Need help? Open
- What our subscribers say...
- How to videos
- Create new account
- Reset your password
What is creative writing?
Narrative or creative writing will be developed throughout a child's time at primary school. This table gives a rough idea of how story structure, sentence structure, description and punctuation are developed through story-writing lessons at school. (Please note: expectations will vary from school to school. This table is intended as an approximate guide.)
Download a FREE Creative Writing toolkit!
- KS1 & KS2 workbooks
- Bursting with fill-in prompt sheets and inspiring ideas
- Story structure tips, style guides and editing suggestions
Creative writing in primary school
Story structure Events in a story in an order that makes sense.
Sentence structure Joining two clauses in a sentence with the word 'and.'
Description Simple adjectives to describe people and places.
Punctuation Use of capitals, full stops, exclamation marks and question marks.
Year 2 Story structure Stories sequenced with time-related words such as: then, later, afterwards, next.
Sentence structure Starting to use sentences with two clauses connected by 'and,' 'but,' 'so,' 'when,' 'if' and 'then.' Keeping the tense of the writing consistent.
Description Using a broader range of adjectives.
Punctuation Using capital letters, full stops , question marks , exclamation marks , commas for lists and apostrophes for contracted forms (e.g. they're) and the possessive (e.g. 'Sarah's pen').
Year 3 Story structure Stories structured with a clear beginning, middle and end. Starting to write in paragraphs.
Sentence structure Continuing to use sentences with two parts, linked with connectives such as 'because', 'but' and 'so'.
Description Broad range of adjectives plus some powerful verbs .
Punctuation Using all of the punctuation above. Starting to use some speech punctuation .
Story structure Gaining confidence with structuring a story and with organising paragraphs .
Sentence structure Using sentences connected with more sophisticated connectives such as because,' 'however,' 'meanwhile' and 'although.'
Description Using a range of adjectives, powerful verbs and adverbs. Some use of similes . Using fronted adverbials (placing the adverb at the start of the sentence, e.g. 'Quickly, the children stood up').
Punctuation Increasingly accurate use of speech punctuation. Using commas after fronted adverbials .
Story structure Good structure of description of settings , characters and atmosphere. Integrating dialogue to advance the action. Using time connectives to help the piece of writing to come together.
Sentence structure Using a range of connectives to connect parts of sentences.
Description Using adjectives, powerful verbs and adverbs. Possibly some use of figurative language such as metaphors , similes and personification .
Punctuation Using brackets , dashes or commas to indicate parenthesis .
Story structure Continuing to structure stories confidently. Using adverbials such as: in contrast, on the other hand, as a consequence.
Sentence structure Using more sophisticated connectives like 'although,' 'meanwhile' and 'therefore.' Using the passive form. Using the subjunctive .
Description Continuing to use a range of descriptive language (see above) confidently.
Punctuation Using all of the previously mentioned punctuation correctly. Using semi-colons , colons and dashes to mark the boundary between clauses.
How creative writing is taught in primary schools
When teachers teach creative writing, they usually follow the units suggested by the literacy framework, including the following:
- stories with familiar settings
- stories from other cultures
- fairy tales (also known as traditional tales )
- fantasy stories
- myths and legends
- adventure and mystery
- stories with historical settings.
Teachers will start with a text that they are confident will engage the interest of the class. It is often a good idea to find a well-illustrated text to bring the story alive further. They will spend a week or two 'loitering on the text', which will involve tasks where characters and scenarios from the text are explored in-depth. These tasks may include:
- Drawing a story map or mountain to get an idea of the structure of the story
- Writing a letter from one character to another
- In pairs, improvising a conversation between two characters in the story
- Making notes on a spider diagram about a particular character
- Writing the thoughts of a character at a particular point in the story
- Writing a diary entry as one character in the story
Once teachers feel that the text has been thoroughly explored, they will guide the children in writing their own version of the story . This involves planning the story, brainstorming characters and setting and then writing a draft of the story. Children will then be encouraged to edit and re-write their draft. Teachers may mark the draft and write their own suggestions on it, or they may ask children to swap their writing with their partner and encourage them to make suggestions on each other's work. Throughout this process, teachers are aiming to encourage children to develop skills in the above four sections of the table: story structure, sentence structure, description and punctuation.
Finally, children will write up a 'neat' finished version of their writing. Teachers often give children a format for doing this, such as bordered paper on which they can add illustrations, or a booklet for which they can design a front cover.
