non chronological report writing year 3

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Non-chronological reports

What is a non-chronological report.

A non-chronological report is a non-fiction text that is not written in time order. They are written to give information on a particular subject or event, without actually referring to the order in which things happen. Non-chronological reports are often referred to as information texts as they give factual information about the topic or event.

Instructions are not an example of a non-chronological report since it would be impossible to follow them correctly were they not in the correct order. Similarly, explanation texts are also presented in time order so are not non-chronological reports.

Below is an example of a non-chronological report taking from our Lost in the Rainforest Non-Chronological Reports scheme for Year 3.

What are the features of a non-chronological report?

Here are the key features of non-chronologicl reports. Not all non-chronological reports will contain every single feature listed below but they will include some of them.

1. A heading - The heading should be nice and big so it catches the readers eye. It should make it very clear to the reader what the non-chronological report is about. Sometimes, the heading can take the form of a question which then the non-chronological report answers.

2. An introductory paragraph - This paragraph gives an overview of the topic the non-chronological report is about. It is found just below the heading and before the main body of the report.

3. Subheadings - Non-chronological reports are laid out in pargraphs. Each paragraph focusses on a different aspect of the topic of the report. So that the reader knows what each paragraph is about, subheadings are used as signposts. They enable the reader to quickly find the part of the non-chronological report they are interested in finding out about. These subheadings can, like the heading, also take the form of questions.

4. Paragraphs - Non-chronological reports are organised into paragraphs. Each paragraph focusses on a different aspect of the subject being discussed.

5. Technical vocabulary - Non-chronological reports often contain topic specific vocabulary. These may not be known to the reader and are thus either explained within the report itself or are sometimes listed in the glossary found at the back of the information book. Children need to be taught this topic-specific vocabulary explicitly so that they can use it with confidence in their non-chronological report writing.

6. Images with captions - These could be photographs, illustrations or diagrams with labels. The images have captions. The captions help the reader to understand what the image is showing.

7. Written in the third person - Non-chronological reports are written in the third person and have a formal tone.

8. Formal language - The purpose of this type of writing is to give facts rather than opinions. Therefore, non-chronological reports use formal language.

9. Present tense - Non-chronological reports are normally written in the present tense unless they are writing about an event that has happened in the past.

Here at PlanBee, we have created this FREE Features of Non-Chronological Reports Poster for you to download and use in your classroom:

How are children taught about non-chronological reports?

Here are the stages children will typically go through when learning to write a non-chronological report:

Stage 1 - Reading and Analysing

The beginning of a unit on non-chronological reports will usually involve reading a range of high quality examples of the text type. Children will identify features that are common to non-chronological reports (see above) and will draw up a list of success criteria for good non-chronological reports. At this stage of the teaching sequence, children will often be required to compare non-chronological reports. Using a bad example (often written by the teacher); children can then see why the key features of non-chronological reports are needed.

Teachers will often share a WAGOLL (What A Good One Looks Like) with the children at this stage in order to identify the key features of the text type. We have a teaching Wiki on WAGOLL to help:

Stage 2 - Research

The next stage children will often be involved with is researching using information texts. For children to be able to write a quality non-chronological report on a topic, they will obviously need to know lots about that topic. Therefore, children will need to use a range of texts on the topic to become experts in it. Note taking, bullet pointing and answering comprhension questions using non-chronological reports could all happen at this stage. The topic precific vocabulary needed will also need to be understood by the children.

Stage 3 - Sentence level work

By this point, the children will have a good understanding of the key features of non-chronological reports and will have researched the topic so that they can write with confidence about it. In this next stage, children will normally focus on a sentence level objective that the class is working on. For example, in Year 4 children might practice using fronted adverbials in their factual sentences while in year 2, work on using conjunctions might take place. They will then apply this sentence level work to their writing at length later in the unit.

Stage 4 - Planning and drafting  

Children will then typically use a planner of some description to plan out the paragraphs they will be writing in their non-chronological report. They will think about what the heading, subeadings and content of each paragraph will be. Once this has taken place, children will use their plan to draft their non-chronological report. They will have access to word banks, sentence starters and their research undertaken previosuly to help them.

Stage 5 - Editing

Once children have drafted their non-chronological report, they will then typically be involved with editing and impoving their writing. A really useful way of doing this is through the use of editing stations. There is a very useful teaching Wiki and a FREE pack full of word banks, posters and other resources that you can download. The links to these are here:

Stage 6 - Presentation and evaluation

The final stage of the writing process will be children writing up their non-chronological report. They may do this on special paper and have more creative freedom over the layout and presentation. Children will then evaluate their own and each others' writing in relation to the success criteria drawn up in the first stage of the unit (see stage 1 - research). This writing will often be mounted and displayed as a celebration of children's achievements.

