Literacy
BackThe intent of our Literacy curriculum is to provide a creative, engaging, developmental process both at a functional and an imaginative level. Through the teaching of high-quality texts and structured synthetic phonics teaching, we aim to develop life-long love of reading.
As a result of this, we intend to:
- Raise standards in Phonics and Writing
- Encourage a love of Reading and Writing throughout the school
- Embed a cross-curricular approach to Reading and Writing
- Provide imaginative hook opportunities to create a love and passion for Writing
Word Reading
| Year Group: | Skill Progression: |
|---|---|
| Reception: |
Say a sound for each letter in the alphabet and at least 10 digraphs Read words consistent with their phonic knowledge by sound-blending Read aloud simple sentences and books that are consistent with their phonic knowledge, including some common exception words. |
| Year 1: |
Match all graphemes to their phonemes Blend sounds in unfamiliar words Divide words into syllables Read compound words (football, playground, bedroom) Read words with contractions and understand that the apostrophe stands for the omitted letter Read phonically decodable texts with confidence Read words containing the endings: s, es, ing, ed, er, est Read words which have the prefix -un added Add the endings: -ing, -ed, -er to verbs where no change is needed to the root word Read words of more than 1 syllable that contain taught GPCs (grapheme phoneme correspondence) |
| Year 2: |
Read accurately by blending the sounds in words that contain the common graphemes for all 40+ phonemes Read accurately most words of two or more syllables Read most words without overtly segmenting and blending Read phonically-decodable books with fluency, sound out unfamiliar words without hesitation Read words containing common suffixes such as: -ment, -less, -ness, -ful and –ly. Read most year 2 common exception words |
| Year 3: |
Apply knowledge of root words, prefixes and suffixes to read aloud and to understand the meaning of unfamiliar words Read further exception words, noting the unusual correspondences between spelling and sound Attempt pronunciation of unfamiliar words drawing on prior knowledge of similar looking words |
| Year 4: |
Apply knowledge of root words, prefixes and suffixes to read and understand the unfamiliar words Read further exception words, noting the unusual correspondences between spelling and sound, and where these occur in the word Attempt pronunciation of unfamiliar words by linking them to similar looking words |
| Year 5: |
Apply knowledge of root words, prefixes and suffixes to read and understand the unfamiliar words Read further exception words, noting the unusual correspondences between spelling and sound Attempt pronunciation of unfamiliar words drawing on prior knowledge of similar looking words Re-read and read ahead to check for meaning |
| Year 6: |
Read fluently with full knowledge of all year 5/6 exception words, root words, prefixes, suffixes/ word endings and decode any unfamiliar words with increasing speed and skill, recognising their meaning through context clues. Apply their growing knowledge of root words, prefixes and suffixes (morphology and etymology), both to read aloud and to understand the meaning of new words that they meet. Adapt intonation, tone and volume to suit the purpose and audience, when reading aloud. |
Reading Comprehension
| Year Group: | Skill Progression: |
|---|---|
| Reception: |
Demonstrate understanding of what has been read to them by retelling stories and narratives using their own words and recently introduced vocabulary Anticipate – where appropriate – key events in stories Use and understand recently introduced vocabulary during discussions about stories, non-fiction, rhymes and poems and during role-play. |
| Year 1: |
Say what they like or dislike about a text Link what they read, or hear read, to their own experiences Retell key stories orally, using narrative language Understand and talk about the main characters within a known key story Learn some poems and rhymes by heart Use prior knowledge, context and vocabulary provided to understand texts Check that the text makes sense to them as they read and correct miscues Begin to draw inferences from the text and/or illustrations Make predictions based on the events in the text |
| Year 2: |
Check it makes sense to them, correcting inaccurate reading Answer questions about a text they have read Make some inferences Explain what has happened so far in what they have read. Predict what might happen on the basis of what has been read so far Participate in discussion about books, poems and other works that are read to them and those that they can read for themselves, taking turns and listening to what others say Explain and discuss their understanding of books, poems and other material, both those that they listen to and those that they read for themselves. |
| Year 3: |
Read a range of fiction, poetry, plays, and non-fiction texts Discuss the texts that I read Read aloud and independently, taking turns and listening to others Explain how non-fiction books are structured in difference ways and can use them effectively Explain some of the different types of fiction books Ask relevant questions to get a better understanding of a text Predict what might happen based on details I have Draw inferences such as inferring a characters’ feelings, thoughts and motives from their actions Use a dictionary to check the meaning of unfamiliar words Identify the main point of a text Explain how structure and presentation contribute to the meaning of texts Use non-fiction texts to retrieve information Prepare poems to read aloud and to perform, showing understanding through intonation, tone, volume and action. |
| Year 4: |
