What Makes A Greater Depth Writer in Year Three

In Year Three, children are expected to write with increasing control, accuracy and fluency. They should also begin to write for different purposes and audiences. But what makes a writer work at a greater depth? Here are some features to look out for…

Related: For more, check out our article on What Makes A Greater Depth In Year Four here.

Begin To Demarcate Speech With All Necessary Punctuation

To demarcate spoken language, all necessary punctuation should be used correctly. This means using quotation marks when quoting someone else’s words, apostrophes when indicating contraction or possession, dashes or parentheses where required, and commas or semicolons to separate ideas.

Of course, young writers often use the much-maligned ellipsis – three dots in a row indicating a pause or trailing off – for dramatic effect.

When it comes to writing at an advanced level, however, more accurate use of these tools will become essential to conveying accuracy and meaning in their work.

Related: For more, check out our article on What Makes A Greater Depth In Year Five here.

Writing Is Punctuated Accurately To Ensure Meaning Is Clear

Excellent writing is always organised, but punctuation is essential in communicating meaning to your audience. Plus, accurate punctuation adds rhythm and structure to a piece of paper.

As a teacher, you can use awareness around punctuation to help identify when a student is working at a greater depth level with their work.

When the student has accurately used comma placement and appropriate hyphenation and employed effective brackets and quotation marks, teachers can recognise that their writing is more sophisticated than typically seen at lower grade levels.

Understanding how to effectively use punctuation when report helps improve their communication skills in the long run and helps distinguish when a student needs extra support or additional challenge in this particular area.

Understand The Concept Of A Main And Subordinate Clause

When teaching the concept of writing at a greater depth level, understanding the difference between a primary and subordinate clause can be critical. A main clause includes a subject and verb and expresses a complete idea.

On the other hand, a subordinate clause is an incomplete sentence that cannot stand alone, as it needs to be combined with a main clause to make sense.

Because these two types of clauses play different roles in adding information to a sentence and making it more complex, they are both essential components of writing at greater depths.

Knowing how to use them will help students express their thoughts more clearly and improve their writing skills.

Begin To Use Commas More

When children begin to use commas in their writing, combining two independent clauses for emphasis is often used. For students to work at a greater depth level regarding their report, they must use commas to separate primary and subordinate clauses.

Children will gain confidence as they learn more about clauses and the vital role commas play while using them in their writing.

Understanding when it is best to use commas between main and subordinate clauses helps the reader distinguish the author’s thoughts more accurately and fluently, resulting in better communication of ideas which should be the end goal.

Write In Clear Paragraphs

Writing in clear paragraphs is essential to any composition, whether a blog article or a more formal piece of writing. It helps the reader follow along, readily distinguishing between different topics and ideas.

Teachers must become familiar with their students’ writing styles to analyse and recognise when those styles have shifted.

It can be especially telling when a usually short-paragraph writer has crafted a longer one to represent a more complex event or idea. It may indicate that the student is working at a greater depth level in their writing.

Showing these changes in length, structure, and other style techniques can make it easier for teachers to understand better their students’ progress.

Write With Increasing Awareness Of The Reader

When a student is writing with an increasing awareness of their reader, they need to think beyond presenting just the facts and consider what will make their writing attractive to the audience.

This could involve including unexpected details or anecdotes that draw the reader in or using descriptors and imagery to paint a vivid and memorable picture.

By actively attempting to engage their readers, they also need to ask themselves how they can use language effectively to convey their message in an impactful way to leave a lasting impression.

Writers should strive to create pieces that aren’t easily forgotten by providing insights that intrigue and captivate their audience.

Writing Is Carefully Planned And Annotated

To ensure that all ideas are communicated effectively, students must carefully plan what they want to say and how they want to say it.

Furthermore, they must make sure their selections of words are deliberate and chosen from all the different areas of study, such as science, literature, math, history, and more.

By doing so, not only will a student’s writing be more effective in presenting their thoughts but also much more prosperous due to the varied selection of vocabulary.

This is why teachers should be aware of when a child in their class is working at this advanced level – so they can encourage them to continue pushing boundaries with their writing!

Effectively Use Verbs And Adverbs

Teachers must recognise when their students use compelling descriptive verbs and adverbs to embellish their writing further.

Adding detail with carefully selected words can help make a story more engaging and memorable, as sweeping descriptions of events, settings, and characters that come alive by jumping off the page can genuinely captivate an audience.

This can take a child’s story from merely adequate to truly exceptional; teaching them how to use verbs and adverbs effectively will significantly improve their storytelling skills.

Confidently Use A Variety Of Sentence Structures

Using various types of sentences can help to develop a student’s understanding of how their words work together by emphasising certain aspects and adding complexity to ideas.

While all students must be aware of the common types of sentences, such as imperative and declarative, those at the greater depth level need to practice using more intricate structures like exclamations, questions, and compound-complex sentences.

By guiding and creating these more advanced styles, teachers can ensure that students take full advantage of their knowledge at this higher level.

Sentence Starters Show Greater Variety

Starting sentences with more variety is essential to demonstrate that a child is working at a greater depth level in their writing. Using adverbials of time and place to start sentences, as opposed to the traditional ‘I went’, can help give variety and provide exciting insights into the story or narrative.

By having a greater depth of sentence starters, readers can become quickly engaged in what is being read. It can add an element of mystery and curiosity for the reader, encouraging them to keep reading.

It also allows the writer to demonstrate a stronger creative side, showing a greater depth in their writing. Teachers should observe this type of sentence starter when assessing writing as an indicator for increased understanding.

Writing Is Edited

For many young writers, writing goes beyond simply forming a sentence and creating a story. Every piece of paper should be edited clearly to create a long-lasting impact on the reader and proofread for accuracy. It’s always important to review what is written and make adjustments accordingly.

This could range from changing the tone or cadence of a piece, inserting additional information for clarification or even substituting words for more precise terminology.

Just like an artist refining their craft, a writer must take the time to edit and refine their work to reach its maximum potential in connecting with audiences.

Consistently Apply Year Three Spelling Expectations

Children in year 3 have a much more sophisticated spelling than younger age groups. As such, teachers must ensure that their writing consistently applies Y3 expectations. Usicannot’s best approach to teaching these higher-level spellings can be complex, but with consistency comes improved student understanding.

By focusing on ways to help students understand the conventions for spelling, along with techniques such as working on sentence structure and word choice, teachers can ensure that their students are adhering to Y3 expectations and succeeding in their written work.

If you are a year two teacher, check out our article: What Makes A Greater Depth Writer in Year Two!