English
Outcomes
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Key Stage 1
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Year 1
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Reading
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Word Reading
Pupils should revise and consolidate the GPCs and the common exception words taught in Reception. As soon as they can read words comprising the year 1 GPCs accurately and speedily, they should move on to the year 2 programme of study for word reading. The number, order and choice of exception words taught will vary according to the phonics programme being used. Ensuring that pupils are aware of the GPCs they contain, however unusual these are, supports spelling later. Young readers encounter words that they have not seen before much more frequently than experienced readers do, and they may not know the meaning of some of these. Practice at reading such words by sounding and blending can provide opportunities not only for pupils to develop confidence in their decoding skills, but also for teachers to explain the meaning and thus develop pupils' vocabulary. Pupils should be taught how to read words with suffixes by being helped to build on the root words that they can read already. Pupils' reading and re-reading of books that are closely matched to their developing phonic knowledge and knowledge of common exception words supports their fluency, as well as increasing their confidence in their reading skills. Fluent word reading greatly assists comprehension, especially when pupils come to read longer books.
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Comprehension
Pupils should have extensive experience of listening to, sharing and discussing a wide range of high-quality books with the teacher, other adults and each other to engender a love of reading at the same time as they are reading independently. Pupils' vocabulary should be developed when they listen to books read aloud and when they discuss what they have heard. Such vocabulary can also feed into their writing. Knowing the meaning of more words increases pupils' chances of understanding when they read by themselves. The meaning of some new words should be introduced to pupils before they start to read on their own, so that these unknown words do not hold up their comprehension. However, once pupils have already decoded words successfully, the meaning of those that are new to them can be discussed with them, so contributing to developing their early skills of inference. By listening frequently to stories, poems and non-fiction that they cannot yet read for themselves, pupils begin to understand how written language can be structured in order, for example, to build surprise in narratives or to present facts in non-fiction. Listening to and discussing information books and other non-fiction establishes the foundations for their learning in other subjects. Pupils should be shown some of the processes for finding out information. Through listening, pupils also start to learn how language sounds and increase their vocabulary and awareness of grammatical structures. In due course, they will be able to draw on such grammar in their own writing. Rules for effective discussions should be agreed with and demonstrated for pupils. They should help to develop and evaluate them, with the expectation that everyone takes part. Pupils should be helped to consider the opinions of others. Role-play can help pupils to identify with and explore characters and to try out the language they have listened to.
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Word Reading
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Writing
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Transcription
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Spelling
Reading should be taught alongside spelling, so that pupils understand that they can read back words they have spelt. Pupils should be shown how to segment spoken words into individual phonemes and then how to represent the phonemes by the appropriate grapheme(s). It is important to recognise that phoneme-grapheme correspondences (which underpin spelling) are more variable than grapheme-phoneme correspondences (which underpin reading). For this reason, pupils need to do much more word-specific rehearsal for spelling than for reading. At this stage pupils will be spelling some words in a phonically plausible way, even if sometimes incorrectly. Misspellings of words that pupils have been taught to spell should be corrected; other misspelt words should be used to teach pupils about alternative ways of representing those sounds. Writing simple dictated sentences that include words taught so far gives pupils opportunities to apply and practise their spelling
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Spelling
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Vocabulary, Grammar & Punctuation
Pupils should be taught to recognise sentence boundaries in spoken sentences and to use the vocabulary listed in English Appendix 2 ('Terminology for pupils') when their writing is discussed. Pupils should begin to use some of the distinctive features of Standard English in their writing. 'Standard English' is defined in the Glossary.
