NAPLAN writing guide
How NAPLAN writing is marked
Coach Pen marks narrative and persuasive writing against the NAPLAN guide and coaches the criteria that actually move the needle.
- Marked
- To the NAPLAN guide
- Genres
- Narrative or persuasive
- Years
- 3 · 5 · 7 · 9
What the markers look for
NAPLAN writing is judged on 4 things. Here's what each one is really asking for — and how Coach Pen trains it.
Audience & ideas
Engaging a reader with developed ideas.
In Coach Pen: when this criterion is holding your band back, it links straight to short, stepped lessons that drill exactly this — on your own writing.
Text structure & cohesion
A clear shape that holds together start to finish.
In Coach Pen: when this criterion is holding your band back, it links straight to short, stepped lessons that drill exactly this — on your own writing.
Vocabulary & sentences
Precise words and controlled sentences.
In Coach Pen: when this criterion is holding your band back, it links straight to short, stepped lessons that drill exactly this — on your own writing.
Spelling & punctuation
Accurate conventions throughout.
In Coach Pen: when this criterion is holding your band back, it links straight to short, stepped lessons that drill exactly this — on your own writing.
The fastest way to use this guide
Reading the rubric tells you what counts. Seeing it applied to your writing tells you what to fix. Paste a NAPLAN response into Coach Pen and get it marked against every criterion above — then drill the weakest one.
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