Please help my dd yr 4, level 2a in writing, what can i do to help?

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...and how to get to a 3b?

When they say 'writing', specifically what do they mean - punctuation, spelling, creativity, or something else?

If anyone had any ideas, I'd be really grateful, I'm currently on the verge of Kumon/Kip McGrath etc. Talking to school is not really an option - I've got that particular t-shirt and they are just not interested (she is not failing 'enough', i.e. her maths and reading are ok, so she will just be left to slide).

I'm happy to research it myself/print worksheets off and do them with her etc. till the cows come home - but she's not willing to do this at home with mum (which is why we're thinking of outsourcing) - but I'm not sure what criteria I'm working towards. Anyone? I'm a prolific googler, but in this case, I'm not sure what to google.

For anyone who is now thinking 'don't worry about levels, it's not the be-all-and-end-all' - I used to think that, until my first dd got to secondary and was mistakenly put in a lower band (now corrected, thanks to advice on here!) and I found out the difference in behaviour, learning, what level they are taught to etc. sorry if that offends anyone but that's what I found to be the case.

Thanks in advance (off to bed now, will check back tomorrow)

I shouldn't write this as I am a teacher and it is heresy, but the writing levels are formulaic and tick boxy and as far as I can see creating a generation of writers who have no personal style, and see writing as being about shoe-horning in as many connectives, openers and higher level punctuation marks as possible. That is if they haven't been put off the whole process by being taught to write in genres that have no meaning for them.

I have to teach this stuff, but as a parent I see it very differently. What makes a good writer is wanting to write, wanting to communicate. Reading, and reading widely and passionately, is the best stimulus. I would try to find a series of books she could lose herself in and not worry about writing at all for a while. I agree with the suggestions about having lovely pens and gorgeous folders and books. When she shows any interest in writing anything, praise it to the hilt, be fascinated by it and give her things she can decorate it with - whatever it takes to make the experience of writing rewarding. Punctuation matters if you want people to understand what you have read: if she believes in herself more and thinks her writing is worth reading, then she will be ready to be helped to learn how to use punctuation to make her meaning clear, then how to use it for effect.

Connectives similarly enhance meaning and style, but a child who doesn't really want to be writing at all is going to struggle to understand the subtle diferences between 'and' and 'also', or 'despite' and 'although'. It is when you want to be heard and understood that you have the appetite to get these things sorted in your mind.

Reading this back, it sounds a bit precious, but all I really want to say is please don't let her inability to write to the recipe put her off all writing for life.

Try googling Pie Corbett. He is very into Talk for writing, and seems to make a lot of sense to me with regards to learning to write.