door?
• Write a story about a Monster that shows up at your birthday party.
• Write a story about a magical ring that can grant all your favorite things. Until…
• You are the main character in your favorite video game. What happens?
• Story starter: You’re watching your favorite movie when suddenly, you get pulled into the screen! After a moment of confusion, you discover that you’ve replaced the main character... What happens next?
• You’re building your dream treehouse, but first you need to get all the materials you need to complete it! Can you write a list of everything you need to build your treehouse?
• Your best friend gives you their favorite book, and you find out it has magical powers! What are its magical powers? How will you use them?
• Once upon a time, in a magical forest filled with talking animals, a curious fox discovered a hidden path leading to an enchanted castle. Follow the fox and write about your quest!
• Time for an adventure story: you wake up in a spaceship and a fellow astronaut tells you that you’re there to explore outer space. What happens? Do you discover a new planet? Who do you meet?
• What is your favorite animal, and what is the funniest thing about them? Write a report on this and include as many fun facts as you can!
• As the clock struck midnight, strange glowing lights appeared in the abandoned house at the end of the street, catching your attention... What happens next?
• Can you describe your favorite food? Is it ice cream? A burger? Pasta? Tell us all about it!
• You’re walking through the park when you spot a group of older kids playing your favorite sport. As you approach them to ask if you can join them, you spot a very shiny object by a tree. As you get closer, you can’t believe what you’ve discovered... What is it?
• You find yourself stranded on a desert island. As you search for other people and food, you find a cell phone that seems to be giving you directions to a mysterious location. Are you accepting the quest? What challenges do you face? Do you find a treasure, or something more dangerous? Write an exciting adventure story based on your quest to solve this mystery.
• Write an acrostic poem about your favorite season.
• You discover an animal that you’ve never seen before and it bestows some magical powers on you that change your life! Write a letter to a good friend explaining this.
• In a bustling city where robots were the norm, a young inventor stumbled upon a hidden button that activated something extraordinary. You are that young inventor. Write an exciting story about what happened after activating this button.
• Pretend that you are a “grown-up” who is 70 or 80 years old. Write a complaint about what is wrong with “kids these days”!
• If your favorite holiday is Christmas , we’ve got a secret mission for you: write a story persuading Santa that you could be his very best elf.
• Chindōgu (珍道具) is the Japanese art of inventing useless gadgets. Design a useless gadget and persuade people to buy it!
• What superpower would you NOT want and why?
• If you could create the perfect TV show, what would it be? What would happen?
• Write a story about what you think it’d be like to visit another planet for the first time.
• Can you invent your own company and write about what it would do?
• Journal writing prompt: What are your favorite things about yourself? Write a list of all the things that make you unique and special.

More Writing Resources for Kids

We hope you’ve enjoyed this collection of creative writing prompts for kids! For more creative writing ideas and prompts, check these out:

• Elementary Writing Prompts
• Picture Writing Prompts
• Writing Activities For Kids

Our Writing Program For Kids

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Our writing program for kids turns learning into a game, keeping even the most reluctant writers engaged and entertained as they work on their language skills. Your child will have full access to thousands of creative writing prompts, interactive lessons, exciting writing challenges and much more - they'll have so much fun they won't even realize they're learning!

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Got any questions? Reach out to us via email at [email protected] . Follow us on social media for more writing prompts, tips, and freebies:

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• Award-winning reading & writing program for kids
• Improves spelling, grammar, punctuation & vocabulary
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