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Transcription
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Spelling
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Revision of Reception Work
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All letters of the alphabet and the sounds which they most commonly represent
Play Activities 151Examples
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Consonant digraphs which have been taught and the sounds which they represent
Examples
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The process of segmenting spoken words into sounds before choosing graphemes to represent the sounds
Examples
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The sounds /f/, /l/, /s/, /z/ and /k/ spelt ff, ll, ss, zz and ck
The /f/, /l/, /s/, /z/ and /k/ sounds are usually spelt as ff, ll, ss, zz and ck if they come straight after a single vowel letter in short words. Exceptions: if, pal, us, bus, yes. Example words: off, well, miss, buzz, backExamples
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Adding s and es to words (plural of nouns and the third person singular of verbs)
If the ending sounds like /s/ or /z/, it is spelt as -s. If the ending sounds like /ɪz/ and forms an extra syllable or 'beat' in the word, it is spelt as -es. Example words: cats, dogs, spends, rocks, thanks, catchesExamples
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Adding -er and -est to adjectives where no change is needed to the root word
As with verbs (see above), if the adjective ends in two consonant letters (the same or different), the ending is simply added on. Example words: grander, grandest, fresher, freshest, quicker, quickestExamples
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All letters of the alphabet and the sounds which they most commonly represent
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Vowel Digraphs & Trigraphs
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Ai, oi
The digraphs ai and oi are virtually never used at the end of English words. Example words: rain, wait, train, paid, afraid, oil, join, coin, point, soilExamples
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Ay, oy
Ay and oy are used for those sounds at the end of words and at the end of syllables. Example words: day, play, say, way, stay, boy, toy, enjoy, annoyExamples
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A-e
Example words: made, came, same, take, safeExamples
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I-e
Example words: five, ride, like, time, sideExamples
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O-e
Example words: home, those, woke, hope, holeExamples
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Ee
Example words: see, tree, green, meet, weekExamples
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Ea (/i:/)
Example words: sea, dream, meat, each, read (present tense)Examples
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Er (/ə/)
Example words: (unstressed schwa sound): better, under, summer, winter, sisterExamples
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Oo (/u:/)
Very few words end with the letters oo, although the few that do are often words that primary children in year 1 will encounter, for example, zoo. Example words: food, pool, moon, zoo, soonExamples
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Oo (/ʊ/)
Example words: book, took, foot, wood, goodExamples
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Oa
The digraph oa is very rare at the end of an English word. Example words: boat, coat, road, coach, goalExamples
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Ou
The only common English word ending in ou is you. Example words: out, about, mouth, around, soundExamples
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Ow (/aʊ/), ow (/əʊ/), ue, ew
Both the /u:/ and /ju:/ ('oo' and 'yoo') sounds can be spelt as u-e, ue and ew. If words end in the /oo/ sound, ue and ew are more common spellings than oo. Example words: now, how, brown, down, town, own, blow, snow, grow, show, blue, clue, true, rescue, Tuesday, new, few, grew, flew, drew, threwExamples
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Air
Example words: air, fair, pair, hair, chairExamples
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Ear
Example words: dear, hear, beard, near, yearExamples
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Words ending -y (/i:/ or /ɪ/)
Example words: very, happy, funny, party, familyExamples
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New consonant spellings ph and wh
The /f/ sound is not usually spelt as ph in short everyday words (e.g. fat, fill, fun). Example words: dolphin, alphabet, phonics, elephant, when, where, which, wheel, whileExamples
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Compound words
Compound words are two words joined together. Each part of the longer word is spelt as it would be if it were on its own. Example words: football, playground, farmyard, bedroom, blackberryExamples
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Ai, oi
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Revision of Reception Work
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Vocabulary, Grammar & Punctuation
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Sentence
How words can combine to make sentences Joining words and joining clauses using andPlay Activities 186Examples
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Sentence
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Reading
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Year 2
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Reading
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Word Reading
Pupils should revise and consolidate the GPCs and the common exception words taught in year 1. The exception words taught will vary slightly, depending on the phonics programme being used. As soon as pupils can read words comprising the year 2 GPCs accurately and speedily, they should move on to the years 3 and 4 programme of study for word reading. When pupils are taught how to read longer words, they should be shown syllable boundaries and how to read each syllable separately before they combine them to read the word. Pupils should be taught how to read suffixes by building on the root words that they have already learnt. The whole suffix should be taught as well as the letters that make it up. Pupils who are still at the early stages of learning to read should have ample practice in reading books that are closely matched to their developing phonic knowledge and knowledge of common exception words. As soon as the decoding of most regular words and common exception words is embedded fully, the range of books that pupils can read independently will expand rapidly. Pupils should have opportunities to exercise choice in selecting books and be taught how to do so.