Resources to support the teaching of non-chronological reports

Here at PlanBee, we have a huge range of materials that you can use to support your teaching of non-chronological reports:

Non-chronological reports Year 2

Children in Year 2 will write simple information texts related to a topic they are learning about with headings and factual sentences. They may be provided with a frame to support them writing in paragraphs with subheadings.

Non-chronological reports KS2

As children progress through KS2, their non chronological reports will become more sophisticated and show a greater use of the key features of this text type. In Year 3, the use of the key features may still need to be heavily scaffolded by the teacher but as children progress, their use of these will become more independent.

LESSON PACK Castles - Non-chronological reports (Year 2)

LESSON PACK Lost in the Rainforest - Non-chronological reports (Year 3)

FREE Features of a Non-Chronological Report Poster

FREE Editing Station Poster Pack

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Year 3 – english: non – chronological report writing.

This term in year 3, we have an over arching theme of the Amazon Rainforest. We have tried to weave this through all of our learning, with English being no exception.

We have been looking at a variety of non – chronological reports to identify their key layout features as well as the sentence structure that is associated with these types of text.

A non – chronological report is a non -fiction text which gives information on a particular subject. It is sometimes called a non – chronological report as it gives information without referring to the order in which things happen.

We have used the Christmas home learning as a basis for the information that has gone into our reports.

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Non-chronological report – Best KS1/KS2 examples, worksheets and resources

Get children’s report writing in order, even if it’s not in chronological order, with these lesson ideas, activities and other resources for primary English…

It might surprise you to find that the words ‘non-chronological report’ do not feature in the national curriculum. Yet, the writing of non-chronological reports has become a staple of primary teaching.

While some schools have moved away from a genre-based way of teaching writing , you’re still very likely to find yourself being required to teach children how to produce this kind of writing.

What is a non-chronological report?

What are the features of a non-chronological report, non-chronological reports in ks1, non-chronological reports in ks2, progression through year groups, more non-chronological report resources.

The purpose of a non-chronological report is to inform the reader. A non-chronological report can be about anything that doesn’t require a chronological, time-ordered account of something. This might include:

• an introduction to a hobby
• an overview of a capital city
• a piece about a child’s family

The following examples would not suit a non-chronological report:

• Recount of a visit
• Set of instructions
• Write-up of a science experiment
• Description of a historical sequence

Pupils could choose to write a non-chronological report about anything they are knowledgeable about and interested in.

Linking writing to previous learning

To remove the need to recall facts, you can also write non-chronological reports about fictional topics, for example, mythological beasts that children have created.

However, in primary schools it’s often the case that you’ll link the piece of writing to some current (or previous) learning in another curriculum area. This has the following benefits:

• children may be very knowledgeable about the subject if you’ve taught them well
• links to other subjects give the writing some further purpose
• children may be enthusiastic about writing about that particular topic

There are drawbacks too, however. Children may get bogged down in trying to accurately represent their learning in other subjects to the point that demonstrating their writing ability takes a back seat.

“The words ‘non-chronological report’ do not feature in the national curriculum”

You must also exercise caution when reviewing and assessing writing. Focus on the English knowledge and skills children have demonstrated, rather than the subject knowledge they’ve demonstrated in the content.

Because non-chronological reports do not follow a sequential order but instead focus on presenting facts and details in a structured manner, it can be useful to teach pupils how to write them as a way of helping them structure their thoughts and understanding.

The features of a non-chronological report will depend on the age group that you teach. However the following is an overview of the full range of features that you might expect a child to include in a non-chronological report by the time they reach Year 6:

A clear and engaging title that reflects the subject of the report.

Introduction

An introductory paragraph or section that provides a brief overview of the topic, without getting into the details that will feature in the rest of the report.

Organise information into paragraphs based on the different aspects of the subject being presented.

Subheadings

Use subheadings to signal paragraphs or sections comprising more than one paragraph. This makes it easy for the reader to navigate through different aspects of the subject.

Facts and information

The report will focus on the presentation of factual information and details about the subject.

Illustrations and visuals

Non-chronological reports, such as the ones you see in children’s non-fiction books, usually include images, diagrams, and other visuals related to the content. The purpose of these is to aid the reader in understanding the text.

Presentational features

Use bullet points, numbering, labels and captions to present information with clarity and organise information clearly.

Technical vocabulary

The use of specialised vocabulary and terminology relevant to the subject.

Concluding statement

This is a concluding section that summarises key points and reiterates how the information you’ve presented is relevant to the overall purpose of the piece of writing.

As previously mentioned, the national curriculum doesn’t specifically require pupils in KS1 to write non-chronological reports. However, it does require you to teach pupils in Year 2 to ‘develop positive attitudes towards and stamina for writing by writing for different purposes’.

