3rd Grade English Checklist: What Your Child Should Know

Reading Comprehension

Your child is learning to think deeply about texts — making connections between ideas, analysing characters' motivations, identifying central messages in stories, and distinguishing between their own viewpoint and that of authors or characters.

• Listening to Texts Read Aloud

  Listen to and discuss poems, stories, and non-fiction at a level beyond independent reading; confirm understanding of texts read aloud by asking and answering questions about key details

  • Answer questions about a story or non-fiction text read aloud by the teacher
  • Discuss events, characters, or ideas from chapter books read to the class
  • Ask for clarification when something in a read-aloud is not understood

• Characters, settings, and events

  Identify characters, settings, and major events in stories; become familiar with key stories, fairy tales, and traditional tales and retell them with key details in sequence

  • Name the main characters in a story
  • Describe where and when a story takes place
  • Retell a familiar story including beginning, middle, and end events

• Reading between the lines

  Ask and answer questions about key details in literary and informational texts; make simple inferences based on what characters say and do

  • Answer 'who', 'what', 'where' questions about a text using evidence
  • Infer a character's feelings from their actions (e.g. 'She's sad because she's crying')
  • Make logical guesses about unstated information using text clues

• Inferring Characters' Feelings and Motives

  Draw inferences from independently-read texts, such as inferring characters' feelings, thoughts and motives from their actions, and justifying inferences with evidence from the text

  • Infer a character's feelings or motives from their actions and dialogue (e.g. 'She slammed the door — how is she feeling?')
  • Justify an inference by quoting or pointing to specific evidence in the text
  • Distinguish between what is explicitly stated and what must be inferred from clues in the text

• Self-Correcting While Reading

  Check that text makes sense while reading and self-correct inaccurate reading by re-reading or using context

  • Notice when reading does not make sense and stop to re-read
  • Self-correct errors mid-sentence (e.g. 'Wait, that doesn't sound right')
  • Use meaning, sentence structure, and visual cues together to monitor reading

• Story Sequence and Central Message

  Discuss the sequence of events in narrative texts and how items of information are related in non-fiction, retelling stories including key details and demonstrating understanding of central message or lesson

  • Retell a story in correct sequence with beginning, middle, and end
  • Identify the central message or lesson of a story
  • Explain how two pieces of information in a non-fiction text are connected

• Book Features and Author's Reasons

  Identify front cover, back cover, and title page of a book; identify the reasons an author gives to support points in informational text

  • Point to and name parts of a book (front cover, back cover, title page)
  • Use the title page to find the title, author, and illustrator
  • Identify a reason the author gives for a claim in a simple non-fiction text

• Character Traits and Motivation

  Analyse character traits, motivations, and feelings using text evidence, and distinguish one's own point of view from that of the narrator or characters

  • Identify two character traits from a story and cite the specific actions or dialogue that reveal each trait
  • Explain why a character made a particular decision by linking their motivation to events in the text
  • Describe where one's own opinion about a character differs from the narrator's portrayal and explain why

• Non-Fiction Text Features

  Recognise different non-fiction text structures and features (headings, contents, glossary, index), understanding how texts are organised to present information

  • Use a contents page to find information on a specific topic in a non-fiction book
  • Identify the purpose of headings, glossary, and index in an information text
  • Recognise that non-fiction books can be structured as lists, time order, or question-and-answer

• Main Ideas & Note-Taking

  Identify main ideas drawn from more than one paragraph and summarise them; retrieve and record information from non-fiction texts using notes, tables or other methods

  • Read a multi-paragraph non-fiction text and state the main idea of each paragraph in one sentence
  • Summarise a text of 3+ paragraphs in 2-3 sentences capturing the key points
  • Retrieve specific information from a non-fiction text and record it using a simple table or notes (e.g., 'Name: hedgehog, Habitat: woodland, Diet: insects')

• Predicting what happens next

  Predict what might happen next in a story based on what has been read so far; discuss the significance of titles and events

  • Make a prediction before turning the page and explain reasoning
  • Discuss why a title fits or hints at the story content
  • Revise predictions as new information is encountered in the text

• Characters' Viewpoints and Responses

  Identify and compare characters' points of view, recognise who is narrating a story, describe how characters respond to events and challenges, and compare characters' experiences across different stories or versions of the same story