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Continue to apply phonic knowledge and skills as the route to decode words until automatic decoding has become embedded and reading is fluent
Play Activities 404Examples
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Read accurately by blending the sounds in words that contain the graphemes taught so far, especially recognising alternative sounds for graphemes
Examples
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Read accurately words of two or more syllables that contain the same graphemes as above
Examples
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Read most words quickly and accurately, without overt sounding and blending, when they have been frequently encountered
Examples
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Continue to apply phonic knowledge and skills as the route to decode words until automatic decoding has become embedded and reading is fluent
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Comprehension
Pupils should be encouraged to read all the words in a sentence and to do this accurately, so that their understanding of what they read is not hindered by imprecise decoding (for example, by reading 'place' instead of 'palace'). Pupils should monitor what they read, checking that the word they have decoded fits in with what else they have read and makes sense in the context of what they already know about the topic. The meaning of new words should be explained to pupils within the context of what they are reading, and they should be encouraged to use morphology (such as prefixes) to work out unknown words. Pupils should learn about cause and effect in both narrative and non-fiction (for example, what has prompted a character's behaviour in a story; why certain dates are commemorated annually). 'Thinking aloud' when reading to pupils may help them to understand what skilled readers do. Deliberate steps should be taken to increase pupils' vocabulary and their awareness of grammar so that they continue to understand the differences between spoken and written language. Discussion should be demonstrated to pupils. They should be guided to participate in it and they should be helped to consider the opinions of others. They should receive feedback on their discussions. Role-play and other drama techniques can help pupils to identify with and explore characters. In these ways, they extend their understanding of what they read and have opportunities to try out the language they have listened to.
- Develop pleasure in reading, motivation to read, vocabulary and understanding by:
- Understand both the books that they can already read accurately and fluently and those that they listen to by:
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Explain and discuss their understanding of books, poems and other material, both those that they listen to and those that they read for themselves
Examples
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Word Reading
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Writing
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Transcription
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Spelling
In year 2, pupils move towards more word-specific knowledge of spelling, including homophones. The process of spelling should be emphasised: that is, that spelling involves segmenting spoken words into phonemes and then representing all the phonemes by graphemes in the right order. Pupils should do this both for single-syllable and multi-syllabic words. At this stage children's spelling should be phonically plausible, even if not always correct. Misspellings of words that pupils have been taught to spell should be corrected; other misspelt words can be used as an opportunity to teach pupils about alternative ways of representing those sounds. Pupils should be encouraged to apply their knowledge of suffixes from their word reading to their spelling. They should also draw from and apply their growing knowledge of word and spelling structure, as well as their knowledge of root words.
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Spell by:
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Segmenting spoken words into phonemes and representing these by graphemes, spelling many correctly
Play Activities 301Examples
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Learning new ways of spelling phonemes for which one or more spellings are already known, and learn some words with each spelling, including a few common homophones
Play Activities 107Examples
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Learning to spell common exception words
Examples
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Distinguishing between homophones and near-homophones
Examples
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Segmenting spoken words into phonemes and representing these by graphemes, spelling many correctly
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Add suffixes to spell longer words, including -ment, -ness, -ful, -less, -ly
Examples
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Apply spelling rules and guidance, as listed in English Appendix 1
Examples
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Spell by:
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Spelling
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Vocabulary, Grammar & Punctuation
The terms for discussing language should be embedded for pupils in the course of discussing their writing with them. Their attention should be drawn to the technical terms they need to learn.
