Term 1 arrives with all the usual energy, new classes, new routines, and that sense that everything matters at once. Add NAPLAN into the mix, and it is easy for writing to become a last-minute scramble.
If you are searching for NAPLAN writing prompts or a writing stimulus routine, this post is for you.
The tricky part with NAPLAN writing is that you cannot plan for the exact task in advance. On the day, students are given a writing stimulus (prompt), and they write one text type, either narrative or persuasive, set for the whole cohort. So the most useful NAPLAN writing practice is not memorising prompts, it is building the habits that help students respond to anything.
That is where short, everyday writing practice earns its keep.
Pobble 365, our free daily writing prompt, is designed for exactly this kind of routine. One prompt, one clear idea, and just enough structure to help students get going without it becoming a whole project.
A 10 to 30 minute routine you can use three times a week (or daily), using a writing stimulus (prompt). It builds NAPLAN writing skills that work for narrative or persuasive writing, without turning lessons into test prep.
A good NAPLAN writing practice routine helps students:
start quickly from an unfamiliar prompt
plan in simple dot points
write for a set time without stalling
do a short edit pass at the end
That is the whole game. It sounds simple, and that is the point.
NAPLAN writing is marked against a national rubric. The language varies depending on the guide, but the underlying skills are familiar to every teacher:
In other words, the students who tend to do well are not always the ones with the fanciest ideas. They are often the ones who can plan quickly, keep a clear through line, and write clean sentences under time pressure.
So the goal for Term 1 is simple.
Help students practise writing fast enough to finish, clearly enough to be understood, and calmly enough to avoid the blank page wobble.
If you want the official details on the writing task and marking criteria, the NAP website has them here.
Daily writing practice does not need to be intense. It needs to be consistent.
A short routine, repeated often, helps students build automaticity. Planning takes less mental effort, writing starts faster, and editing becomes more deliberate rather than panicked.
Pobble 365 makes that consistency easier because you are not hunting for a stimulus, inventing an idea, or trying to create a new hook each week. You can open the prompt and begin.
This routine works well from Week 1 and scales gently towards March. Run it daily, or two to three times a week, depending on your class and timetable.
Students jot quick dot points before writing. Keep it light, but keep it consistent.
Narrative planning (quick version):
who is the main character
where are they
what is the problem
what changes by the end
Persuasive planning (quick version):
What is my opinion
three reasons
one example for each reason
What should the reader think or do
That is enough. The aim is not a perfect plan; it is a starting line.
Start smaller, then build. A gentle ramp works better than a sudden leap.
Students who struggle with stamina often do better when the time increases gradually. They begin to trust that they can keep going, which matters a lot on test day.
Give students a predictable edit focus. Using the same checklist helps the habit stick.
A simple three-part check works well:
Read it back for sense, does it still match the plan
Fix sentence starts, punctuation, and missing words
Upgrade one sentence, add detail or improve clarity
Keep the edit short. The routine matters more than perfection.
Pobble 365 prompts are varied and open-ended. That is useful for NAPLAN because students need to respond to an unseen prompt on the day. You are building flexibility rather than rehearsing one type of response.
The prompts also support the moments when students often get stuck:
a clear starting point, so nobody is staring at a blank page
quick talk time, so ideas can be shared and refined before writing
a steady rhythm, so writing becomes normal rather than high-pressure
And because the resource is flexible, you can adapt it to your class. If a prompt needs tweaking to suit your students, your context, or your school approach, do that. The important thing is the writing practice, not the exact wording.
Year 3 writing remains paper-based, so handwriting stamina and speed matter as well as ideas.
If you are using Pobble prompts with Year 3, consider keeping some sessions fully on paper. Encourage quick planning, then a sustained write, and build the habit of leaving time for a simple edit.
One small classroom move that helps: practise writing a short opening quickly. Students who can get their first paragraph down without stalling often write more confidently for the rest of the task.
For students writing online, the skill set shifts slightly. They need to plan and draft in a digital environment, manage typing speed, and edit effectively on screen.
Short online writing using prompts helps students practise the practical bits:
drafting without over-editing mid-sentence
scrolling back to check coherence
making quick punctuation fixes efficiently
Even if you cannot run online writing every time, a regular mix across Term 1 helps students feel less thrown by the format.
Students pick up on the mood. If writing is framed as a high-stakes performance every time, reluctant writers often retreat. If writing is framed as practice, repeated often, with no drama, students are more likely to take risks and build confidence.
That is why a free daily prompt can be such a helpful tool. It lowers the barrier for you and for them. It also makes it easier to say, today we will practise the routine, then move on.
If you want a back-to-school approach that fits into real classroom life, try this:
Over a few weeks, students will start faster, write more, and make clearer choices. Those gains show up in NAPLAN-style writing because they are the same underlying skills.
Pobble 365 gives you a free daily writing prompt with ready-to-use ideas for quick writing sessions. Use it as a calm routine in Term 1, build writing stamina steadily, and help students practise the writing moves that matter on NAPLAN day, whether the task is narrative or persuasive.
Pobble Education Ltd,
Rosehay,
Tremorvah Wood Lane,
Truro, TR1 1PZ,
Cornwall, UK