WRITING

SKILLS

OVERVIEW
WRITING SKILL
By the end of the six year primary schooling, pupils will
be able to:
express their ideas clearly on paper in legible handwriting
or to communicate via the electronic media.
develop their writing ability beginning at the word and
phrase levels and progress to the sentence and paragraph
levels. Write simple compositions comprising several
paragraphs.
be independent and proficient users of the language
(although much of the writing at this level is guided, the
amount of control is relaxed for pupils who are able and
proficient in the language)
2

OVERVIEW
By the end of the six year primary schooling, pupils
will be able to:
write clearly and legibly including cursive writing.
use appropriate vocabulary and correct grammar to get
their meaning across clearly.
write for different purposes and for different audiences.

By the end of the 6-year primary schooling, pupils will be able to:
3.1 form letters and words in
neat legible print
including cursive writing.

3.2

Able to write in neat legible

print with correct spelling.

Able to write in neat

cursive
writing.

write using
appropriate language,
form and style for a
range of purposes.

Able to transfer information with

guidance.

Able to write with guidance.

Able to punctuate correctly.

Able to spell words by applying

spelling words.

3.3 write and present ideas

through a variety of
media.

Able to create simple texts

using a variety of media with
guidance.
4

The content standards of writing skills are achieved

through learning standards that have been devised
carefully throughout primary schooling.
In Level Two, pupils progress to cursive writing of words,
phrases and sentences in paragraphs. This is further
developed with copy writing activities and gradually
pupils are taught guided writing whereby pupils write
linear and non-linear texts using appropriate language,
form and style.
The use of various media is also encouraged and pupils
can create both linear and non-linear texts with
guidance as well as work independently.

Writing Skills
CONTENT STANDARDS

LEARNING STANDARDS

3.1
By the end of the 6-year 3.1.1 Able to write in neat
primary schooling,
legible print with correct
pupils will be able to
spelling:
form letters and
(a) phrases
words in neat legible
(b) sentences
print including cursive
(c) numerals in word form
writing.
3.1.2 Able to write in neat
cursive writing with correct
spelling:
(a) words
(b) phrases
(c) numerals in word form

Writing Skills
CONTENT STANDARDS

LEARNING STANDARDS

3.2 By the end of the 6

year
primary schooling,
pupils will be able to
write using appropriate
language, form and style
for a range of purposes.

3.2.1 Able to transfer

information with
guidance to complete:
(a) linear texts
(b) non-linear texts
3.2.2
Able to write with
guidance:
(a) labels
(b) notices
(c) messages
3.2.3
Able to punctuate
correctly:
(a) apostrophe
(b) speech markers
7

Writing Skills
CONTENT STANDARDS

LEARNING STANDARDS

3.3.
By the end of the 3.3.1
Able to create simple
6-year
texts using a variety of
primary schooling,
media with guidance :
pupils will be able to
write and present
(a) non-linear
ideas through a variety of (b) linear
media using appropriate
language, form and style.

PENMANSHIP
Penmanship is an essential skill
even in our age of
technology.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Although penmanship is rarely taught to primary
school pupils anymore -- largely because the rise
of technology has appeared to make its use
irrelevant -- educators are finding a connection
between learning to write by hand
and learning in general.
Children who are taught fluency in handwriting also
learn how to think fluently. Students who are
required to produce written assignments actually
producing assignments that are superior both
quantitatively and qualitatively than those
produced by students who turn in typed
assignments
(Newsweek, "The Writing on the Wall").
10

Cursive Writing
Generally, due to the restrictions of time
to teach all the fundamentals of the
language, cursive writing has become a
forgotten subject.
Cursive writing is a beautiful art form that
connects the letters with swoops and
curls. It is an art form that is unique to
each
individual
student.
No
two
handwritten letters are the same even
though each word written is identical.
Cursive writing speaks about the students
personality and the type of day they
are
11

Why should we keep teaching pupils

cursive writing in schools?
Advantages of Learning Cursive
Writing

Cursive is faster than

printing.
More efficient for taking
notes.
Enables pupils to write faster
12

In Cursive Writing:
All letters are slanted.
The letters within words are joined.
The pencil is not lifted from the paper
until the word is finished. (This is the
most important point to make)
Ending strokes are important not
too long or not too short also called
connecting strokes. These strokes
determine the spacing between
words as well as connecting each
13

Are you good at cursive writing?

Complete the sentence below.
Lets see how good your cursive
writing can be!

14

How to Teach Penmanship

Cursive Writing

15

How to Teach Penmanship

Cursive Writing lowercase
alphabets

16

How to Teach Penmanship

Cursive Writing Uppercase
alphabets

17

ACTIVITY 1
Lets look at the label. What goes into a label?