  • Identify who is telling a story and explain how you know (e.g. 'The wolf is telling the story because he says I')
  • Describe how a character responds to a problem or challenge using evidence from the text (e.g. 'When the bridge broke, she decided to swim across')
  • Compare how two characters from different stories react to a similar situation (e.g. how two heroes show bravery in different ways)

• Forms of Poetry and Performance

  Recognise different forms of poetry (free verse, narrative poetry, haiku) and discuss their features; prepare poems and play scripts to read aloud and perform with understanding through intonation, tone, volume and action

  • Name at least two different forms of poetry and describe a feature of each (e.g., 'narrative poetry tells a story', 'free verse does not have a regular rhyme or rhythm')
  • Recognise the form of a given poem and explain how you identified it (e.g., 'This is a narrative poem because it has characters and a plot')
  • Prepare and perform a poem or play script extract showing understanding through changes in intonation, volume, and expression

• Retelling Stories with Structure

  Retell stories including key details in sequence, describe characters, settings, and major events using evidence from the text, and describe the overall structure of a story (beginning, middle, ending)

  • Retell a familiar story in order, including at least three key details from beginning, middle, and end
  • Describe a character's appearance, actions, or personality using details from the text
  • Explain how the beginning of a story introduces the characters and setting, and how the ending concludes the action

• Expressive and Sensory Language

  Recognise recurring literary language in stories and poetry, identify words and phrases that suggest feelings or appeal to the senses, and discuss favourite words and phrases

  • Spot recurring story language such as 'Once upon a time' and 'happily ever after'
  • Identify sensory words and phrases in a poem: 'the icy wind howled'
  • Share a favourite word or phrase from a story and explain why it appeals

• Themes and messages

  Identify recurring themes (good vs evil, friendship, bravery) and conventions (once upon a time, moral at the end, hero's journey) across a wide range of books including fairy stories, myths, legends and traditional tales

  • Identify a common theme across two different stories (e.g., 'Both "Jack and the Beanstalk" and "The Three Billy Goats Gruff" are about bravery overcoming a threat')
  • Name literary conventions found in fairy tales and myths (e.g., 'once upon a time', magical numbers like three, a quest or journey, good triumphing over evil)
  • Explain how the same theme can appear in different genres (e.g., friendship in a realistic story vs a myth)

• Story Lessons and Morals

  Determine the central message, lesson, or moral of a story, fable, or folktale, explaining what the story teaches the reader and supporting the interpretation with key details from the text

  • State the lesson or moral of a fable in one sentence (e.g. 'The Tortoise and the Hare teaches that slow and steady wins the race')
  • Explain what a story's central message is using at least two details from the text as support
  • Distinguish the central message from a summary of events — explain what the story means, not just what happens

• Comparing Characters Across Stories

  Compare and contrast the adventures and experiences of characters in familiar stories; identify similarities and differences between two texts on the same topic

  • Identify what two stories have in common (e.g. 'Both have a bear character')
  • Compare information from two books about the same topic
  • Discuss how characters' experiences are similar or different across stories

• Text Features & Presentation

  Identify how language choices, text structure and presentational features (illustrations, diagrams, bold print, layout) contribute to the overall meaning and effect of a text

  • Explain how an author's word choices create a particular effect (e.g., 'The author uses "crept" instead of "walked" to make it feel sneaky and tense')
  • Identify how a text's structure helps the reader (e.g., 'The headings help you find information quickly', 'The story builds suspense before the ending')
  • Explain how a presentational feature contributes to meaning (e.g., 'The bold words are important vocabulary', 'The diagram shows how the water cycle works')

• Morals in Fables, Folktales and Myths

  Explain how the central message, lesson, or moral of a story is conveyed through key details across diverse text types including fables, folktales, and myths

  • Retell a fable and identify the moral, citing three key details that convey it
  • Compare how two myths from different cultures convey a similar central message through different events
  • Explain the difference between the topic of a story and its central message or lesson

• Connecting Ideas in Texts

  Describe connections between events, ideas, or concepts in informational text using time, sequence, cause-and-effect, and comparison language, and identify logical connections between sentences and paragraphs

  • Read a science text and identify three cause-and-effect relationships using signal words like 'because', 'as a result'
  • Explain the sequence of steps in a technical procedure using time-order language ('first', 'next', 'finally')
  • Describe how two paragraphs in a text are connected (e.g. comparison, cause/effect, or sequence)

