If Year 9s Are Writing Like Year 4s, We Need to Talk About What Happens in Year 2
You might have seen the recent ABC news reel doing the rounds, with a confronting headline:
“The writing skills of Australian children are at an all-time low… many Year 9 students are now writing at a Year 4 level.”
It’s a big claim, backed by national NAPLAN data and over a decade of steady decline in writing outcomes.
But while it’s easy to panic about what’s going wrong in high school, that’s not where this story really starts.
No one wakes up in Year 9 suddenly “bad at writing.”
By the time a student hits high school without the skills to write a purposeful paragraph or clearly express an opinion, the real question isn’t what’s wrong with Year 9.
It’s what went missing much earlier on.
Writing Gaps Don’t Start in High School
Most students who struggle with writing in Year 9 have had difficulties for years. These gaps often begin in the early primary years, between Prep and Year 4, during the critical window when writing foundations are supposed to be built.
But here’s the part that frequently gets missed:
In the early years, the focus is often on reading. Rightly so. But while decoding and comprehension are being taught explicitly, writing rarely gets the same kind of focused, step-by-step instruction.
And unfortunately, reading isn’t enough to make a student a good writer. 📚
Yes, reading supports vocabulary and sentence rhythm. But reading alone won’t teach a child how to:
❌ structure an argument
❌ organise ideas logically
❌ revise their own work
❌ write to explain, persuade or justify.
If we want students to become strong writers, we have to explicitly teach what good writing looks like, step by step, with clear models and plenty of practice.
What Explicit Writing Instruction Actually Looks Like
Here’s what quality writing instruction looks like, even in the early years:
Clear modelling - (“Here’s what a good sentence or paragraph looks like.”)
Sentence starters and idea scaffolds.
Planning tools - to organise thoughts before writing.
Step-by-step revision - (“What can we add to make this clearer?”)
Explicit teaching of structure, not just style.
This isn’t about removing creativity.
It’s about giving students a structure so their creativity has somewhere to flourish.
When writing is taught more like maths, step-by-step, with modelling and practice, students build the confidence and clarity they need to express their ideas well.
So Why Isn’t Writing Being Taught Like This Already?
Some schools and teachers are using explicit writing methods.
But there are real challenges:
Class sizes are large, and student needs vary widely.
Time is limited, and curriculum units move quickly.
Early years often focus more on reading than writing.
There’s rarely enough space for one-on-one support for those who really need it.
On top of that, the Australian Curriculum changes over time. The latest update (2025) has shifted certain skills earlier, which means teachers might need to spend more time revisiting foundational concepts to make sure students are ready for what’s now expected.
What Writing Struggles Look Like at Home
If your child:
struggles to start writing
writes one or two vague sentences and stops
can’t explain what they’re trying to say
melts down over homework tasks.
You’re not imagining it.
These are all signs your child might need more structured writing support. Not to “go back” and repeat content, but to revisit it with better scaffolding and clearer steps.
🚫 What Doesn’t Help
Open-ended creative prompts with no guidance.
“Just keep practising” without feedback.
Hoping it’ll eventually click on its own.
✅ What Does Help
Sentence frames and structured templates.
Model texts with “good vs better” examples.
Explicit lessons on structure and writing purpose.
Gradually scaffolded tasks that build complexity.
Feedback that focuses on how to improve, not just what to fix.
Writing is a skill, not something that kids will “just get” when they’re ready. They need to be shown how it works, clearly, calmly and with time to practise.
The Good News: It’s Not Too Late
Whether your child is in Prep, Year 2, or Year 6, it’s never too late to strengthen their writing foundations.
At Attain Education, we break writing down into manageable parts and teach each step explicitly. Our tutors are qualified primary teachers who know how to make writing feel less overwhelming and more achievable.
We don’t expect students to pick it up by osmosis. We teach them the how of writing, and we do it in a way that builds confidence, not pressure.
Because your child doesn’t need to be “a natural” when it comes to writing.
They just need to be shown how it works.
Book your free consultation call today with one of our primary teachers to find out how we can help your child become a more capable, confident writer.