Making Writing Flow

Overview

In this 60-minute writing workshop, students revise a draft procedure or explanation so that ideas flow clearly for the reader. They will connect steps with time connectives, use pronouns and repeated key terms purposefully, and edit punctuation, homophones, and joined handwriting. This lesson builds on earlier planning and drafting in the Procedures and Explanations unit.

Learning intentions

• We are learning to revise a draft for flow and reader understanding.
• We are learning to connect ideas with time connectives, pronouns and key terms.
• We are learning to edit spelling, homophones and sentence punctuation.
• We are learning to present our writing carefully using joined handwriting.

Success criteria

• I can read my writing as a reader and identify where the flow breaks down.
• I can use time connectives such as first, next, after that and finally.
• I can replace unnecessary repetition with a clear pronoun or a useful repeated key term.
• I can check -ick words, homophones, capital letters, full stops and joined writing.

Curriculum links

• English — Writing to inform: organise ideas clearly, develop a topic with facts or related examples, use precise vocabulary and provide a concluding sentence.
• English — Writing to inform: introduce a topic and group related information into paragraphs.
• English — Oral Language / Communicating and Presenting: use words and phrases such as because, so and this means that to explain reasons, results and links between ideas.
• English — Reading / Comprehension: recognise that effective texts present ideas in an organised structure for a reader.

Lesson structure (60 minutes)

1. 0–7 min · Hook and retrieval. Open with the hook and retrieval slides showing two versions of a short procedure: one disjointed and one cohesive. Read both aloud and ask, “Which one would be easier to follow, and why?” Students turn and talk, then identify one feature that helps a reader, recalling learning from previous lessons.

2. 7–17 min · Direct teach: linking ideas. Use the cohesion teaching slides to model revising a short procedure about making a seedling pot. Think aloud as you add time connectives (first, next, after that, finally), replace repeated nouns with pronouns where the meaning stays clear, and repeat important topic terms when clarity matters. Highlight that pronouns must have an obvious antecedent. Students help improve one sentence orally using a connective, pronoun or repeated key term.

3. 17–27 min · Guided editing. Display the practice paragraph from the guided editing slides and distribute the cohesion and editing worksheet. As a class, mark where the reader may become confused, then jointly revise two or three sentences. Students complete the remaining short paragraph task independently or with a partner, explaining why each change improves flow.

4. 27–42 min · Independent revision. Direct students to retrieve their own procedure or explanation draft and use the revision checklist on the cohesion and editing worksheet. Students read each sentence aloud quietly, circle breaks in flow, and revise their draft by adding time connectives, clarifying pronoun references and removing only unnecessary repetition. Support students may use the sentence-building word mat to select connectives, pronouns and punctuation.

5. 42–53 min · Transcription and proofreading. Return to the proofreading slides and model a final proofreading sweep: -ick words such as quick and stick; commonly confused homophones such as to, too and two; capital letters and full stops; and careful joined writing. Students proofread their revised paragraph, correct errors in pencil, then neatly rewrite one improved section. Ask them to check that every pronoun clearly refers to the correct noun.

6. 53–60 min · Share and exit reflection. Show the sharing and plenary slides and invite pairs to read one before-and-after sentence. Partners identify the cohesion improvement and explain its effect on the reader. Students complete the reflection prompts exit-ticket slips by naming one change they made and one editing check they will remember.

Resources

• the Improving Cohesion slide deck
• the cohesion and editing worksheet
• Students’ procedure or explanation drafts
• Exercise books or writing folders
• Pencils, erasers and highlighters
• Joined-writing model or alphabet chart
• the Sentence Builders Word Mat
• the Reflection Prompts Exit Ticket Slips

Assessment

• During the hook and guided editing, listen for students explaining how connectives, pronouns and repeated key terms support reader understanding.
• Confer with students during independent revision, checking that changes improve flow rather than simply adding words, and that pronoun references are clear.
• Use the revised paragraph and exit ticket to identify students who need further teaching about cohesion, homophones, punctuation or handwriting.

Differentiation

• Provide a short, clearly spaced draft, read instructions aloud, and allow students to revise one paragraph rather than a whole text if writing stamina or fine-motor control is a concern.
• Use the Sentence Builders Word Mat, colour-coding and oral rehearsal for students needing language, EAL or learning support; offer sentence frames such as “First, … Next, … Finally, …”.
• Pair students strategically for the guided task and scribe ideas orally where appropriate, while still encouraging the student to complete a manageable transcription section.
• Challenge confident writers to vary connectives, combine short sentences, and decide when repeating a key term is clearer than using a pronoun.