- Develop their understanding of the concepts set out in English Appendix 2 by:
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Learn how to use:
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Sentences with different forms: statement, question, exclamation, command
Examples
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Expanded noun phrases to describe and specify [for example, the blue butterfly]
Examples
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The present and past tenses correctly and consistently including the progressive form
Examples
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Subordination (using when, if, that, or because) and co-ordination (using or, and, or but)
Examples
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Sentences with different forms: statement, question, exclamation, command
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Transcription
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Spelling
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New Work for Year 2
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The /dʒ/ sound spelt as ge and dge at the end of words, and sometimes spelt as g elsewhere in words before e, i and y
The letter j is never used for the /dʒ/ sound at the end of English words. At the end of a word, the /dʒ/ sound is spelt -dge straight after the /æ/, /ɛ/, /ɪ/, /ɒ/, /ʌ/ and /ʊ/ sounds (sometimes called 'short' vowels). Example words: badge, edge, bridge, dodge, fudge After all other sounds, whether vowels or consonants, the /dʒ/ sound is spelt as -ge at the end of a word. Example words: age, huge, change, charge, bulge, village In other positions in words, the /dʒ/ sound is often (but not always) spelt as g before e, i, and y. The /dʒ/ sound is always spelt as j before a, o and u. Example words: gem, giant, magic, giraffe, energy, jacket, jar, jog, join, adjustExamples
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The /s/ sound spelt c before e, i and y
Example words: race, ice, cell, city, fancyExamples
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The /n/ sound spelt kn and (less often) gn at the beginning of words
The 'k' and 'g' at the beginning of these words was sounded hundreds of years ago. Example words: knock, know, knee, gnat, gnawExamples
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The /r/ sound spelt wr at the beginning of words
This spelling probably also reflects an old pronunciation. Example words: write, written, wrote, wrong, wrapExamples
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The /aɪ/ sound spelt -y at the end of words
This is by far the most common spelling for this sound at the end of words. Example words: cry, fly, dry, try, reply, JulyExamples
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Adding -es to nouns and verbs ending in -y
The y is changed to i before -es is added. Example words: flies, tries, replies, copies, babies, carriesExamples
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Adding the endings -ing, -ed, -er, -est and -y to words ending in -e with a consonant before it
The -e at the end of the root word is dropped before -ing, -ed, -er, -est, -y or any other suffix beginning with a vowel letter is added. Exception: being. Example words: hiking, hiked, hiker, nicer, nicest, shinyExamples
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Adding -ing, -ed, -er, -est and -y to words of one syllable ending in a single consonant letter after a single vowel letter
The last consonant letter of the root word is doubled to keep the /æ/, /ɛ/, /ɪ/, /ɒ/ and /ʌ/ sound (i.e. to keep the vowel 'short'). Exception: The letter 'x' is never doubled: mixing, mixed, boxer, sixes. Example words: patting, patted, humming, hummed, dropping, dropped, sadder, saddest, fatter, fattest, runner, runnyExamples
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The /ɔ:/ sound spelt a before l and ll
The /ɔ:/ sound ('or') is usually spelt as a before l and ll. Example words: all, ball, call, walk, talk, alwaysExamples
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The /i:/ sound spelt -ey
The plural of these words is formed by the addition of -s (donkeys, monkeys, etc.). Example words: key, donkey, monkey, chimney, valleyExamples
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Contractions
In contractions, the apostrophe shows where a letter or letters would be if the words were written in full (e.g. can't - cannot). It's means it is (e.g. It's raining) or sometimes it has (e.g. It's been raining), but it's is never used for the possessive. Example words: can't, didn't, hasn't, couldn't, it's, I'llExamples
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Homophones and near-homophones
It is important to know the difference in meaning between homophones. Example words: there/their/they're, here/hear, quite/quiet, see/sea, bare/bear, one/won, sun/son, to/too/two, be/bee, blue/blew, night/knightExamples
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The /dʒ/ sound spelt as ge and dge at the end of words, and sometimes spelt as g elsewhere in words before e, i and y
