Year 1 · Writing Your Own Sentences and Stories · Lesson 11.1

Year 1 English: Say it, then write it

Part of the Year 1 English writing your own sentences and stories chapter. Chapter overview · whole chapter on one page · Download worksheet (PDF) · Answers (PDF)

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11.1

Say it, then write it

Year 1
Say a sentence out loud before writing it, Write a sentence about a picture

Writers do not start by writing. First they say the sentence out loud. Saying it helps you hear if it makes sense, and it helps you count the words.

Look at the cat. We can say: The cat is orange. Say it again, slowly, and touch a finger for each word. Then write it on paper, with a space between each word, a capital letter at the start and a full stop at the end.

Say a sentence about one of these pictures, then write it.

Key ideas

Say the sentence out loud before you write it.
A sentence tells who or what it is about, and something true about it.
Leave a space between each word.
Start with a capital letter and end with a full stop.

Worked example 11.1.1

Look at the cat. Say a sentence about it, then write it.

Method. Look at the picture, say a sentence out loud, then write it on paper.

Look at the picture. The picture shows a cat.
a cat
Say a sentence about it. A sentence tells who or what it is about, and something true about it.
The cat is orange.
Write the sentence. Start with a capital letter, leave a space between words and end with a full stop.
The cat is orange.

Check. Read it aloud. It is about the cat and it has 4 words. ✓

Watch out. Say the sentence before you write it. Each word should match something in the picture.

Worked example 11.1.2

Look at the sun. Say a sentence about it, then write it.

Method. Look at the picture, say a sentence out loud, then write it on paper.

Look at the picture. The picture shows a sun.
a sun
Say a sentence about it. A sentence tells who or what it is about, and something true about it.
The sun is yellow.
Write the sentence. Start with a capital letter, leave a space between words and end with a full stop.
The sun is yellow.

Check. Read it aloud. It is about the sun and it has 4 words. ✓

Watch out. Say the sentence before you write it. Each word should match something in the picture.

Worked example 11.1.3

Say this sentence out loud: The dog is brown. How many words are in it?

Key words. A word is a group of letters that we say together, like cat.

Method. Say the sentence out loud. Touch a finger for each word, then count them.

Say the sentence. Say it slowly, one word at a time.
The dog is brown.
Count the words. Each word is a group of letters with a space on each side.
The / dog / is / brown
Write the answer. The full stop is not a word, so do not count it.
4 words

Check. Count again from the last word back to the first: 4 words. ✓

Watch out. Do not count the full stop as a word.

Watch out

Watch out: a sentence you only think about can change when you write it down. Say it out loud first, then read what you wrote, and check that it matches what you said.

Exam tip

Grown-up tip. Point to a toy or a picture and ask: “Tell me one sentence about it.” Say it back together, slowly. Practise on paper: your child writes the same sentence on paper, with a finger-width space between each word.