The purpose, as we have discovered already, of a non-chronological report is to inform the reader, so this should be the focus of any non-chronological report writing in Year 2. Beyond this, any piece of writing in Year 2 should be a means of practising and showcasing other writing skills, as set out in the national curriculum under the headings of spelling, handwriting, composition, vocabulary, grammar and punctuation.

Year 1 children need not write non-chronological reports at all.

In KS2, the national curriculum hints at what might be useful for pupils who are writing a non-chronological report. It says that pupils in Years 3 and 4 should be taught to draft and write by ‘organising paragraphs around a theme’ and ‘in non-narrative material, using simple organisational devices [for example, headings and sub-headings]’.

The non-statutory guidance given in the national curriculum says:

‘Pupils should continue to have opportunities to write for a range of real purposes and audiences as part of their work across the curriculum. These purposes and audiences should underpin the decisions about the form the writing should take, such as a narrative, an explanation or a description.’

In the guidance for teachers of Years 5 and 6 it states:

‘Pupils should be taught to plan their writing by identifying the audience for and purpose of the writing, selecting the appropriate form and using other similar writing as models for their own’.

It also says that pupils should be taught to plan and draft their writing ‘using further organisational and presentational devices to structure text and to guide the reader [for example, headings, bullet points, underlining]’.

Year 2 (KS1)

In Year 2, children can create simple non-chronological reports about topics they are familiar with, such as pets or favourite toys. Their focus can be on basic sections.

Provide scaffolds such as writing frames to help children organise information. You might also want to suggest a title and provide children with lots of time to orally rehearse what they want to write before they commit it to paper.

Year 3 (KS2)

Children in Year 3 can start exploring more diverse topics, potentially those linked to prior learning, and learn to organise and structure their reports with clear headings and subheadings.

Again, you may want to scaffold this, perhaps using guided planning and structure strips . Provide practice tasks focusing on grouping information around a theme.

Where possible, give children a real-life reason and purpose to write, for example, to teach their parents about what they have been learning about.

Year 4 (KS2)

Before moving on to adding other features to their non-chronological reports, students in Year 4 can spend time learning how to craft a more comprehensive introduction and conclusion.

Provide lots of live modelling and examples of sentence structures for children to choose from, avoiding simple sentences such as ‘This non-chronological report is about…’.

You can also show children how to ensure that they are incorporating technical vocabulary in their writing. The word lists in Appendix 1 of the English national curriculum are a good guide as to what is age-appropriate concerning spellings.

Download Aidan Severs’ non-chronological report example for Year 4.

Year 5 (KS2)

In Year 5, you can use assessment of prior knowledge to move children on. Begin to look at additional organisational features such as bullet points, numbering, labels and captions.

When using these new features, encourage pupils to make selections based on audience and purpose. Model how to make these decisions so that the information is presented as clearly as possible.

Year 6 (KS2)

By Year 6, the ideal is for children to be writing non-chronological reports with a high degree of independence, demonstrating all their prior learning accurately.

Your school’s individual English curriculum will likely have new grammar and punctuation content that children need to practise too. Colons, semi-colons, conjunctions and so on all have their place in non-chronological reports.

Remember that the main purpose of a non-chronological report is to inform the reader of something – this should always be the focus.

Non-chronological reports provide children with opportunities to practise and demonstrate many of the English writing skills you’ve taught them.

Show children how to select appropriate skills and techniques, all to communicate with clarity to their intended reader: this should be the case regardless of year group.

Aidan Severs is an education consultant with over 15 years of teaching experience. Follow him on Twitter  @AidanSevers  and see more of his work at  aidansevers.com

Pie Corbett non-chronological report

Elevate your KS2 English lessons with Pie Corbett’s enchanting non-chronological report resource about unicorns. Dive into vivid descriptions of their appearance, habitat and sightings, then encourage children to craft their own reports on unicorns, dragons or any fantastical creature that captivates their imagination.

Animals non-chronological report pack for KS1

Teach Year 1 and 2 children how to write engaging non-chronological reports with this KS1 text types resource pack from Plazoom.

In it you’ll find sheets to help them plan against success criteria, descriptions of what a non-chronological report should include, two detailed model texts and collections of facts about lions that children can use to create their own non-chronological reports.

Mythical creatures non-chronological report pack for KS2

And for Year 3-6, this Plazoom pack covers all the same bases, and includes a range of images of mythical creatures to inspire pupils’ own non-chronological report writing.

Superhero non-chronological report

We often ask children to write factual reports about animals – but you can also use the same approach to write a report about a superhero. This free Pie Corbett resource will show you exactly how to do it.

Non-chronological report medium-term plan for Year 2

This three-week sequence for KS1 is a sample resource from No Nonsense Literacy. The key learning outcome is to write a non-chronological report about an animal of interest.

