Top 5 NAPLAN Writing Mistakes Students Make (and How to Fix Them)

Mistakes That Cost NAPLAN Writing Marks

After analysing thousands of student writing samples, clear patterns emerge. These five mistakes are the most common — and the most fixable. Addressing them can significantly improve a student's total NAPLAN writing score.

1. No Planning = No Structure

The problem: Students dive straight into writing without planning. The result is a story that meanders without direction or an argument that repeats the same point three times. This costs marks on Text Structure (0–4), Ideas (0–5), and often Audience (0–6) because unstructured writing loses the reader.

The fix: Teach a 5-minute planning habit. For narrative: jot down the main character, the problem, 3–4 key events, and the ending. For persuasive: write your position, list 3 supporting reasons, and note one counter-argument. Students who plan consistently write better-structured, more focused pieces.

Practice tip: Time students doing planning only — 5 minutes, then stop. Review plans before they write. This builds the habit without the pressure of completing a full essay.

2. Telling Instead of Showing

The problem: "She was happy." "He was scared." "The house was old." Telling the reader what to think instead of showing them through sensory details, actions, and dialogue. This directly costs marks on Audience (engagement), Character and Setting (development), and Vocabulary (precision).

The fix: Teach the "show don't tell" technique with before-and-after examples: - Tell: "She was nervous before the race." - Show: "Her fingers trembled as she crouched at the starting blocks, the thud of her heartbeat drowning out the crowd."

Practice converting "tell" sentences into "show" paragraphs. Focus on using sensory details (what can the character see, hear, feel, smell?) and body language to reveal emotions.

3. Repetitive Sentence Starters

The problem: "I went to the shop. I bought some bread. I walked home. I saw my friend." Starting every sentence with the same word (often "I" or "The") creates monotonous writing that scores low on Sentence Structure (0–6) and Audience (engagement).

The fix: Teach 5 ways to start a sentence: 1. With an adverb: "Cautiously, she opened the door." 2. With a prepositional phrase: "Behind the old fence, something moved." 3. With a subordinate clause: "Although it was still early, the streets were already busy." 4. With dialogue: "'Wait!' she called, racing to catch up." 5. With a description: "Thick grey clouds rolled across the sky."

Practice tip: After writing, ask students to underline the first word of every sentence. If the same word appears more than twice, rewrite those sentences using different openers.

4. Rushed or Absent Resolution

The problem: The story builds nicely, then suddenly: "And then I woke up and it was all a dream." Or worse, the story just stops mid-action because time ran out. A weak resolution costs marks on Text Structure and Audience (the reader feels unsatisfied).

The fix: Plan the ending first. Before writing, students should know how the story ends. This seems counterintuitive but ensures the narrative has a destination. The resolution doesn't need to be happy — it needs to be satisfying and connected to the complication.

Teach the difference between ending types: - Resolved: The problem is solved - Reflective: The character has changed or learned something - Circular: The story returns to where it began, but something is different - Open-ended: The reader is left thinking (harder to execute well)

5. Playing It Safe with Vocabulary

The problem: Students use only simple, common words because they're afraid of spelling them wrong. "The dog went across the road" instead of "The terrier darted across the intersection." This limits scores on both Vocabulary (0–5) and Spelling (0–6). The Spelling criterion specifically rewards students who attempt and correctly spell challenging words — safe, simple vocabulary scores lower even if every word is correct.

The fix: Build a personal word bank of 20–30 strong words the student can spell confidently. Categories to include: - Movement verbs: sprinted, stumbled, crept, lunged, staggered - Speaking verbs: whispered, exclaimed, muttered, insisted, pleaded - Describing words: ancient, gleaming, bitter, overwhelming, fragile - Feeling words: anxious, exhilarated, bewildered, furious, content

Practise using these words in sentences until they become natural. Students should aim to use at least 5–10 precise words per writing piece. Markers notice and reward deliberate vocabulary choices.

Quick Wins: The 3-Minute Proofread

Many marks are lost to errors that students could catch themselves. Teach a final 3-minute proofread routine:

1. Read every sentence from the end backwards — this breaks the flow and makes errors more visible
2. Check: Does every sentence start with a capital letter? End with punctuation?
3. Check: Are there at least 3–4 paragraph breaks?
4. Check: Are common words spelled correctly? (their/there/they're, because, different)

This simple routine can add 2–4 marks to a student's total score — the difference between NAPLAN bands.