• Why the author wrote it

  Distinguish one's own point of view from that of the author of an informational text and identify the author's purpose

  • Read an opinion article and state the author's point of view, then state one's own and explain how they differ
  • Identify whether an author's purpose is to inform, persuade, or entertain, citing evidence from the text
  • Explain how word choices in an informational text reveal the author's attitude toward the topic

• Main Topic & Key Details

  Identify the main topic of a multi-paragraph informational text, determine the focus of specific paragraphs, and explain how key details support the main idea

  • Identify the main topic of a multi-paragraph informational text and state the focus of individual paragraphs
  • Describe how specific details and facts in the text support the main idea
  • Explain how events, ideas, or steps in a text are connected (e.g. cause-effect, sequence, comparison)

• Structural terminology

  Use structural terminology (chapter, scene, stanza) to refer to parts of literary texts and describe how each successive part builds on earlier sections

  • Identify chapters, scenes, or stanzas in a given text and use the correct term for each
  • Explain how the second stanza of a poem builds on the mood established in the first
  • Describe how a specific chapter advances the plot by referring to events in earlier chapters

• Discussing Texts as a Group

  Participate in discussions about what is read, taking turns and listening to others; explain understanding clearly; actively engage in group reading activities

  • Share ideas about a book in a group discussion
  • Listen to and respond to others' opinions about a text
  • Take turns speaking and build on what classmates have said about a book

• Pictures and Text Working Together

  Describe the relationship between illustrations and the text in which they appear; use pictures to support and extend comprehension

  • Use pictures to predict or confirm story events
  • Describe what is happening in an illustration and how it relates to the text
  • Explain how an illustration adds information not stated in words

Grammar & Punctuation

Your child is mastering more sophisticated grammar — learning to use different verb tenses correctly, understanding how adjectives and adverbs work, and using punctuation to make their writing clearer and more varied.

• Past, Present and Progressive Tense

  Use verbs to convey past and present tense correctly and consistently, including the progressive form (e.g., she is drumming, he was shouting), understanding how tense indicates time

  • Write a passage consistently in past tense without switching to present
  • Use progressive forms correctly: 'was running', 'is jumping' to show ongoing actions
  • Identify verbs in a sentence and change them from past to present tense or vice versa

• The Present Perfect Tense

  Use the present perfect form of verbs in contrast to the simple past tense, understanding how the present perfect indicates an action completed at an unspecified time or with ongoing relevance (e.g., 'He has gone out' vs 'He went out')

  • Form the present perfect using 'has/have' + past participle (e.g., 'She has eaten', 'They have finished')
  • Choose between simple past and present perfect to match the intended meaning (e.g., 'I ate lunch' vs 'I have eaten lunch')
  • Identify the present perfect form in a text and explain why the author used it instead of simple past

• Simple Past, Present and Future

  Form and use the simple past, present, and future verb tenses consistently in writing

  • Rewrite 'I walk to school' in past tense ('I walked') and future tense ('I will walk')
  • Identify and correct inconsistent tense in 'Yesterday she walks to the shop and bought milk'
  • Write a three-sentence paragraph maintaining consistent future tense throughout

• Standard English Verbs

  Use Standard English verb inflections in place of non-standard local forms

  • Correct 'we was playing' to 'we were playing' and explain why the standard form is needed in writing
  • Choose the standard form in pairs such as 'I did / I done', 'she has / she have', 'they were / they was'
  • Rewrite a short passage replacing three non-standard verb forms with their Standard English equivalents

• Starting and Ending Sentences

  Begin sentences with a capital letter and end them with the appropriate mark (full stop, question mark, or exclamation mark); recognise and name end punctuation

  • Write sentences beginning with a capital letter
  • Choose and use the correct end punctuation for statements, questions, and exclamations
  • Identify and name full stops, question marks, and exclamation marks when reading

• Irregular past tense verbs

  Form and use the past tense of frequently occurring irregular verbs correctly (e.g., sat, hid, told, went, came, ran), recognising that these do not follow the regular -ed pattern

  • Supply the correct past tense of common irregular verbs: go→went, see→saw, run→ran, tell→told
  • Correct over-regularised forms in writing (e.g. change 'goed' to 'went', 'hided' to 'hid')
  • Write a short recount using at least five irregular past-tense verbs accurately

• Commas in lists

  Use commas to separate items in a list within a sentence (e.g., 'I bought apples, bananas, and oranges')