Pupils will select an object they’re interested in, such as a toy car, and talk about its features. What it is made of, who might use it and why? They’ll then write a report about the object, including a diagram.

How to write a sports story

In this BBC Teach article , Sonali Shah demonstrates the process of planning, writing and editing a sports story that she is working on about what happens in a footballer’s medical.

She takes you through the process from start to finish; identifying the key features of non-chronological writing and emphasising the importance of researching, drafting and proof-reading in her job as a sports journalist.

She also explains how important it is to engage the reader by using appropriate vocabulary. Keywords and examples are presented on the screen to support pupils writing in this genre.

Non-chronological report examples

If you want a big selection of ‘what a good one looks like’ examples, just head to Literacy Wagoll .

Its collection of non-chronological report examples includes everything from polar bears and ancient Greeks to space school, The Day of the Dead and the fictional poison mantis frog.

Features of a non-chronological report PowerPoint

Run through what goes into non-chronological reports with your class with this handy PowerPoint presentation .

It looks at the criteria for report writing, a good opening sentence, organising your notes, using sub-headings and more.

Sports non-chronological report template

This writing frame will support children in creating their own factfile on a sport of their choice. It includes prompts and suggested sections.

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Year 3/4 Non-Chronological Reports

Subject: English

Age range: 7-11

Resource type: Other

Last updated

8 June 2019

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Planning, detailed Smart Notebook presentation for each lesson and 10 resources to support lessons. Planning includes grammar starters for each day, differentiation as well as plenary ideas. All resources are editable in order for you to tailor then lessons to your class’ individual needs.

A 3-week unit of work writing non-chronological reports (information texts) about dragons as part of a ‘Fantastic Beasts and where to find them’ topic.

National Curriculum Year 3-4 targets covered include:

• Use the first 2-3 letters of a word to check its spelling in a dictionary.
• Plan their writing by discussing writing similar to that which they are planning to write in order to understand and learn from its structure, vocabulary and grammar.
• Plan their writing by discussing and recording ideas.
• Draft and write by organising paragraphs around a theme
• Draft and write non-narrative material, using simple organisational devices [for example, headings and sub-headings]
• evaluate and edit by: assessing the effectiveness of their own and others’ writing and suggesting improvements proposing changes to grammar and vocabulary to improve consistency, including the accurate use of pronouns in sentences
• extending the range of sentences with more than one clause by using a wider range of conjunctions, including when, if, because, although
• learning the grammar for years 3 and 4 in English Appendix 2

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Detailed English plan - Year 3 - Non-chronological report - Spring

This detailed English plan will support teachers in year 3 deliver an exciting and engaging non-fiction unit.

The plan has been carefully crafted to allow children to meet the heightened demands of Curriculum 2014. The plan weaves together the statements from the reading (word reading and comprehension) and writing (transcription, handwriting, composition, VGP and spelling) components of the 2014 curriculum, showing how all of these aspects of learning can be addressed through creative learning experiences.

The plan is based on an engaging text that allows for exciting opportunities to develop the children’s reading, writing and spoken language.

Core text: a range of text based on pirates.

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What is a non-chronological report?

A non-chronological report is a non-fiction report which is not written in time order.

All of the following information texts are written in time order:  

• Explanation - this is a text about a process which happens or happened in a certain order, such as the water cycle or the events of a battle.
• Recount - this is a time ordered re-telling of something that has happened in real life, such as a school trip or the life of Gandhi.
• Instructions - this is a text including numbered points on how to do something, such as cook a meal or put up some shelves.

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A non-chronological report is focused on a single topic and includes various facts about this topic. Children may be asked to read and / or write non-chronological reports about a country, animal, religion, planet or sport.

Working with non-chronological reports in primary school

Teachers would start by showing children a range of reports and asking them to look at the features. 

The features of a non-chronological report  include some of the following:  

• An eye-catching heading in a large font
• An introductory paragraph
• Text split up into paragraphs and each paragraph on a different aspect of the subject
• Sub-headings for each paragraph
• Usually written in present tense
• Pictures of the subject
• Captions under each picture to explain what is in the picture
• Diagrams with labels
• Lists of facts in bullet points
• Graphs or charts showing information about the subject
• Boxes containing interesting individual facts to grab the attention of the reader
• Technical vocabulary in bold, possibly with a glossary at the end

Children will spend some time text-marking the features on different reports and comparing how they are set out. The next step will be for children to choose or be given a topic to research.

Teachers will then encourage them to edit and improve their writing. The teacher may mark the work and write suggestions, or children may be put into pairs to edit each other's work. 

Children then need to think about the layout of their report. They need to think about all the above features and what they would like to include. A teacher may encourage children to draw up a plan of how they would like their report to look.

Children then produce their reports in 'neat', writing up their improved paragraphs and including eye-catching headings and pictures.

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