Understanding CBC Writing
Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) emphasizes practical writing skills from Grade 1 onwards.
Different from 8-4-4: CBC focuses on real-world writing (letters, stories, reports, emails) rather than just exam essays.
Your role as parent: Crucial. Many parents feel lost (“I don’t understand CBC!”), but supporting writing at home is simpler than you think.
Why Writing Matters in CBC
Writing develops:
- Communication skills
- Critical thinking
- Creativity
- Self-expression
- Future career readiness
In CBC assessments: Writing appears in English, Kiswahili, Integrated Science, Social Studies, and more.
Strong writing = better grades across subjects.
Writing Skills by Grade Level
Lower Primary (Grades 1-3)
Grade 1-2 Focus:
- Forming letters correctly
- Writing simple sentences
- Copying text
- Writing own name
Grade 3 Focus:
- Short paragraphs (3-5 sentences)
- Simple stories
- Descriptions
- Filling forms
Activities at home:
1. Letter tracing: Practice sheets for lowercase and uppercase
2. Sentence construction: Give 3 words, ask child to make sentence
- Example: “cat,” “sits,” “mat” → “The cat sits on the mat.”
3. Daily journal: Child writes 1-2 sentences about their day
- “Today I played football. I scored a goal.”
4. Story prompts: Give beginning, child continues
- “One day, a monkey found a banana…”
5. Shopping list: Child helps write what to buy at duka
6. Labeling: Label objects in house (door, window, table)—child writes labels
Keep it fun: No pressure, praise effort, not perfection.
Middle School (Grades 4-6)
Focus:
- Longer compositions (2-3 paragraphs)
- Different text types (letters, reports, narratives)
- Grammar rules (tenses, pronouns, punctuation)
- Editing own work
Activities at home:
1. Letter writing: To relatives, thanking someone, inviting friend to party
- Teaches formal structure (date, greeting, body, closing)
2. Story writing: Give title or opening line
- “The Day I Met an Alien”
- “If I Were President for a Day”
3. Book summaries: After reading story, child writes summary (5-7 sentences)
- Who? What happened? How did it end?
4. Diary/journal: More detailed entries (paragraph)
- Include feelings, details
5. Instructions: Child writes how to make/do something
- “How to Make Chapati”
- “How to Play Skipping Rope”
- Teaches sequence, clarity
6. Descriptions: Describe person, place, or object
- “Describe Your Best Friend”
- “Describe Nairobi City”
7. News reporting: Watch news together, child writes short report about one story
8. Peer review: Siblings read each other’s writing, give positive feedback
Grammar support: Use mistakes as teaching moments
- Wrong: “He go to school”
- Teach: “He goes to school” (subject-verb agreement)
Junior Secondary (Grades 7-9)
Focus:
- Structured essays (introduction, body, conclusion)
- Argumentative writing
- Research skills
- Formal writing (emails, applications)
- Citations and references
Activities at home:
1. Opinion essays: Controversial topics
- “Should students have homework?”
- “Is social media good or bad?”
- Teach: State opinion, give reasons, support with examples
2. Research projects: Pick topic, research (books/internet), write report
- “History of Maasai Tribe”
- “How Solar Panels Work”
- Teach: Gathering information, organizing, citing sources
3. Formal emails: Practice professional communication
- Email to teacher requesting meeting
- Email to company applying for attachment
4. Analysis: Read article/story, write what you learned
- Develops critical thinking
5. Creative writing: Short stories with plot, characters, conflict, resolution
- Encourage imagination
6. Debates: Pick topic, write arguments for and against
- Even if not presenting, writing develops logical thinking
7. Current events: Weekly discussion of news, child writes perspective
- Develops awareness, opinion formation
Editing practice: Child writes draft → Edits next day → Rewrites final version
- Teaches that good writing is rewriting
Common CBC Writing Formats
1. Personal Narrative
What it is: Story from your life.
Structure:
- Introduction: Set scene
- Body: What happened (beginning, middle, end)
- Conclusion: How you felt, lesson learned
Home activity: “Write about a time you were scared/happy/proud.”
2. Descriptive Writing
What it is: Describing person, place, or thing using senses.
Structure:
- Introduction: What you’re describing
- Body: Details (sight, sound, smell, touch, taste)
- Conclusion: Overall impression
Home activity: Describe favorite food, family member, or place you visited.
