Emotion and Writing in Primary School‐Aged Children: Writing Attitudes, Writing Ability and Wellbeing

Previous research has shown that the ‘will’ to write (children's motivations and feelings about writing) is associated with the ‘skill’ or ability to write; although, the nature of this relationship across primary schooling remains unclear. There is also a paucity of research into how children's general emotional wellbeing relates to writing attitudes and ability. This study examined differences in wellbeing, writing attitudes and writing ability across Years 3–6 and the associations between these variables. Using a cross‐sectional correlational design, 87 children aged 7–11 completed a writing task (‘Once I had the best day ever at school’) and a questionnaire assessing wellbeing and writing attitudes. Writing was analysed for productivity (word count) and accuracy (spelling correctness) as per CBM‐W (Curriculum Based Measures of Writing) assessment. Results showed that writing ability was higher in Year 6 compared to Years 3–4 as expected while writing attitudes were confirmed as more positive in Year 3 compared to Years 5–6. No significant year group differences were found for wellbeing. Writing attitudes were positively correlated with both wellbeing and writing productivity. However, year group did not moderate these relationships. The findings underscore the important connection between wellbeing and writing attitudes. Educational implications and theoretical underpinnings are discussed.