What this page helps you practise
- narrative and persuasive text structure
- spelling and basic punctuation
- generating creative ideas for prompts
- simple and compound sentence structure
NAPLANYear 3Writing
NAPLAN Year 3 Writing Practice Prompts
Year 3 writing introduces students to responding to structured prompts under test conditions. Practising writing clear, structured narrative or persuasive responses helps build confidence.
Year 3 Writing sample prompts with worked plans
Each prompt comes with a worked plan, a model opening and what markers look for, so students can see how a strong response is built.
Prompt 1Narrative
I found a magic key. What does it open? Write a story about what happens when you use it.
Worked plan
- Orientation: introduce yourself, where you found the key and what it looks like.
- Problem: the key opens something surprising, such as a tiny door in a tree.
- Events: describe two or three things that happen on the other side, using your senses.
- Resolution: find a way home or solve the problem the key created.
- Ending: finish with how you feel or what you do with the key now.
Model opening
The key was buried under the leaves near our back fence. It was small and gold, with a tiny star on the handle that glowed when I touched it. I wiped off the dirt and noticed something strange. The old gum tree beside me had a keyhole I had never seen before. My heart thumped as I pushed the key inside and turned it.
What markers look for
- Text structure: a clear beginning, middle problem and ending.
- Ideas: an imaginative idea that is developed, not just listed.
- Character and setting: describing how the key looks and how you feel.
- Sentence structure and punctuation: full stops, capital letters and some longer sentences joined with 'and', 'but' or 'because'.
Prompt 2Narrative
Narrative: the day the animals started talking.
Worked plan
- Choose one main animal character, such as your dog or a magpie, and give it a personality.
- Begin on an ordinary morning, then show the very first moment an animal speaks.
- Add a problem the animals need help with, such as a lost joey or a broken fence.
- Show how you and the animals work together to fix it.
- End with whether the animals keep talking or go quiet again.
Model opening
It started with a cough. I was pouring milk on my cereal when our dog, Biscuit, cleared his throat and said, "Excuse me, could I have some too?" The spoon fell out of my hand and clattered onto the table. Outside the window, two magpies were arguing about whose turn it was to use the birdbath.
What markers look for
- Audience: a story that grabs the reader from the first line.
- Ideas: giving each animal its own voice and personality.
- Vocabulary: interesting verbs like 'clattered' instead of 'fell'.
- Punctuation: using quotation marks correctly for dialogue.
Prompt 3Recount
Recount: write about a fun day at the park.
Worked plan
- Orientation: who went, when it was and which park you visited.
- Event 1: the first thing you did, in the order it happened.
- Event 2: the most exciting or funny part of the day, with details.
- Event 3: what happened before you went home.
- Personal comment: how you felt and why the day was special.
Model opening
Last Saturday, my cousin Ava and I went to Riverside Park with Grandpa. As soon as we arrived, we raced to the flying fox because there was no line yet. I held on tightly and zoomed all the way to the end, laughing so loudly that a family of ducks waddled away from the pond.
What markers look for
- Text structure: events told in time order using words like 'first', 'then' and 'finally'.
- Ideas: choosing the most interesting moments instead of everything that happened.
- Past tense: keeping the verbs in past tense throughout.
- Spelling: correct spelling of common words and careful attempts at harder ones.
Preparation strategy
1
Practice planning ideas for 5 minutes before writing.
2
Focus on writing clear, legible sentences with capital letters and full stops.
3
Write short stories or persuasive letters based on fun prompts.
Frequently asked questions
What does Year 3 NAPLAN writing involve?
Students are asked to write a response (either narrative or persuasive) to a single prompt, graded on structure, ideas, spelling, and grammar.
Should Year 3 students write a narrative or a persuasive text?
The test could be either, so students should practise writing both types of text during their preparation.