3. Formal Letter
Types:
- Application (job, school)
- Complaint
- Inquiry
- Thank you
Format:
- Your address (top right)
- Date
- Recipient’s address (left)
- Greeting (Dear Sir/Madam)
- Body (paragraphs)
- Closing (Yours faithfully/sincerely)
- Signature
Home activity: Write letter to principal requesting certificate, or to company inquiring about product.
4. Informal Letter
To: Friends, family.
More relaxed than formal, but still proper English.
Home activity: Write to cousin in another county, sharing news.
5. Report Writing
Types: Event report, trip report, book report.
Structure:
- Title
- Introduction: What, when, where, who
- Body: Details of what happened
- Conclusion: Outcome, recommendations
Home activity: After family trip or school event, write report.
6. Instructions/Procedures
How-to guides.
Structure:
- Title: “How to…”
- Materials needed
- Steps (numbered or bulleted, in order)
- Conclusion/tips
Home activity: “How to Wash Dishes,” “How to Make Tea.”
7. Email
Format:
- Subject line (clear, specific)
- Greeting
- Body (brief, organized)
- Closing
Formal (to teacher, boss) vs Informal (to friend).
Home activity: Draft email to teacher asking for assignment clarification.
Grammar Essentials for CBC
Sentence Structure
Simple sentence: One idea.
- “The dog barks.”
Compound sentence: Two ideas joined with conjunction (and, but, or).
- “The dog barks, and the cat meows.”
Complex sentence: Main idea + dependent clause.
- “Although it was raining, we went to school.”
Teach: Vary sentence types for interesting writing.
Tenses
Present: “I eat ugali.” Past: “I ate ugali.” Future: “I will eat ugali.”
Common mistake: Switching tenses mid-story.
- Wrong: “I went to the market. I buy tomatoes.”
- Right: “I went to the market. I bought tomatoes.”
Activity: Write story, identify tense, check consistency.
Punctuation
Period (.): End of sentence.
Comma (,): Separate items in list, after introductory words.
- “I bought maize, beans, and sugar.”
- “However, I forgot milk.”
Question mark (?): End of questions only.
Exclamation mark (!): Strong emotion (use sparingly).
Apostrophe (’): Possession (John’s book) or contractions (don’t, can’t).
**Quotation marks (""): Dialogue.
- Mary said, “I am happy.”
Activity: Give unpunctuated paragraph, child adds punctuation.
Capitalization
Capitalize:
- First word of sentence
- Names (John, Kenya, Nairobi)
- Days, months (Monday, January)
- Titles (Mr., Dr., President)
- “I”
Common mistake: Not capitalizing proper nouns or overcapitalizing.
Spelling
Common mistakes:
- their/there/they’re
- your/you’re
- to/too/two
- its/it’s
Activity: Weekly spelling test, use words in sentences.
How Parents Can Help (Without Being Teachers)
1. Read Together
Daily reading (books, newspapers, stories).
Why it helps: Children absorb good writing through reading.
Discuss: “Why do you think the author described it this way?“
2. Encourage Daily Writing
Journal, diary, or even texts/messages.
Make it routine: 10-15 minutes before bed.
Don’t criticize: Focus on content first, grammar later.
3. Be a Scribe (Younger Kids)
Child tells story, you write it down.
Then: Child reads it back, copies it, or illustrates it.
Builds: Storytelling confidence before handwriting speed catches up.
4. Provide Writing Tools
Notebooks, pens, colored pencils.
Special “writing notebook” makes it feel important.
Stickers/stamps as rewards for completed writing.
5. Give Real-World Writing Tasks
Better than abstract exercises:
- “Write shopping list.”
- “Write birthday invitation for friend.”
- “Write thank you note to grandma.”
Shows: Writing has purpose beyond school.
6. Praise Effort, Not Just Perfection
“I love how you described the sunset!” (specific praise)
Not: “This is full of mistakes.” (demotivating)
Focus on what’s good, gently correct one or two errors (not all at once—overwhelming).
7. Model Writing
Children imitate adults.
Let them see you write: Shopping lists, letters, texts (proper language, not sheng).
Explain: “I’m writing to thank our neighbor for helping us.”
8. Use Technology Wisely
Typing: Can be motivating (kids love computers).
Apps/websites: Writing games, storytelling apps.
Caution: Don’t rely on autocorrect—children still need to learn spelling.