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New Work for Year 2
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Vocabulary, Grammar & Punctuation
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Word
Formation of nouns using suffixes such as -ness, -er and by compounding [for example, whiteboard, superman] Formation of adjectives using suffixes such as -ful, -less (A fuller list of suffixes can be found on page 54 in the year 2 spelling section in English Appendix 1) Use of the suffixes -er, -est in adjectives and the use of -ly in Standard English to turn adjectives into adverbsExamples
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Sentence
Subordination (using when, if, that, because) and co-ordination (using or, and, but) Expanded noun phrases for description and specification [for example, the blue butterfly, plain flour, the man in the moon] How the grammatical patterns in a sentence indicate its function as a statement, question, exclamation or commandExamples
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Punctuation
Use of capital letters, full stops, question marks and exclamation marks to demarcate sentences Commas to separate items in a list Apostrophes to mark where letters are missing in spelling and to mark singular possession in nouns [for example, the girl's name]Examples
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Terminology for Pupils
Noun, noun phrase Statement, question, exclamation, command Compound, suffix Adjective, adverb, verb Tense (past, present) Apostrophe, commaExamples
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Word
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Reading
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Year 1
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Lower Key Stage 2
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Years 3 & 4
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Reading
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Word Reading
At this stage, teaching comprehension should be taking precedence over teaching word reading directly. Any focus on word reading should support the development of vocabulary. When pupils are taught to read longer words, they should be supported to test out different pronunciations. They will attempt to match what they decode to words they may have already heard but may not have seen in print [for example, in reading 'technical', the pronunciation /tɛtʃnɪkəl/ ('tetchnical') might not sound familiar, but /tɛknɪkəl/ ('teknical') should].
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Comprehension
The focus should continue to be on pupils' comprehension as a primary element in reading. The knowledge and skills that pupils need in order to comprehend are very similar at different ages. This is why the programmes of study for comprehension in years 3 and 4 and years 5 and 6 are similar: the complexity of the writing increases the level of challenge. Pupils should be taught to recognise themes in what they read, such as the triumph of good over evil or the use of magical devices in fairy stories and folk tales. They should also learn the conventions of different types of writing (for example, the greeting in letters, a diary written in the first person or the use of presentational devices such as numbering and headings in instructions). Pupils should be taught to use the skills they have learnt earlier and continue to apply these skills to read for different reasons, including for pleasure, or to find out information and the meaning of new words. Pupils should continue to have opportunities to listen frequently to stories, poems, non-fiction and other writing, including whole books and not just extracts, so that they build on what was taught previously. In this way, they also meet books and authors that they might not choose themselves. Pupils should also have opportunities to exercise choice in selecting books and be taught how to do so, with teachers making use of any library services and expertise to support this. Reading, re-reading, and rehearsing poems and plays for presentation and performance give pupils opportunities to discuss language, including vocabulary, extending their interest in the meaning and origin of words. Pupils should be encouraged to use drama approaches to understand how to perform plays and poems to support their understanding of the meaning. These activities also provide them with an incentive to find out what expression is required, so feeding into comprehension. In using non-fiction, pupils should know what information they need to look for before they begin and be clear about the task. They should be shown how to use contents pages and indexes to locate information. Pupils should have guidance about the kinds of explanations and questions that are expected from them. They should help to develop, agree on, and evaluate rules for effective discussion. The expectation should be that all pupils take part.