More like this
We're sorry, this computer has been flagged for suspicious activity.
If you are a member, we ask that you confirm your identity by entering in your email.
You will then be sent a link via email to verify your account.
If you are not a member or are having any other problems, please contact customer support.
Thank you for your cooperation
- Primary Hub
- Art & Design
- Design & Technology
- Health & Wellbeing
- Secondary Hub
- Citizenship
- Primary CPD
- Secondary CPD
- Book Awards
- All Products
- Primary Products
- Secondary Products
- School Trips
- Trip Directory
- Trips by Subject
- Trips by Type
- Trips by Region
- Submit a Trip Venue
Trending stories
Top results
Creative writing KS2 – using the dramatic imagination
Harness the artists' 'secret code' to help pupils develop a gripping narrative…
How can we support students to write creatively? It is a great teaching conundrum.
We have all been there: spending hours setting up a stimulating scenario – a story-starter, an intriguing image, a dramatic moment – in the hope of grabbing the children’s imagination and inspiring them to write a gripping narrative.
Only to sit down later and read something truly depressing like, I walked to the door, I was scared. Then I opened the door and a monster attacked me. I died. Aagh!
It is easy to get frustrated (I know I have) but there is a solution: it is called the dramatic imagination.
The dramatic imagination is the secret code of artists. It is used in literature, film, theatre, art, and music. It is the vocabulary of mood and atmosphere, the language of setting and environment, the magic key to ‘show, not tell’. And we can teach it to children.
What is the dramatic imagination?
There are six dimensions to the dramatic imagination: sound/silence; movement/stillness; darkness/light. You might like to try them yourself.
Imagine standing in a room in an old house. It is night-time, on one side of the room is a paned window, on the other, a single door. Now describe where the light comes from and where it falls in the room. Is it from the moon outside, casting a silver light on the floor? Or a flicking candle on a table near the door?
Describe what sounds you can hear: the wind outside; the creak of the floorboards; the sound of your heart beating? Now take a step towards the door, describe your movement.
Describe the stillness in the room; the darkness; the silence. Now reach out to take hold of the door handle, describe the response from your body, the blood rushing through your veins, the slow movement of your arm, the stiffness of your hand…
How much did you write? If you are like me (and the students who learn how to do this) it will have been a lot. The story hasn’t progressed far, but there is a sense of atmosphere, of suspense, of fear.
You can imagine it as a film: the music slowly building, the screech of violins, the close-up of the actor’s hand. This is the power of imagination.
We can start using the dramatic imagination as soon as children come to school. In fact, it is one of the great features of the six dimensions that we already use them as a natural part of our teaching whenever we read a book to a class or share a picture.
They are all around us, all the time, the trick is to point them out, and later to teach them explicitly.
How to use it in the classroom
I first did this successfully with a Year 2 class using Ted Hughes’ The Iron Man. I started by writing the six dimensions on a large sheet of paper and asking the students to point them out as we read through the story (projecting the text onto the whiteboard):
The wind sang [sound] through his iron fingers [movement]. His great iron head, shaped like a dustbin but as big as a bedroom, slowly turned to the right [movement] , slowly turned to the left [movement]. His iron ears turned, this way, that way [movement]. He was hearing the sea [sound]. His eyes, like headlamps [light], glowed white, then red, then infrared [light] , searching the sea. Never before had the Iron Man seen the sea.
I then supported the students to use the dimensions in their own writing, first while doing guided writing, and then in independent writing. Giving them feedback such as: “You’ve got a sense of movement and sound here, but where is the stillness and silence?”, it was surprising how quickly the children picked them up and how effectively using them improved their writing.
Later, when I taught Year 6 the effect was quicker still and even more effective.
The dimensions are, in my experience, something children understand intuitively and begin to apply almost as soon as they become competent writers.
They often find joy in using a ‘secret code’ used by expert writers, artists, and filmmakers, and the six dimensions can transform children’s writing, giving them a strategy to move beyond ‘then/and’ stories, as well as providing a vocabulary for teachers to provide practical feedback which the children can use to develop their story-telling skills.
It is exciting to use too, and you’ll have fun incorporating it into your own teaching – teaching as storytelling:
The old house stood alone at the top of the hill, no one had been inside for years. Nothing moved except for the dark figures of animals scurrying across its rotten floorboards, nothing lived in the rooms but shadows filling every corner and every space. The wind and the sun and the rain had not been kind to the house’s paintwork which had once been bright and beautiful, but now lay still on the ground like a pale snow. “Why,” I asked myself, “had I promised to spend a night here, alone?”
