Year 3 Writing Journey
Throughout the year, pupils strengthen foundational knowledge and develop greater control of the writing process.
FOUNDATIONAL KNOWLEDGE
- Build varied sentence structures and richer vocabulary.
- Use conjunctions, adverbs and prepositions to express time, place and cause.
- Begin to organise related ideas into paragraphs and punctuate direct speech.
EXECUTIVE SKILLS
- Discuss and record ideas.
- Compose and rehearse sentences orally.
- Assess, revise and proofread writing.
Set 1 books for 2026-2027
| Half term | Book title | Author |
|---|---|---|
| Autumn 1 | Seal Surfer | Michael Foreman |
| Autumn 2 | Winter’s Child; Ice Palace | Graham Baker-Smith; Robert Swindells |
| Spring 1 | Stone Age Boy | Satoshi Kitamura |
| Spring 2 | Big Blue Whale; This Morning I Met a Whale | Nicola Davies; Michael Morpurgo |
| Summer 1 | Journey; Tilly Mint Tales | Aaron Becker; Berlie Doherty |
| Summer 2 | Zeraffa Giraffa | Dianne Hofmeyr |
Journey through 2026-2027
AUTUMN
Establish and revisit
- Revisit sentence accuracy, handwriting joins and key spelling patterns.
- Discuss the structure, vocabulary and grammar of model writing.
- Use a simple plan to organise related ideas.
SPRING
Develop and connect
- Develop settings, characters and plot, or organise non-fiction with headings.
- Use paragraphs to group related ideas.
- Monitor whether writing is clear and make changes to vocabulary or grammar.
SUMMER
Apply and become independent
- Sustain a structured piece with increasingly cohesive paragraphs.
- Proofread spelling and punctuation with growing independence.
- Read writing aloud using intonation that makes meaning clear.
What families may notice
Across the year, writing should become more accurate, sustained and independent. Children should increasingly be able to explain what they are learning, talk through ideas before writing, use taught knowledge in new contexts and improve their work after rereading.
How families can help
Discuss interesting vocabulary from reading, then ask your child how ideas will be grouped into paragraphs before writing.
Year 3 Writing Journey