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Develop positive attitudes to reading and understanding of what they read by:
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Reading books that are structured in different ways and reading for a range of purposes
Examples
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Increasing their familiarity with a wide range of books, including fairy stories, myths and legends, and retelling some of these orally
Examples
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Identifying themes and conventions in a wide range of books
Examples
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Recognising some different forms of poetry [for example, free verse, narrative poetry]
Examples
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Reading books that are structured in different ways and reading for a range of purposes
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Understand what they read, in books they can read independently, by:
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Checking that the text makes sense to them, discussing their understanding and explaining the meaning of words in context
Examples
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Drawing inferences such as inferring characters' feelings, thoughts and motives from their actions, and justifying inferences with evidence
Play Activities 173Examples
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Predicting what might happen from details stated and implied
Examples
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Identifying main ideas drawn from more than one paragraph and summarising these
Examples
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Identifying how language, structure, and presentation contribute to meaning
Examples
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Checking that the text makes sense to them, discussing their understanding and explaining the meaning of words in context
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Retrieve and record information from non-fiction
Examples
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Develop positive attitudes to reading and understanding of what they read by:
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Word Reading
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Writing
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Transcription
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Spelling
Pupils should learn to spell new words correctly and have plenty of practice in spelling them. As in years 1 and 2, pupils should continue to be supported in understanding and applying the concepts of word structure (see English Appendix 2). Pupils need sufficient knowledge of spelling in order to use dictionaries efficiently.
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Spelling
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Composition
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. Pupils should understand, through being shown these, the skills and processes that are essential for writing: that is, thinking aloud to explore and collect ideas, drafting, and re-reading to check their meaning is clear, including doing so as the writing develops. Pupils should be taught to monitor whether their own writing makes sense in the same way that they monitor their reading, checking at different levels.
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Vocabulary, Grammar & Punctuation
Grammar should be taught explicitly: pupils should be taught the terminology and concepts set out in English Appendix 2, and be able to apply them correctly to examples of real language, such as their own writing or books that they have read. At this stage, pupils should start to learn about some of the differences between Standard English and non-Standard English and begin to apply what they have learnt [for example, in writing dialogue for characters]
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Develop their understanding of the concepts set out in English Appendix 2 by:
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Extending the range of sentences with more than one clause by using a wider range of conjunctions, including when, if, because, although
Examples
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Using the present perfect form of verbs in contrast to the past tense
Examples
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Using conjunctions, adverbs and prepositions to express time and cause
Examples
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Extending the range of sentences with more than one clause by using a wider range of conjunctions, including when, if, because, although
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Indicate grammatical and other features by:
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Using and punctuating direct speech
Examples
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Using and punctuating direct speech
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Develop their understanding of the concepts set out in English Appendix 2 by:
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Transcription
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Spelling
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New Work for Years 3 & 4
Teachers should continue to emphasise to pupils the relationships between sounds and letters, even when the relationships are unusual. Once root words are learnt in this way, longer words can be spelt correctly, if the rules and guidance for adding prefixes and suffixes are also known.
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The suffix -ly
The suffix -ly is added to an adjective to form an adverb. The rules already learnt still apply. The suffix -ly starts with a consonant letter, so it is added straight on to most root words. Example words: adly, completely, usually (usual + ly), finally (final + ly), comically (comical + ly) Exceptions: (1) If the root word ends in -y with a consonant letter before it, the y is changed to i, but only if the root word has more than one syllable. Example words: happily, angrily (2) If the root word ends with -le, the -le is changed to -ly. Example words: gently, simply, humbly, nobly (3) If the root word ends with -ic, -ally is added rather than just -ly, except in the word publicly. Example words: basically, frantically, dramatically (4) The words truly, duly, wholly.Examples