Read for a range of purposes; carefully selecting books Use a dictionary to check the meaning of unfamiliar words Read a wide range of books and retell some of these orally Know and recognise some of the literary conventions in text types Perform plays and scripts, showing understanding through intonation, tone, volume and action Discuss and record words and phrases that writers use to engage and impact the reader Recognise different forms of poetry Recognise words in context Ask questions to improve understanding of a text Infer meaning and justify this with evidence Make predictions and justify this from details stated and implied Identify main ideas and summarise these Identify how language, structure and presentation contribute to meaning Retrieve and record information from non-fiction Make connections with proper knowledge and experience Participate in discussions about books; beginning to build on others’ ideas |
| Year 5: |
Be familiar with and talk about a wide range of books and text types, discussing the features of them. Read non-fiction texts and identify the purpose, structure and grammatical features, evaluating how effective they are Identify and discuss re-occurring themes in books Identify significant ideas, events and characters; and discuss their significance Draw inferences such as inferring characters’ feelings, thoughts and motives from their actions Predict using details stated and implied Use technical terms such as metaphor, simile, analogy, imagery, style and effect when discussing texts Summarise ideas Recite poems by heart, e.g. narrative verse, haiku Prepare poems and plays to read aloud to and perform, showing understanding through intonation, tone, volume and action |
| Year 6: |
Make comparisons within and across books Read a wide range of genres with different structures and purposes for pleasure, identifying themes and conventions between text types Explain how language (including figurative language), structure and presentation can contribute to the meaning of a text Ask questions about a text Draw inferences and inferring characters’ feelings, thoughts and motives from their actions and justifying inferences with evidence Make predictions, based on details stated and implied, with evidence from the text Distinguish independently between statements of fact and opinion Retrieve, record and present information from texts to other readers in informal notes and formal presentations Participate in discussions about books which are read to me and those that I can read for myself |
Spelling
| Year Group: | Skill Progression: |
|---|---|
| Reception: |
Spell words by identifying sounds in them and representing the sounds with a letter or letters. |
| Year 1: |
Spell words containing each of the 40+ phonemes taught Spell many common exception words Spell the days of the week Name the letters of the alphabet in order Identify known phonemes in unfamiliar words Use syllables to divide words when spelling Use letter names to distinguish between alternative spellings of the same sound Use the spelling rule for adding ‘s’ or ‘es’ for verbs in the 3rd person singular Make phonetically plausible attempts at writing longer words using dominant phonemes and common grapheme representations |
| Year 2: |
Segment spoken words into phonemes and represent these by graphemes, spelling many correctly Spell most common exception words Learn 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 Spell more words with contracted forms learning the possessive apostrophe (singular) [for example, the girl’s book] Spell some homophones and near-homophones Add suffixes to spell longer words, including –ment, –ness, –ful, –less, –ly |
| Year 3: |
Use further prefixes and suffixes and understand how to add them (English Appendix 1) Spell further homophones Spell words that are often misspelt from the Y3/4 word list Place the possessive apostrophe accurately in words with regular plurals [for example, girls’, boys’] and in words with irregular plurals [for example, children’s] Use the first two or three letters of a word to check its spelling in a dictionary |
| Year 4: |
Use further prefixes and suffixes and understand how to add them (English Appendix 1) Spell further homophones Spell words that are often misspelt from the Y3/4 word list Place the possessive apostrophe accurately in words with regular plurals [for example, girls’, boys’] and in words with irregular plurals [for example, children’s] Use the first two or three letters of a word to check its spelling in a dictionary |
| Year 5: |
Use further prefixes and suffixes and understand the guidance for adding them Spell some words with ‘silent’ letters [for example, knight, psalm, solemn]. Continue to distinguish between homophones and other words which are often confused Use knowledge of morphology and etymology in spelling and understand that the spelling of some words needs to be learnt. Use dictionaries to check the spelling and meaning of words Use the first three or four letters of a word to check spelling, meaning or both of these in a dictionary Use a thesaurus. |
| Year 6: |
Spell correctly most words from the Y5/6 spelling list Use a dictionary to check the spelling of uncommon or more ambitious vocabulary. |
Composition
| Year Group: | Skill Progression: |
|---|---|
| Reception: |
Write simple phrases and sentences that can be read by others |
| Year 1: |
Compose a sentence orally. Sequence sentences in chronological order to recount an event or experience Sequence sentences to form a short narrative Re-read what I have written to check that it makes sense Leave spaces between words |
| Year 2: |
Plan or orally rehearse what they are going to write about Evaluate their writing with the teacher and other pupils Re-reading to check that their writing makes sense Proof-read to check for errors in spelling, grammar and punctuation Write appropriate narratives about personal experiences or those of others, whether real or imagined, maintaining narrative form. Write about real events, maintaining form and purpose. Compose orally and write poetry in a variety of forms. Re-read and check own writing. Proof read for errors. Evaluate word choice, grammar and punctuation; make revisions. |
| Year 3: |
