CER vs TEEL: Which Writing Framework Should Your Child Use?

Two Frameworks, Two Purposes

Australian schools teach several writing frameworks to help students structure their ideas. Two of the most common are CER (Claim, Evidence, Reasoning) and TEEL (Topic sentence, Explanation, Evidence, Linking sentence).

Both are used for persuasive and analytical writing, but they serve slightly different purposes.

What Is CER?

CER stands for Claim, Evidence, Reasoning:

• Claim — State your position or answer
• Evidence — Provide data, facts, or examples that support your claim
• Reasoning — Explain why your evidence supports your claim

CER is widely used in science and STEM subjects. It teaches students to think like scientists — making claims and backing them up with evidence and logical reasoning.

CER Example

Claim: Regular reading improves writing ability. Evidence: A 2023 study found that students who read for 20 minutes daily scored 15% higher on writing assessments. Reasoning: Exposure to well-written text helps students internalise vocabulary, sentence structures, and narrative techniques, which they then apply in their own writing.

What Is TEEL?

TEEL stands for Topic sentence, Explanation, Evidence, Linking sentence:

• Topic sentence — Introduce the main idea of the paragraph
• Explanation — Expand on your topic sentence
• Evidence — Provide examples, quotes, or data
• Linking sentence — Connect back to your argument or transition to the next point

TEEL is commonly taught in English and humanities subjects. It's particularly strong for structuring persuasive essays with multiple paragraphs.

TEEL Example

Topic: Schools should teach typing as part of the curriculum. Explanation: As NAPLAN moves fully online, typing proficiency directly affects student performance in writing assessments. Evidence: Students who type at 25+ WPM produce responses that are, on average, 40% longer than those typing at 15 WPM. Linking: Therefore, dedicated typing instruction would improve student outcomes across all online assessments.

Which Should Your Child Use for NAPLAN?

For the NAPLAN persuasive writing task:

• TEEL is generally better suited because it provides a complete paragraph structure with explicit linking between ideas
• CER works well for individual arguments within a broader essay

For NAPLAN narrative writing:

• Neither framework is directly applicable — narrative writing uses story structure (orientation, complication, climax, resolution)
• However, CER thinking helps when characters need to justify decisions within a story

Our Recommendation by Year Level

• Year 3-5: Focus on simple paragraph structure. CER is a good starting point for learning to support ideas with evidence.
• Year 7: Introduce TEEL for persuasive essays. Students can use CER for individual body paragraphs within a TEEL structure.
• Year 9: Students should be comfortable with both and choose based on the task. TEEL for extended persuasive essays, CER for focused analytical responses.

Learn More

Read our detailed CER vs TEEL comparison guide for side-by-side examples and year-level recommendations, or explore the individual method guides:

• CER Method Guide
• TEEL Method Guide
• Story Mountain Method (for narrative writing)