How to Use the School Holidays to Improve Your Child's Writing

The April school holidays are almost here. For most Australian families, Term 1 ends around April 11 — two weeks of downtime before Term 2 kicks off on April 28.

For parents thinking ahead (especially those with NAPLAN results on the way, or Selective school exams in a few months), it's a natural moment to wonder: should we be doing something productive?

The short answer: yes, but gently. Holidays are for recharging. The trick is slipping in some writing practice that doesn't feel like homework.

Here's how to do it.

Why Holidays Are Actually a Great Time for Writing

During term, writing practice tends to be rushed — a quick essay for English, a rushed response on a timed test. There's no space to slow down and actually think about the craft.

Holidays change that. No deadlines, no assessment stress. Your child can:

• Write about something they actually care about
• Take their time revising
• Try different styles (story, letter, argument, journal)
• Get feedback without it affecting a grade

That low-pressure environment is where real skill development happens.

The Two-Week Plan (Low Effort, High Impact)

You don't need a structured curriculum. Just a loose rhythm of writing 3–4 times across the two weeks.

Week 1: Free Writing

Let your child pick the topic. Any topic. The only rule: they have to write at least one full paragraph.

Ideas that tend to work:

• Primary (Yr 3–6): Write a story about something that actually happened to you. Write a letter to a future version of yourself. Describe your favourite place in detail.
• Secondary (Yr 7–10): Write an opinion piece about something you care about. Write a scene from your favourite book from a different character's perspective. Argue for or against a rule at school.

The goal in Week 1 is volume and enjoyment — not perfection. Let them write freely without stopping to correct spelling or structure.

Week 2: One Revision Cycle

Pick the piece from Week 1 your child likes best. Now spend one session improving it.

What to focus on (pick one or two, not all):

• The opening line — Does it grab you? Could it be more interesting?
• Vocabulary — Find three words that feel flat. Replace them with something more precise or vivid.
• The ending — Does it land? Or does it just trail off?
• Read it aloud — This catches awkward sentences faster than reading silently.

One revision cycle teaches more about writing than two weeks of new drafts.

The Biggest Mistake Parents Make

Turning writing practice into a chore.

If your child sits down to write and you immediately start correcting their spelling, they'll associate writing with criticism — and resist it.

• Ask questions: "What happens next? I want to know more about that part."
• Notice what's good first: "That sentence is really strong — I liked that."
• Save feedback for after they've finished the whole draft

The goal is to build a positive association with writing. The mechanics (spelling, grammar, structure) can be refined once they actually want to write.

For NAPLAN Prep Specifically

If your child is in Year 3, 5, 7, or 9 and NAPLAN results are on the way (or you're thinking about next year), the holidays are a good time to do one or two practice pieces under light conditions:

• Give them a prompt (we have free ones at kidswriting.ai/blog/naplan-writing-practice-prompts-years-3-5-7-9)
• Set a 40-minute timer
• Let them write without help
• Then review the result together using the NAPLAN criteria: audience, structure, ideas, vocabulary, cohesion, and mechanics

Getting comfortable with the format — before there's any pressure — is one of the best things you can do.

For Selective School Prep

If your child is preparing for the NSW or VIC Selective school test, the holidays are prime revision time. The writing component tests their ability to produce a quality piece quickly and independently.

Two practice pieces during the holidays, reviewed properly, is worth more than five rushed pieces during term.

Key things to practise:

• Narrative writing: Character, setting, conflict, resolution — in 40 minutes
• Persuasive writing: Strong opening argument, three supporting points, clear conclusion
• Varying sentence length for rhythm
• Starting paragraphs with something other than "I"

Getting Specific Feedback Without a Tutor

If you want more than your own eye on your child's writing, kidswriting.ai gives rubric-based AI feedback in seconds — aligned to NAPLAN and the Australian curriculum.

It won't replace a great English teacher, but for parents who want to point to something specific ("your vocabulary score is lower than your ideas score — let's work on that"), it's a practical shortcut. And it's free to try.

The Simple Version

You don't need a two-week writing boot camp. Even two or three writing sessions across the holidays — on topics your child actually finds interesting — will build real skills.

The secret isn't intensity. It's consistency over time. Holidays are one more chance to add a few reps to that long-term practice.

Enjoy the break — and maybe sneak in a story or two. 🖊️