Planning, Drafting and Editing a Composition for Primary 4

Class: Primary 4
Term: Third Term
Week: 10
Age: 9 years
Duration: 45 minutes
Subject: English Studies
Curriculum Theme: Writing
Focal competence: Writing narrative and descriptive compositions
Skills:

• writing and editing composition

Previous Lesson: Using Context Clues to Infer and Apply Unfamiliar Words in Comprehension
Topic: Composition: Planning, Drafting and Editing
Subject Matter: Planning, Drafting and Editing a Composition

Specific Objectives

By the end of the lesson, pupils should be able to:

Cognitive Domain

• State the three main stages of composition writing.
• Identify the key features of a narrative composition.
• Identify the key features of a descriptive composition.

Psychomotor Domain

• Write a simple narrative composition following the planning and drafting stages.
• Write a simple descriptive composition following the planning and drafting stages.
• Edit a drafted composition using a simple checklist.

Reference Materials

The following resources were used in planning this lesson:

• 2025 Revised 9 Years Basic Education Curriculum
• Relevant State Unified Scheme of Work
• Macmillan Primary English for Primary 4
• The HeadTeacher Scheme of work

Instructional Materials

The teacher will teach this lesson with the aid of:

• Recordings of sentences with different intonation
• Flashcards
• Workbooks
• Course books
• Video clips
• Whiteboard or blackboard
• Markers or chalk
• Exercise books and pens
• Sample narrative and descriptive compositions
• Simple editing checklist

Rationale for the Lesson

This lesson is important because it equips pupils with a structured approach to writing, moving beyond simply putting words on paper. Understanding planning, drafting, and editing helps pupils produce clear, well-organised, and error-free compositions. This skill is fundamental for effective communication in all academic subjects and everyday life.

Prerequisite/Previous Knowledge

Pupils should have basic knowledge of sentence construction, paragraph writing, and simple grammar rules. They should also be familiar with telling short stories and describing objects or events.

Lesson Content/Board Summary

Composition: Planning, Drafting and Editing

Stages of Composition Writing

Writing a good composition involves three main stages:

1. Planning: This is the first step where you think about what you want to write.
2. Drafting: This is when you write down your ideas without worrying too much about mistakes.
3. Editing: This is the final step where you check and correct your work to make it perfect.

1. Planning a Composition

Planning helps you organise your thoughts before you start writing. Steps include:

1. Brainstorming: Think of all the ideas related to your topic.
2. Outlining: Arrange your ideas in a logical order, deciding what comes first, next, and last.
3. Choosing a Topic: Select a clear topic for your composition.

2. Drafting a Composition

Drafting means writing your first version of the composition. At this stage:

1. Write down your ideas from your plan in full sentences and paragraphs.
2. Do not worry about mistakes like spelling or grammar yet. Just focus on getting your thoughts onto paper.

3. Editing a Composition

Editing is reviewing and correcting your draft to make it better. When you edit, you check for:

1. Grammar: Are your sentences correctly formed?
2. Spelling: Are all words spelt correctly?
3. Punctuation: Are commas, full stops, and other marks used correctly?
4. Coherence: Do your ideas flow smoothly from one paragraph to another?
5. Clarity: Is your message clear and easy to understand?

Types of Compositions

There are different types of compositions, including narrative and descriptive compositions.

Narrative Composition

A narrative composition tells a story. It usually includes:

1. Characters (who is in the story).
2. Setting (where and when the story happens).
3. Plot (the sequence of events, beginning, middle, and end).
4. A conflict or problem and its resolution.

Example Topics:

1. My First Day at School
2. A Memorable Journey
3. The Day I Helped a Friend

Descriptive Composition

A descriptive composition paints a picture with words. It focuses on describing a person, place, object, or event using sensory details (what you can see, hear, smell, taste, and feel).

Example Topics:

1. My Favourite Pet
2. The Market Square
3. A Rainy Day

Teaching Methods/Instructional Techniques

Discussion, Explanation, Demonstration, Guided Practice, Question and Answer, Individual Practice

Instructional Procedures

Step 1: Introduction

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Activating Prior Knowledge

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher greets the pupils and asks them what they do when they want to write a story or a letter. The teacher then introduces the topic: “Composition: Planning, Drafting and Editing.”

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils respond to the teacher’s questions and listen attentively to the introduction.

