Writing
Our research into writing covers behaviours, attitudes and skills of children and young people. We look at writing in every form and genre from poetry and lyrics to letters and essays, alongside its links with wellbeing and attainment in other areas.
Key statistics in writing
- In 2022, 2 in 5 children and young people told us that they enjoy writing in their free time. Find out more.
- 1 in 5 children and young people told us that they wrote something daily in their free time, an increase from 2021 when we recorded the lowest daily writing rate since 2010. Find out more.
- 3 in 10 children and young people aged 5 to 18 kept a diary in 2022. Find out more.
Writing and COVID-19
2 in 5 (39.8%) children and young people said at the beginning of 2020 that they enjoy writing; this is an increase on the number of children and young people from the year before (35.8%). Our research found that during school closures, when they had more time, children and young people found themselves writing for enjoyment more, and that this helped ease feelings of anxiety related to the pandemic. Find out more.
Latest research into writing
-
This report outlines findings from our 2022 Annual Literacy Survey, exploring children and young people’s writing engagement following the lifting of all lockdown restrictions in...Learn more about Children and young people’s writing in 2022.
-
Report on the benefits of keeping a diary for children and young people, including allowing self-expression, boosting creativity, and supporting mental wellbeing and writing...Learn more about Children and young people’s diary writing in 2022.
-
This report outlines findings from our 2022 Annual Literacy Survey, exploring poetry engagement in children and young people aged 8 to 18.Learn more about Children and young people’s engagement with poetry in 2022.
What else we know about writing
- 3 in 5 young people who play video games write something relating to video games once a month. Find out more.
- By the age of 11, more boys than girls left primary school not reading (31% vs 22%) and writing (26% vs 17%) at the expected level for their age. Find out more.
- Almost 9 in 10 teachers believe technology can engage pupils with reading, writing, speaking and listening, specifically in terms of motivation, enjoyment and confidence. Read more.
Our work in writing
-
Our evidence-based Young Writers programme supports schools to develop lasting writing-for-enjoyment practices with the radical view that every young person is a writer.Learn more about Young Writers.
-
This course helps teachers develop strategies to take their Key Stage 2 pupils beyond scaffolded writing and tackle challenges across different text types.Learn more about Improving Writing in Key Stage 2 (IPEELL).
-
Literacy for Learning is our whole-school literacy improvement programme for secondary teachers and leaders.Learn more about Literacy for Learning.
