Writing in the early years
Four short units that take children from making marks to writing a name, a label, a caption and a list. Every unit starts with talk and ends with a real reader.
Three big ideas
Marks mean something. Children learn that what they draw and write says something, and an adult can read it back.
Sounds to letters. They say a word slowly, count the sounds and write a letter for each one.
Say it, hold it. They say a whole sentence aloud, hold it on their fingers and write one word at a time.
Pick a unit
Units can be taught in order or chosen to match your topic. Each has a model text, oral rehearsal games, a sentence skill, a planning frame, a teacher script, a task with support and stretch, success criteria and a publishing template.
Mark-making to name writing
Children make purposeful marks, tell an adult what the marks mean and write their name, or the first letters of it, from a name card.
Unit 2 · LabelsLabels for a picture
Children write at least three labels with a plausible letter for each sound they hear, and read their labels back.
Unit 3 · CaptionA caption: I can see a...
Children write one caption that begins I can see and can be read by someone else, with spaces between words.
Unit 4 · ListA list: a picnic for teddy
Children write a list of three to five items, each on its own line, that someone else can read and use.
How writing grows
- Early yearsNursery and Reception · pre-CEFR
- Level 1Years 1 and 2 · Pre-A1 to A1
- Level 2Years 3 and 4 · A1 to A2
- Level 3Years 5 and 6 · A2 to B1
Little Steps English: ages 4 to 6 in the free curriculum. Open the Early years curriculum.
What to look for
Use these in the checking and publishing sessions. Judge composition separately from handwriting and spelling, so a child who struggles with transcription is not marked down for good ideas.
| Area | What you are looking for |
|---|---|
| Ideas (composition) | Says what a picture or mark means. Says a whole sentence before writing it. |
| Sounds and spelling | Writes a plausible letter for each sound they hear. Tricky words may be spelt by sound. |
| Letter formation | Forms most letters so they are recognisable. Teach formation separately, with handwriting. |
| Words and spaces | Leaves finger spaces and begins to write words instead of strings of letters. |
| Reading back | Points to words, reads them aloud and notices when something does not match the picture. |
Sentence skills used at this level
Frames, checklist and templates
Every planning frame, editing checklist and publishing template prints on one A4 page. The frames are on each unit page. Here are the quick links.
Curriculum and evidence
The units support the Literacy writing early learning goal in the EYFS statutory framework: write recognisable letters, spell words by identifying sounds, and write simple phrases and sentences that can be read by others. Early composition is oral: children say what a mark, picture or caption means, and an adult scribes.
The method echoes Education Endowment Foundation guidance on talk, oral language and early writing.
- Statutory framework for the early years foundation stage (DfE)
- Preparing for Literacy: early years (EEF)
Last checked 7 November 2026. Statements are paraphrased.