In regards to year 6 punctuation expectations, the Teacher Assessment Framework for Writing at the end of key stage 2 states that pupils judged as working at the expected standard should be able to 'use the range of punctuation taught at key stage 2 mostly correctly (e.g. inverted commas and other punctuation to indicate direct speech). Punctuation errors can easily lead to year 6 writing being judged as being below the standard required to achieve the expected level. This article looks at five common punctuation mistakes that year 6 pupils make and suggests ways to help pupils correct them.
1. Comma Splicing
A basic definition of comma splicing is when a comma is used instead of a full stop. A more specific defintion is when a comma is used between two independent clauses instead of a semi-colon or conjunction. When seeking to correct the occurence of comma splicing, I would suggest that providing pupils with the basic definition is better as it enables them to quickly and clearly grasp their mistake. Comma splicing occurs when pupils are overfocused on the idea that commas are used to show when a reader should pause. This leads them to think commas are interchangable with full stops. To try to prevent comma splicing, teachers should remind pupils that commas do indicate a pause but unlike full stops, they are a type of mid-sentence punctuation which are added for specific purposes. Teachers could provide pupils who are confused about commas with this handy free punctuation guide which lists the main reasons commas are used with examples:
2. One Sentence Paragraphs
One sentence paragraphs can be used as a powerful literary device by seasoned writers. They are common in certain text types such as newspaper reports and classic novels. They are also suitable when used as a conclusion for a letter or an opinion piece. One sentence paragraphs are 'allowed' and at certain times may be quite appropriate; however, a common punctuation mistake among year 6 pupils is writing one sentence paragraphs that are not grammatically correct. These paragraphs often consist of one long sentence with enough information to create three to five sentences.
Long one sentence paragraphs produced by year 6 pupils often read as if they are conveying rambling thoughts - which to a large extent they are. These thoughts may be difficult for the reader to understand and lack conciseness. It is important that pupils understand how to produce sentences in a controlled manner. This can be achieved by orally rehearsing a sentence before writing it. There is a focus on oral rehearsal of sentences which runs through the writing compostion strand of the primary English national curriculum all the way up to years 5 and 6. This focus includes the following expectations:
- Year 1 should 'write sentences by saying out loud what they are going to write about' and 'composing a sentence orally before writing it'
- Year 2 pupils 'should be taught to consider what they are going to write before beginning by planning or saying out loud what they are going to write about' and 'encapsulating what they want to say, sentence by sentence'.
- Years 3 and 4 should be taught to draft and write by 'composing and rehearsing sentences orally (including dialogue)'
By years 5 and 6, it is expected that pupils should be secure in their abilities to compose sensible sentences and clearly understand the process of doing so. Year 6 pupils who are producing long one sentence paragraphs often need to slow down and think more carefully before writing. They need to go back to the year 3 and 4 objective above as it is not embedded. Encouraging them to say their sentences out loud (quietly if during a whole class writing session) or in thier heads before they write it, will help them to create stronger, better formed sentences that are not overly long.
Other ways to help pupils to avoid writing incoherent one sentence paragraphs are:
- Teachers modelling the writing process demonstrating how most paragraphs are produced sentence by sentence.
- Insisting on a quiet atmosphere during the writing process. If pupils are chatting away to each other whilst writing they will not be able to maintain coherent sentences in their heads and then write them.
- Encouraging pupils to develop the habit or rereading each paragraph as soon as they write it to check that their sentences are not too long. They should then edit if needed.
3. Forgetting Basic Punctuation
Pupils who do not remember to use basic punctuation will be unable to achieve the expected standard for writing at the end of year 6. In fact, they may even be unable to achieve 'Working Towards' as the expectation for pupils working at this level is that 'they use capital letters, full stops, question marks, commas for lists and apostrophes for contraction mostly correctly'.
Exploring different types of end sentence punctuation is an objective that is introduced in year one and reinforced in year 2. This means that most year 6 pupils are fully aware that sentences generally end in full stops, but may also end in question marks or exclamation marks dependent on sentence type. Pupils are also introduced to commas and apostrophes from year 2 onwards. The majority of pupils understand why these basic types of puntuation are used. For many pupils who are not using basic punctuation, it is simply a case of forgetting whilst writing. Whilst these pupils should always be encouraged to form sentences in a controlled way considering punctuation as they write, through careful editing they will be able to correct mistakes.
Other students have a vague understanding of why basic punctuation is used, but are not secure. They might be confused about commas, fuzzy on where an apostrophe should be placed and unclear about the reasons for the different types of end sentence punctuation. The time for lessons about these punctuation marks may be judged as past. Many year 6 teachers are instead focused on teaching pupils about the use of higher level punctuation such as semi-colons and colons. It is important, however, to allocate time for the revision of basic punctuation if needed. For example, in many year 6 classrooms a whole class revision session on apostrophes wouldn't go amiss!