9. Connect to Interests
Football fan? Write about favorite team.
Loves cooking? Write recipe.
Writing about what they love = more engagement.
10. Visit Library
Exposure to books inspires writing.
Many counties have libraries (Nairobi County Library, McMillan Memorial Library, etc.).
Free or low cost.
Overcoming Common Challenges
”My Child Hates Writing”
Why?:
- Too hard (needs simpler tasks)
- Boring topics (make it fun)
- Overwhelmed (break into small steps)
Solutions:
- Start very small (1 sentence/day)
- Let child choose topics
- Make it game/competition with siblings
- Use pictures as prompts
”My Child’s Handwriting is Messy”
Practice:
- Letter tracing sheets (free online or buy at bookshops)
- Write slowly, focus on neatness over speed
- Use lined paper
- Proper pencil grip (search online for correct grip)
Be patient: Fine motor skills develop at different rates.
”I Don’t Know How to Teach Grammar”
You don’t need to be expert:
- Use resources (YouTube videos, grammar books for kids)
- Learn together
- Focus on basics (sentences, punctuation, tenses)
- Teacher is primary instructor—you’re support
”My Child Writes in Sheng/Poor English”
Balance:
- Sheng okay for speaking with friends
- English for writing/formal situations
Model good English at home (they learn by hearing).
Gently correct: “At home, let’s say ‘I am going’ instead of ‘I’m going to.’"
"No Time/Resources”
Writing costs almost nothing:
- Old notebooks, scrap paper
- Pens from stationery
- Free topics (no need for fancy prompts)
Time: 10-15 minutes/day = huge impact over time.
Consistency beats long sessions.
CBC Writing Assessment: What Teachers Look For
1. Relevance
Does writing answer the question/task?
Example: If asked to write letter, did child use letter format?
2. Content
Are ideas clear, developed?
Details, examples make writing better.
3. Organization
Logical flow (introduction, body, conclusion).
Paragraphs (not one giant block of text).
4. Language
Vocabulary variety (not repeating “good” 10 times).
Grammar correctness.
5. Mechanics
Spelling, punctuation, capitalization, handwriting.
6. Creativity (Narratives)
Originality, imagination, engaging storytelling.
Help child develop these through practice at home.
Resources for Parents
Free/Low-Cost
1. BBC Bitesize: Online lessons (English, writing)—free
2. YouTube: “Writing for kids,” “grammar lessons”—free
3. Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD): CBC resources on website—free
4. Library: Books, writing guides—free/low cost
5. Teacher: Ask for recommendations, sample tasks—free
Paid (Affordable)
1. Workbooks: Available at bookshops (KES 200-500)
2. Tutoring: If budget allows, weekly tutor helps
3. Writing competitions: Some charge entry fee but motivate child
Preparing for CBC Assessments
School-based assessments: Regular throughout term.
Writing components in multiple subjects.
How to Help
1. Practice different formats (letters, stories, reports)
2. Time child: CBC has time limits—practice writing within time
3. Review marking schemes: Ask teacher what’s expected
4. Build confidence: “You can do this!”
5. Ensure basics solid: Sentences, paragraphs, punctuation
Long-Term Benefits
Strong writing skills help in:
- All subjects: Answering questions clearly
- Exams: Better scores
- Career: Emails, reports, communication
- Life: Expressing yourself, persuading, informing
Investment now = lifelong advantage.
Action Plan for Parents
This Week
- Set up daily writing time (10-15 mins)
- Buy notebook for child’s journal
- Choose one writing activity from this guide
- Read together for 20 minutes
This Month
- Child writes 2-3 letters (formal, informal)
- Child writes 2 stories
- Practice punctuation exercises
- Visit library
This Term
- Child completes small writing project (e.g., “My Family History”—interview relatives, write report)
- Improve one weak area (spelling, grammar, or handwriting)
- Celebrate progress (display best writing on fridge, small reward)
Final Encouragement
You don’t need teaching degree to support your child’s writing.
You need:
- Patience
- Encouragement
- Consistency
- Belief in your child
Every word your child writes is practice. Even mistakes teach.
CBC wants children to write confidently for real life, not just exams.
Your support at home makes huge difference.
Start today: Give your child a notebook and say, “Tell me a story.” Then watch their writing skills grow over time.
You’ve got this. Your child has got this. Together, you’ll succeed in CBC writing!