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Endings which sound like /ʒən/
If the ending sounds like /ʒən/, it is spelt as -sion. Example words: division, invasion, confusion, decision, collision, televisionExamples
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Endings which sound like /ʃən/, spelt -tion, -sion, -ssion, -cian
Strictly speaking, the suffixes are -ion and -ian. Clues about whether to put t, s, ss or c before these suffixes often come from the last letter or letters of the root word. -tion is the most common spelling. It is used if the root word ends in t or te. Example words: invention, injection, action, hesitation, completion -ssion is used if the root word ends in ss or -mit.Example words: expression, discussion, confession, permission, admission -sion is used if the root word ends in d or se.Example words: expansion, extension, comprehension, tension Exceptions: attend - attention, intend - intention. -cian is used if the root word ends in c or cs. Example words: musician, electrician, magician, politician, mathematicianExamples
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Words with the /eɪ/ sound spelt ei, eigh, or ey
Example words: vein, weigh, eight, neighbour, they, obeyExamples
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Homophones and near-homophones
Example words: accept/except, affect/effect, ball/bawl, berry/bury, brake/break, fair/fare, grate/great, groan/grown, here/hear, heel/heal/he'll, knot/not, mail/male, main/mane, meat/meet, medal/meddle, missed/mist, peace/piece, plain/plane, rain/rein/reign, scene/seen, weather/whether, whose/who'sExamples
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The suffix -ly
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New Work for Years 3 & 4
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Year 3 - Vocabulary, Grammar & Punctuation
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Sentence
Expressing time, place and cause using conjunctions [for example, when, before, after, while, so, because], adverbs [for example, then, next, soon, therefore], or prepositions [for example, before, after, during, in, because of]Examples
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Punctuation
Introduction to inverted commas to punctuate direct speechExamples
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Terminology for Pupils
Preposition conjunction Word family, prefix Clause, subordinate clause Direct speech Consonant, consonant letter vowel, vowel letter Inverted commas (or 'speech marks')Examples
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Sentence
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Year 4 - Vocabulary, Grammar & Punctuation
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Sentence
Noun phrases expanded by the addition of modifying adjectives, nouns and preposition phrases (e.g. the teacher expanded to: the strict maths teacher with curly hair) Fronted adverbials [for example, Later that day, I heard the bad news.]Examples
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Terminology for Pupils
Determiner Pronoun, possessive pronoun AdverbialExamples
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Sentence
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Reading
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Years 3 & 4
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Upper Key Stage 2
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Year 5 & 6
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Reading
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Word Reading
At this stage, there should be no need for further direct teaching of word reading skills for almost all pupils. If pupils are struggling or failing in this, the reasons for this should be investigated. It is imperative that pupils are taught to read during their last two years at primary school if they enter year 5 not being able to do so. Pupils should be encouraged to work out any unfamiliar word. They should focus on all the letters in a word so that they do not, for example, read 'invitation' for 'imitation' simply because they might be more familiar with the first word. Accurate reading of individual words, which might be key to the meaning of a sentence or paragraph, improves comprehension. When teachers are reading with or to pupils, attention should be paid to new vocabulary - both a word's meaning(s) and its correct pronunciation.
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Comprehension
Even though pupils can now read independently, reading aloud to them should include whole books so that they meet books and authors that they might not choose to read themselves. The knowledge and skills that pupils need in order to comprehend are very similar at different ages. Pupils should continue to apply what they have already learnt to more complex writing. Pupils should be taught to recognise themes in what they read, such as loss or heroism. They should have opportunities to compare characters, consider different accounts of the same event and discuss viewpoints (both of authors and of fictional characters), within a text and across more than one text. They should continue to learn the conventions of different types of writing, such as the use of the first person in writing diaries and autobiographies. Pupils should be taught the technical and other terms needed for discussing what they hear and read, such as metaphor, simile, analogy, imagery, style and effect. In using reference books, pupils need to know what information they need to look for before they begin and need to understand the task. They should be shown how to use contents pages and indexes to locate information. The skills of information retrieval that are taught should be applied, for example, in reading history, geography and science textbooks, and in contexts where pupils are genuinely motivated to find out information, for example, reading information leaflets before a gallery or museum visit or reading a theatre programme or review. Teachers should consider making use of any library services and expertise to support this. Pupils should have guidance about and feedback on the quality of their explanations and contributions to discussions. Pupils should be shown how to compare characters, settings, themes and other aspects of what they read.