  • Write a sentence containing a list of 3+ items separated by commas: 'I bought apples, bananas, and oranges'
  • Identify where commas should go in an unpunctuated list sentence
  • Explain that commas separate items in a list so the reader knows each item

• Subordinate clauses

  Use subordination (when, if, that, because) and co-ordination (or, and, but) to join clauses and create compound and complex sentences

  • Write 'I stayed inside because it was raining' using a subordinating conjunction
  • Use 'but' and 'or' to join ideas: 'I wanted to play but it was raining'
  • Use 'when' and 'if' clauses in writing: 'If it stops raining, we can go outside'

• Grammar Terms: Clauses and Conjunctions

  Use and understand Year 3 grammatical terminology accurately when discussing reading and writing: preposition, conjunction, word family, prefix, clause, subordinate clause, direct speech, consonant letter, vowel letter, inverted commas/speech marks

  • Use the terms 'clause' and 'subordinate clause' to identify parts of a multi-clause sentence (e.g., point to the subordinate clause in 'I stayed inside because it rained')
  • Use the terms 'conjunction', 'preposition', and 'prefix' correctly when explaining word/sentence choices in own writing
  • Distinguish between consonant letters and vowel letters and use the terms 'direct speech' and 'inverted commas' when discussing punctuation

• Grammar Terms: Pronouns and Determiners

  Know and use Year 4 grammar terminology including determiner, pronoun, possessive pronoun, and adverbial

  • Label the determiner, pronoun, and adverbial in 'She quickly opened her present on the table'
  • Explain the difference between a possessive pronoun ('mine', 'theirs') and other pronouns ('I', 'they')
  • Use the terms 'determiner' and 'adverbial' accurately when discussing a classmate's writing

• Expressing Time, Place and Cause

  Use conjunctions (when, before, after, while, so, because), adverbs (then, next, soon, therefore) and prepositions (before, after, during, in, because of) to express time, place and cause within and across sentences

  • Use time conjunctions to connect clauses (e.g., 'We went inside because it was raining', 'After the bell rang, we lined up')
  • Use adverbs of time and cause within sentences (e.g., 'First, she opened the door. Then, she stepped outside. Therefore, she got wet.')
  • Use prepositions of time and cause in phrases (e.g., 'during the lesson', 'before lunch', 'because of the rain')

• Pronouns for clarity

  Choose pronouns for clarity and cohesion, avoiding ambiguity and repetition; use reflexive pronouns correctly (e.g., myself, ourselves, himself)

  • Replace repeated nouns with pronouns to improve cohesion: rewrite 'Sam picked up Sam's bag' as 'Sam picked up his bag'
  • Use reflexive pronouns correctly in sentences (e.g. 'I made it myself', 'They helped themselves')
  • Identify and fix ambiguous pronoun references (e.g. 'Tom told Jack he was late' — who was late?)

• Fronted Adverbials and Commas

  Use fronted adverbials to vary sentence openings and punctuate them with commas

  • Write a sentence beginning with a time adverbial, e.g. 'Later that day, the children ran home'
  • Rewrite 'The fox crept through the garden at midnight' with the adverbial fronted and a comma placed correctly
  • Identify and correct a missing comma after a fronted adverbial in 'Before breakfast she packed her bag'

• Plural vs Possessive in Nouns

  Distinguish between the plural -s suffix and the possessive -'s suffix in nouns

  • Sort words like 'dogs', 'dog's', and 'dogs'' into plural, singular possessive, and plural possessive categories
  • Explain why 'the cats bowl' is incorrect and supply the correct form ('the cat's bowl' or 'the cats' bowl') for a given meaning
  • Write two sentences using the same noun — one as a plural and one as a possessive

• Punctuating Direct Speech

  Punctuate direct speech using inverted commas (speech marks), understanding that direct speech records the exact words spoken and must be enclosed in punctuation marks

  • Place inverted commas around the spoken words in a sentence (e.g., "Let's go!" shouted Tom.)
  • Write a sentence containing direct speech with correct punctuation including a reporting clause (e.g., Mum said, "Time for bed.")
  • Identify direct speech in a text and explain what the inverted commas show

• Expanded noun phrases (age 8+)

  Expand noun phrases with modifying adjectives, nouns, and preposition phrases to add detail