Tim Taylor is a freelance teacher, and author of A Beginner’s Guide to Mantle of the Expert . Follow Tim on Twitter @imagineinquiry . Read more about building suspense in writing in KS2 .
Sign up to our newsletter
You'll also receive regular updates from Teachwire with free lesson plans, great new teaching ideas, offers and more. (You can unsubscribe at any time.)
Which sectors are you interested in?
Early Years
Thank you for signing up to our emails!
You might also be interested in...
Why join Teachwire?
Get what you need to become a better teacher with unlimited access to exclusive free classroom resources and expert CPD downloads.
Exclusive classroom resource downloads
Free worksheets and lesson plans
CPD downloads, written by experts
Resource packs to supercharge your planning
Special web-only magazine editions
Educational podcasts & resources
Access to free literacy webinars
Newsletters and offers
Create free account
I would like to receive regular updates from Teachwire with free lesson plans, great new teaching ideas, offers and more. (You can unsubscribe at any time.)
By signing up you agree to our terms and conditions and privacy policy .
Already have an account? Log in here
Thanks, you're almost there
To help us show you teaching resources, downloads and more you’ll love, complete your profile below.
Welcome to Teachwire!
Set up your account.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur adipisicing elit. Commodi nulla quos inventore beatae tenetur.
Log in to Teachwire
Not registered with Teachwire? Sign up for free
Reset Password
Remembered your password? Login here
Accessibility links
- Skip to content
- Accessibility Help
- CBBC iPlayer
Creative writing
16 learner guides
How to plan your story
Find out some useful tips to help you plan your story.
How is a story structured?
Find out why most stories consist of a beginning, a middle and an end.
What is a setting?
Find out what a setting is and how you can use them in your stories.
How to invent a new character
Find out about some of the different questions authors think about when they are inventing new characters.
How to think about your purpose for writing
Find out how your writing can have different purposes depending on the subject you're writing about or what you want to communicate.
How to write for different audiences
Find out how you should think about the language you use when writing for different audiences.
Identifying errors
Find out why it's important to check your work for errors.
Context for writing
Find out how changing the context can affect your stories.
Types of story
This English article shows how to identify the features of different types of story, also called genres.
Different types of story
An English article on how to identify the features of different types of story, such as science fiction, fairy stories, scary stories and mysteries.
Fiction and non-fiction
In this English article, learn about the difference between fiction and non-fiction writing.
Reading for pleasure
In this English article, learn about what an author does and review your favourite book.
Understanding recounts
An English article on what a recount is and how to write one of your own.
Identifying themes
In this English article, learn how to identify themes in a wide range of stories.
Recognising genre
An English article to help identify different genres of writing and choose the most appropriate genre for texts.
How to recognise genres
In this English article, learn how to identify different genres used in writing and choose the most appropriate genre for texts.
Play our cool KS1 and KS2 games to help you with Maths, English and more.
- The Regenerators Green Lessons
- BBC Teach: KS2 English
- external-link Royal Shakespeare Company
- external-link SATs Book Camp SUBSCRIPTION
- external-link Little Bridge
- external-link Education Quizzes SUBSCRIPTION
- external-link Unio SUBSCRIPTION
IMAGES
VIDEO
COMMENTS
Creative writing, also known as artistic writing, is any kind of writing that goes outside the norms of professional or technical literature.
Creative writing, also known as artistic writing, is any kind of writing that goes outside the norms of professional or technical literature.
How creative writing is taught in primary schools · Drawing a story map or mountain to get an idea of the structure of the story · Writing a letter from one
Creative writing is more than just forming one sentence after another. It's about weaving together a narrative or message that has a profound effect on the
Most people agree that creative writing is writing where the author uses their imagination to make a story. For example, let's say that you use
The dramatic imagination is the secret code of artists. It is used in literature, film, theatre, art, and music. It is the vocabulary of mood and atmosphere
KS2 English Creative writing learning resources for adults, children, parents and teachers.
A comprehensive guide and resource that details exactly what your Year 3 child should know and learn about creative writing, and where they
We hope you enjoyed hearing our top 5 ideas for teaching creative writing to children at home and in the classroom.
In this video, Twinkl Teacher Jack shows some creative writing challenges to engage and inspire your children in their writing: