This document outlines writing skills and expectations for Year 2 students. It is divided into sections for spelling, handwriting, generating ideas, implementing ideas in writing, and reflecting on writing. For each section, it lists skills students should demonstrate as minimum requirements ("musts"), additional goals ("shoulds"), and advanced proficiencies ("coulds"). The focus is on proper spelling, legible handwriting, idea generation, use of grammar rules, and self-editing abilities appropriate for the second year level.

1. Y2 Writing Musts
spelling
I write the zapper tricky words correctly in my own writing.
I can use my phonics to help me spell new words.
handwriting
I can starting and finish letters in the right place
I can smile in and out of lower-case letters
I can write letters b, d, p the correct way around.
I can separate words with spaces
generating
I can think and say each sentence before I write it.
implementing
I can use a capital letter for names of people, places, the days of
the week, and the personal pronoun ‘I’.
I can join sentences using and because
I can use a question mark and an exclamation mark at the end of a
sentence
I can use adjectives to make my writing interesting.
I can write four sentences which I can read and my teacher can read.
reflecting
I can read what I have written to check that it makes sense.
I can discuss my writing with my teacher and other learners.
Y2 Writing Shoulds
spelling
I can write the Dinosaur Trail words correctly in my own writing.
I can use my phonics to help me spell new words.
handwriting
I can join lower case letters and leave capital letters unjoined.
I can write on the lines.
I can write descenders under the line all the same length (f, g, j, p, q, y)
I can write ascenders taller than other lower case letters and make them all
the same height (b, d, h, k, l, t)
Y2 Writing Coulds
spelling
I can add prefixes to the beginning of words in– un–, dis– misI can spell words with endings which sound like
–tion, –sion,
–ssion, –cian
handwriting
I can space out lines of writing so that the ascenders and
descenders of letters do not touch.
generating
I can plan what I am going to write about by writing down ideas,
key words and vocabulary.
I can generate and say sentences before I write them (including speech)
generating
I can magpie the organisation and vocabulary from texts similar to
the one I am planning to write
implementing.
I can open sentences using words that show the order things happen
first, then, next, soon after that, last…
I can choose the most effective adjectives to describe nouns.
I can choose powerful verbs to interest the reader
I can write longer sentences using conjunctions to join ideas
and, or, but, when, where, if, what, and, because
I can choose the correct tense when I write (present tense and past tense)
I can use capital letters, full stops, question marks and exclamation marks to
identify sentences.
I can use commas to separate items in a list.
I can use apostrophes to shorten words I am = I’m.
I can write a story of about 100 words.
implementing.
I can use a varied and rich vocabulary to describe and explain
I can write paragraphs to group ideas
I can confidently create settings, characters and plot in stories
I can use headings and sub-headings to organise my writing.
I can use speech marks to punctuate speech.
reflecting
I can re-read my writing to check that it makes sense.
I can proof-read my writing to self-correct mistakes in spelling and
punctuation
reflecting
I can evaluate and edit my writing by proof-reading for spelling and
punctuation errors.