18

Choose a product. Produce a label.

chips

soap powder

biscuit

chocolate
Can you name the learning standard?
3.2.2

Able to write with guidance:

(a) labels

19

ACTIVITY 2
SECRET MESSAGES

Imagine that you are Secret Agent Oso.

You are given a task to get information
from another fellow agent. You need to
decode the message. You have to write
the decoded message in full sentences
so that your superior will be able to read
and understand the message.
20

Situation
Your fellow agent observed a strange
looking man and his activities at a
supermarket. He has recorded some
information on what he has seen in
the form of pictures. Decode the
message below.

21

Message to your boss

Dear Mr. M,
Two hours ago

He is
rather.....................

I shall
never.....................
Can you name the learning standard?

3.3.1

Able to create simple texts using a variety of media

22
with guidance :

Yours sincerely,

ACTIVITY 3
Write the phrases and sentences correctly.
1.Arthurs bicycle
2.Suhaimis red balloon
3.grandpas moustache
4.Lets go to the zoo.
5.Never go to the big bad wolfs den.
Can you name the learning standard?
3.2.3

Able to punctuate correctly:

(a) apostrophe
(b) speech markers

23

Why Learn Spelling?

Good spelling is a
fundamental part of a
pupil's literacy
development.
24

How to learn spelling?

Teacher can encourage pupils
learn their spellings using the
'Look, Cover, Write, Check'
Method.
This method encourages the
pupil to 'see' and 'hear' the word,
and to see for himself if he spelt
it right.
25

onomatopoeia

26

'Look, Cover, Write, Check'

Method

Look at a spelling word.

Cover the spelling word.
Visualise the covered word in the mind.
Write the word from memory.
Check what has been written with the
uncovered word.
During their English lessons, pupils should
be given the opportunity to look for
patterns in the spelling of words.

27

Other ways to learn

spelling

Find words within the word (there's a 'hen'

in 'when'!)
Break the word up into smaller parts (Wed
+ nes + day = Wednesday)
Break the word up into sounds (th-a-nk)
Make up a silly sentence using the letters
(big elephants cause accidents under
small elephants spells 'because')
Say the word as it is written (like 'knight')
Find a word that rhymes with it: is the
spelling the same?
28

Spelling Plural Nouns

Here are some general rules for spelling plural
nouns.
Nouns
Most nouns

Plural
add s

Examples
book, books; cup, cups; sprout,
sprouts

Most nouns that end in ch, sh, s, x, or z add es

box, boxes; bus, buses; prize, prizes

Most nouns that end in a vowel and y

add s

boy, boys; day, days; key, keys

Most nouns that end in a consonant

y becomes ies

baby, babies; country, countries; spy,

and y

spies

Most nouns that end in f or fe

f or fe becomes ves

elf, elves; loaf, loaves; thief, thieves

Most nouns that end in o

add s

kangaroo, kangaroos; piano, pianos;

video, videos

Certain nouns that end in a consonant

and o

add es

hero, heroes; potato, potatoes;

volcano, volcanoes
29

Some Exceptions

Certain English nouns change a vowel

sound when they become plural. These
include goose, geese; man, men; mouse,
mice; and tooth, teeth.
Some nouns don't change at all when they
become plural. These include deer, fish,
sheep, and species.
A few nouns have plural forms that are left
from Old English. These include child,
30

Spelling rules
Help your pupils to learn spelling rules. There will
always be exceptions, but they work most of the
time:
Most questions start with 'wh'
i before e except after c
Add 's' for plurals except those that end in 's', 'x',
'z', 'ch' and 'sh', when you add 'es'
Nouns ending in 'y' change to 'ies'
Use 'ce' for nouns and 'se' for verbs (you advise
with advice)
When adding 'ing' or 'ed', double the last
consonant after a short vowel sound (so drop
becomes dropping or dropped)
31
Don't drop the final 'e' when you add 'ly'

Spelling Tips
You hear with your ear.
The word separate has "a rat" in it
(separate).
Donkeys, monkeys - There are keys in
donkeys and monkeys.
The word here is also in its opposite there.
Villain - A villain is one who lives in a villa.
There is no word in English ending in -full
thankfu
gratefu
spoonf
except l full.
l
ul

32

33

CRAZY SPELLING
WE HAD GHUITI ON PHRIGDEIGH.
gh as in cough
ui as in build
ti as in nation

ph as in photo
igh as in high
iegh as in weigh

The sentence reads.

BOGGLE
How many words can you make?

36

37

38