Discuss models of writing, noting its structure, grammatical features and use of vocabulary Compose sentences using a wider range of structures Write a narrative with a clear structure, setting, characters and plot Write non-narrative using simple organisational devices such as headings and sub-headings Use a range of sentences with more than one clause by using a range of conjunctions Use the perfect form of verbs to mark the relationship of time and cause (adding “have” or “had” to the past participle) Suggest improvements to my own writing and that of others Make improvements to grammar, vocabulary and punctuation Proof-read to check for errors in spelling and punctuation |
| Year 4: |
Write narratives with detailed settings, characters and coherent plot Use paragraphs to organise my ideas Use headings and sub-headings Use a range of sentence structures Use conjunctions, adverbs and prepositions Maintain tense I know how to show plurals and possession Proof-read my work, editing and improving it Re-draft my work to make improvements |
| Year 5: |
Discuss the audience of purpose of writing Start sentences in different ways Use the correct features and sentence structure matched to the text type Develop characters through action and dialogue Establish viewpoint as the writer through commenting on characters and events Use grammar and vocabulary to create an impact on the reader Use stylistic devices to create effects in writing Add well-chosen detail to interest the reader; including noun phrases and prepositional phrases Summarise a paragraph Organise writing into paragraphs Evaluate the effectiveness of my own, and others’, writing |
| Year 6: |
Secure use of simple / embellished simple sentences Secure use of compound sentences Secure use of complex sentences Main and subordinate clauses with full range of conjunctions Active and passive verbs to create effect and to affect presentation of information Secure use of linking ideas within and across paragraphs |
Vocabulary, Grammar and Punctuation
| Year Group: | Skill Progression: |
|---|---|
| Year 1: |
Combine words to make sentences, including using and sequence sentences to form short narratives Join two sentences using ‘and’ Use regular plural noun suffixes (-s, -es) Use verb suffixes where root word is unchanged (-ing, -ed, -er) Use the un- prefix to change meaning of adjectives/adverbs Separate of words with spaces use sentence Demarcation (. ! ?) Use capital letters for names and pronoun 'I') Use familiar adjectives to add detail |
| Year 2: |
Write a range of sentence types which are grammatically accurate e.g. commands, questions and statements. Co-ordinate sentences using and, or, but. Use subordination e.g. when, if, because. Use sentence demarcation with increasing accuracy, including capital letters, full stops, question marks and exclamation marks; commas to separate items in lists. Use some varied vocabulary to create detail and interest, including adjectives to make noun phrases; adverbs and verbs. Identify word classes: noun, adjective, verb and adverb. Use apostrophes for omission & singular possession Use the present and past tenses correctly and consistently including the progressive form Use extended simple sentences e.g. including adverbs and adjectives to add interest |
| Year 3: |
Use the present perfect form of verbs in contrast to the past tense Form nouns using prefixes Use the correct form of 'a' or 'an' Use word families based on common words Use fronted adverbials Use conjunctions, adverbs and prepositions to express time and cause learn Use commas after fronted adverbials Indicate possession by using the possessive apostrophe with singular and plural nouns Use and punctuate direct speech (including punctuation within and surrounding inverted commas) |
| Year 4: |
Use the present perfect form of verbs in contrast to the past tense form nouns using prefixes Use the correct form of 'a' or 'an' use word families based on common words Use a wide range of fronted adverbials correctly punctuated Use a wide range of conjunctions, adverbs and prepositions to express time and cause Use commas after fronted adverbials Indicate possession by using the possessive apostrophe with singular and plural nouns Use and punctuate direct speech (including punctuation within and surrounding inverted commas) |
| Year 5: |
Use the perfect form of verbs to mark relationships of time and cause Use relative clauses beginning with who, which, where, when, whose, that or with an implied (ie omitted) relative pronoun convert nouns or adjectives into verbs Use verb prefixes use devices to build cohesion, including adverbials of time, place and number Use commas to clarify meaning or avoid ambiguity in writing Use brackets, dashes or commas to indicate parenthesis |
| Year 6: |
Select vocabulary and grammatical structures that reflect what the writing requires. Use devices to build cohesion: conjunctions, adverbials of time and place, pronouns, synonyms. Use verb tenses consistently and correctly Use of colons, semi-colons, hyphens, inverted commas, brackets, dash, bullet points, parenthesis |
Handwriting
| Year Group: | Skill Progression: |
|---|---|
| Reception: |
Write recognisable letters, most of which are correctly formed |
| Year 1: |
Sit correctly at a table, holding a pencil comfortably and correctly Begin to form lower-case letters in the correct direction, starting and finishing in the right place Form capital letters Form digits 0-9 |
| Year 2: |
All letters and digits are consistently formed and of the correct size, orientation and relationship to one another. Spacing is appropriate to the size of letters. Some letters are joined correctly, according to the school’s handwriting approach. |
| Year 3: |
Use the diagonal and horizontal strokes that are needed to join letters and understand which letters, when adjacent to one another, are best left unjoined Increase the legibility, consistency and quality of their handwriting |
| Year 4: |
Use consistently sized, joined handwriting |
| Year 5: |
Use consistently sized, joined handwriting |
| Year 6: |
Maintain legibility in joined handwriting when writing at speed |