4. Punctuating Speech Incorrectly
This is an important one for year 6 pupils to get right. Speech punctuation and using dialogue is specifically mentioned in the Writing Assessment Framework for the end of Key Stage 2 several times. Speech punctuation is definetly one of the areas that year 6 teachers should revise and practise with their pupils.
It is important that not only do pupils understand where inverted commas should be placed, but also that they remember other speech punctuation details such as using a capital letter after an inverted comma and using other punctuation marks where needed. Pupils should be encouraged to carefully check that they have correctly punctuated speech during editing.
When punctuating speech there is a lot to remember, but including just a few lines of lively dialogue can demonstrate that a pupil can use capitals, apostrophes, commas, question marks, exclamation marks and full stops. Pupils might also incorporate dashes and ellipsis. In fact, including correctly punctuated dialogue in a narrative is a great way for pupils to show that in terms of using a range punctuation they are working at the expected level.
5. Overusing Year 6 punctuation
The statutory year 6 punctuation objectives from the National Curriculum for English state that pupils should be introduced to the following:
- Use of the semi-colon, colon and dash to mark the boundary between independent clauses [for example, It’s raining;
I’m fed up] - Use of the colon to introduce a list and use of semi-colons within lists
- Punctuation of bullet points to list information
- How hyphens can be used to avoid ambiguity [for example, man eating shark versus man-eating shark, or recover
versus re-cover]
They can be tricky to teach. The resources below can help teachers to introduce these sophisticated punctuation marks. These lessons are available individually or as part of our great-value Year 6 Punctuation Pack offer which provides all three lessons for the price of two. Just press the images for more details:
Teachers shouldn't be suprised if after being introduced to year 6 punctuation marks and appearing to understand them, pupils are unable to transfer their newly gained knowledge to their writing. How to use this higher-level punctuation when writing can be tricky to grasp and it is natural for children to make mistakes.
There is some confusion around whether year 6 children can achieve the expected level without using advanced punctuation correctly. For pupils who are judged to writing at greater depth, the requirements are specific. Pupils must show they can 'use the range of punctuation taught at key stage 2 correctly (e.g. semi-colons, dashes, colons, hyphens) and, when necessary, use such punctuation precisely to enhance meaning and avoid ambiguity. However, it is important to note that the expectation that pupils should be able to use this higher level punctuation is actually a lot less stringent at the expected level.This can be seen if we explore the use of punctuation in the Teacher Assessment Writing Exemplifcation for KS2. Examples from this document are provided below:
Morgan: Working at Expected Level
Leigh: Working at the Expected Level
Frankie: Working at Greater Depth
In their writing assessment pieces, Morgan and Leigh did not use semi-colons, colons, dashes and hyphens profusely. When they did use them, there were only a few occasions where they used them correctly. Despite this, both pupils achieved the expected level. The correct use of basic sentence punctuation, correct speech punctuation and parenthesis was evident throughout their writing. Frankie, who was judged to be working at greater depth also used semi-colons, colons, dashes and hyphens infrequently but she did use them judiciously.
It is worth considering what can be surmised by studying these assessment pieces. They are provided by the Department for Education to aid understanding of what writing at the different standards entails. It is clear that pupils do not need to litter their writing with newly learnt year 6 punctuation mark (semi-colons, colons, dashes and hyphens) to meet a standard. It is clear that to achieve the expected level a few examples of successful attempts throughout a collection of a pupil's assessment pieces will suffice. Pupils are certainly not penalised for making the odd error. We can and should help pupils to understand why writers use semi-colons, colons, dashes and hyphens. Year 6 pupils should leave primary school with an idea of what they are and how they are used, but the national curriculum requirement is only that these punctuation marks be introduced. Perfection in using this higher level punctuation is not required unless pupils are judged to be working at greater depth.
Children should be reminded that sprinkling semi-colons, colons, dashes and hyphens liberally throughout a piece of writing is not at all necessary. Instead, carefully considering how to construct a sentence or two which uses higher level punctuation to include in the text they are writing is more likely to lead to a successful attempt.The handy freebie below can be used to help remind pupils how to use higher level punctuation. It includes examples which they could use as models to help them create their own sentences:
Pupils who are still struggling with structuring sentences or not using basic punctuation should still be introduced to higher level punctuation in a class setting, but they should not be pushed to include it their writing. When it comes to using punctuation, pupils need to demonstrate that they are secure in the basics before being encouraged to move on.
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