Learning Point: Introduction to composition writing

Step 2: Explanation of Planning

Time: 7 minutes

Teaching Skill: Explanation/Demonstration

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher explains the first stage, planning, using a simple topic like “My School.” The teacher demonstrates brainstorming ideas and creating a simple outline on the board.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils observe the demonstration and contribute ideas for the planning stage.

Learning Point: Understanding composition planning

Step 3: Explanation of Drafting

Time: 7 minutes

Teaching Skill: Explanation/Guidance

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher explains the drafting stage, emphasising writing ideas down freely without worrying about mistakes. The teacher guides pupils to start drafting a short paragraph based on the “My School” plan.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen and begin to draft a short paragraph in their notebooks.

Learning Point: Importance of drafting ideas

Step 4: Explanation of Editing

Time: 7 minutes

Teaching Skill: Explanation/Modelling

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher explains the editing stage, highlighting what to look for (grammar, spelling, punctuation, coherence). The teacher provides a simple editing checklist and demonstrates editing a sample draft on the board.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils observe the editing demonstration and note the checklist points.

Learning Point: Using an editing checklist

Step 5: Introduction to Narrative and Descriptive Compositions

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Explanation

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher explains the difference between narrative (storytelling) and descriptive (painting a picture with words) compositions, giving simple examples for each.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen to the explanations and identify examples of each composition type.

Learning Point: Narrative and descriptive composition types

Step 6: Guided Practice – Writing a Composition

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Guided Practice

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher gives pupils a simple topic (e.g., “My Favourite Toy” for descriptive or “A Visit to the Zoo” for narrative). The teacher guides them to quickly plan and draft a short composition in their notebooks, reminding them to apply the stages learned.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils plan and draft a short composition based on the given topic.

Learning Point: Applying composition stages

Step 7: Evaluation/Review

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Questioning/Assessment

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher evaluates the learning by asking the following questions:

1. What are the three main stages of writing a composition?
2. What is the main purpose of planning?
3. What kind of composition tells a story?
4. What kind of composition uses many details to describe something?

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils answer orally and in writing.

Learning Point: Stages and types of composition

Step 8: Note-Taking

Time: 4 minutes

Teaching Skill: Guided Writing

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher guides pupils to copy the essential Board Summary notes on the stages and types of composition writing into their notebooks.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils copy the notes carefully into their notebooks.

Learning Point: Recording lesson summary

Step 9: Conclusion

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Consolidation

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher summarises the importance of planning, drafting, and editing for writing good compositions. The teacher encourages pupils to always follow these steps when writing. The teacher collects the drafted compositions for review.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen to the summary and submit their work.

Learning Point: Reinforcing composition process

Continuous Assessment/Further Study

Type: Homework

Instruction: Choose one of the topics below and write a short composition (about 8-10 sentences). Remember to plan, draft, and edit your work carefully.

1. Narrative: The Day I Got Lost
2. Descriptive: My Best Friend

Lesson Keywords

• Composition – a piece of writing on a particular subject.
• Planning – the first stage of writing, where ideas are organised.
• Drafting – the stage of writing the first version of a composition.
• Editing – the stage of checking and correcting a written piece.
• Narrative – a type of composition that tells a story.
• Descriptive – a type of composition that describes a person, place, or thing using details.

Differentiation

For weaker learners, the teacher will provide more structured outlines for planning and a simpler checklist for editing. They may also be given simpler topics or sentence starters. For faster learners, the teacher can encourage them to include more complex sentences, varied vocabulary, or to write a longer composition on a more challenging topic.

Suggested Lesson Videos

Search on YouTube: “Primary 4 Composition Writing Planning Drafting Editing” or “How to write a story for kids”

Teacher Guide for Using This Lesson Plan

Before the lesson, ensure you have sample narrative and descriptive compositions to show pupils, along with a simple, clear editing checklist. You might also prepare a short, simple topic for the guided practice activity. Begin by engaging pupils with questions about their own writing experiences to activate prior knowledge. Clearly explain each stage of composition writing (planning, drafting, editing) using practical examples and demonstrations on the board. Emphasise that drafting is about getting ideas down, and editing is for refining. Guide pupils through a short planning and drafting exercise, allowing them to apply the concepts immediately. During the evaluation, ensure questions cover all three stages and the two types of compositions. Pupils should copy the Board Summary notes after the main teaching and before the conclusion. Encourage pupils to use the editing checklist provided for their homework. Pay attention to common errors in grammar and spelling during drafting and use these as teaching points during the editing stage.