- Maintain positive attitudes to reading and understanding of what they read by:
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Understand what they read by:
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Checking that the book makes sense to them, discussing their understanding and exploring the meaning of words in context
Examples
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Drawing inferences such as inferring characters' feelings, thoughts and motives from their actions, and justifying inferences with evidence
Examples
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Predicting what might happen from details stated and implied
Examples
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Summarising the main ideas drawn from more than one paragraph, identifying key details that support the main ideas
Examples
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Identifying how language, structure and presentation contribute to meaning
Examples
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Checking that the book makes sense to them, discussing their understanding and exploring the meaning of words in context
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Distinguish between statements of fact and opinion
Examples
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Retrieve, record and present information from non-fiction
Examples
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Word Reading
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Writing
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Transcription
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Spelling
As in earlier years, pupils should continue to be taught to understand and apply the concepts of word structure so that they can draw on their knowledge of morphology and etymology to spell correctly.
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Use further prefixes and suffixes and understand the guidance for adding them
Examples
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Spell some words with 'silent' letters [for example, knight, psalm, solemn]
Examples
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Continue to distinguish between homophones and other words which are often confused
Examples
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Use knowledge of morphology and etymology in spelling and understand that the spelling of some words needs to be learnt specifically, as listed in English Appendix 1
Examples
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Use further prefixes and suffixes and understand the guidance for adding them
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Spelling
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Composition
Pupils should understand, through being shown, the skills and processes essential for writing: that is, thinking aloud to generate ideas, drafting, and re-reading to check that the meaning is clear.
- Draft and write by:
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Evaluate and edit by:
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Assessing the effectiveness of their own and others' writing
Examples
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Proposing changes to vocabulary, grammar and punctuation to enhance effects and clarify meaning
Play Activities 168Examples
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Ensuring correct subject and verb agreement when using singular and plural, distinguishing between the language of speech and writing and choosing the appropriate register
Examples
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Assessing the effectiveness of their own and others' writing
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Proof-read for spelling and punctuation errors
Examples
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Vocabulary, Grammar & Punctuation
Pupils should continue to add to their knowledge of linguistic terms, including those to describe grammar, so that they can discuss their writing and reading.
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Transcription
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Year 5 - Vocabulary, Grammar & Punctuation
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Sentence
Relative clauses beginning with who, which, where, when, whose, that, or an omitted relative pronoun Indicating degrees of possibility using adverbs [for example, perhaps, surely] or modal verbs [for example, might, should, will, must]Examples
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Punctuation
Brackets, dashes or commas to indicate parenthesis Use of commas to clarify meaning or avoid ambiguityExamples
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Terminology for Pupils
Modal verb, relative pronoun Relative clause Parenthesis, bracket, dash Cohesion, ambiguityExamples
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Sentence
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Year 6 - Vocabulary, Grammar & Punctuation
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Word
The difference between vocabulary typical of informal speech and vocabulary appropriate for formal speech and writing [for example, find out - discover; ask for - request; go in - enter] How words are related by meaning as synonyms and antonyms [for example, big, large, little].Examples
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Sentence
Use of the passive to affect the presentation of information in a sentence [for example, I broke the window in the greenhouse versus The window in the greenhouse was broken (by me)]. The difference between structures typical of informal speech and structures appropriate for formal speech and writing [for example, the use of question tags: He's your friend, isn't he?, or the use of subjunctive forms such as If I were or Were they to come in some very formal writing and speech]Examples
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Terminology for Pupils
Subject, object Active, passive Synonym, antonym Ellipsis, hyphen, colon, semi-colon, bullet pointsPlay Activities 114Examples
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Word
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Reading
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Year 5 & 6
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Key Stage 3
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Subject Content
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Reading
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Understand increasingly challenging texts through:
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Learning new vocabulary, relating it explicitly to known vocabulary and understanding it with the help of context and dictionaries
Play Activities 124Examples
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Making inferences and referring to evidence in the text
Examples
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Knowing the purpose, audience for and context of the writing and drawing on this knowledge to support comprehension
Examples
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Checking their understanding to make sure that what they have read makes sense
Examples
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Learning new vocabulary, relating it explicitly to known vocabulary and understanding it with the help of context and dictionaries
- Read critically through:
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Understand increasingly challenging texts through:
- Writing
- Grammar & Vocabulary
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Reading
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Subject Content