  • Expand 'the teacher' to 'the strict maths teacher with curly hair' using adjective, noun, and preposition phrase
  • Write a sentence containing a noun phrase with at least three modifiers, e.g. 'the old stone bridge over the river'
  • Identify the head noun and its modifiers in 'the tiny grey kitten under the table'

• Adjectives vs adverbs

  Use adjectives and adverbs correctly, choosing between them depending on whether a noun or verb/adjective is being modified (e.g., 'She ran quickly' vs 'She is quick')

  • Choose the correct form: 'The dog is (slow/slowly)' vs 'The dog walks (slow/slowly)'
  • Identify whether a word is modifying a noun (adjective) or a verb (adverb) in a given sentence
  • Expand sentences by adding both an adjective and an adverb: 'The tall boy ran quickly'

• Comparatives & Superlatives

  Form and use comparative and superlative adjectives and adverbs, choosing correctly between them

  • Form comparatives and superlatives for 'big' (bigger/biggest), 'beautiful' (more/most beautiful), and 'good' (better/best)
  • Choose the correct form in 'She runs _____ (faster/more fast) than her brother' and explain the rule
  • Write sentences using both a comparative adverb ('more carefully') and a superlative adjective ('tallest') correctly

• Agreement in sentences

  Ensure subject-verb agreement and pronoun-antecedent agreement within and across sentences

  • Correct 'The group of children were laughing' to 'The group of children was laughing' and explain the singular subject
  • Choose the correct pronoun in 'Each student must bring ____ (his or her / their) book' and explain the antecedent link
  • Identify and fix three agreement errors in a short paragraph, explaining each correction

• Irregular Plural Nouns

  Form and use irregular plural nouns (e.g., children, teeth, mice, geese) in addition to regular plurals, recognising that some nouns have irregular plural forms that do not follow the -s/-es pattern

  • Form and use irregular plural nouns correctly (e.g. child→children, tooth→teeth, mouse→mice, goose→geese)
  • Identify collective nouns that name a group (e.g. 'a flock of birds', 'a group of children', 'a pack of wolves')
  • Correct over-regularised plurals in writing (e.g. change 'mouses' to 'mice', 'foots' to 'feet')

• Choosing A or An

  Use the correct form of the indefinite article — 'a' before words beginning with a consonant sound and 'an' before words beginning with a vowel sound (e.g., a rock, an open box, an hour, a unicorn)

  • Choose 'a' or 'an' correctly before nouns beginning with consonant or vowel sounds (e.g., 'a ball', 'an egg', 'an umbrella')
  • Apply the rule to tricky words where spelling and sound differ (e.g., 'an hour' because /h/ is silent, 'a uniform' because /juː/ starts with a consonant sound)
  • Correct errors in a/an usage in given sentences (e.g., change 'a orange' to 'an orange')

• Abstract nouns

  Understand and use abstract nouns to name ideas, qualities, and states that cannot be perceived by the senses

  • Sort words like 'freedom', 'table', 'courage', 'pencil', 'childhood' into abstract and concrete noun categories
  • Complete sentences using appropriate abstract nouns: 'Her _____ (brave → bravery) inspired the whole team'
  • Write three sentences each containing a different abstract noun (e.g. 'honesty', 'friendship', 'happiness')

Writing Composition

Your child is developing more sophisticated writing skills — choosing precise and vivid words to create specific effects, and learning to research topics and organise information from various sources.

• Writing Process Vocabulary

  Know and use the vocabulary of the writing process — compose, plan, draft, revise, edit, proofread, genre, audience, purpose, narrative, recount, instruction, paragraph, sequence, and detail — and understand that these words describe distinct steps and decisions that all writers make, not just tasks to tick off

  • Use 'compose', 'revise', and 'edit' correctly when describing the stages of writing
  • Explain who the 'audience' is for a piece of writing and how that changes what they write
  • Describe the purpose of a piece of writing (to persuade, inform, entertain, or instruct) and match their language to it

• Revising and editing (age 7+)

  Evaluate and edit writing by assessing effectiveness, proposing changes to grammar and vocabulary for consistency, and proof-reading for spelling, grammar and punctuation errors at Y3-4 level

  • Read own or a peer's writing aloud and suggest specific improvements to vocabulary or sentence structure
  • Propose changes to grammar and word choice to improve clarity and consistency across a piece of writing
  • Proof-read writing at Y3-4 level for spelling, punctuation, and grammatical errors and correct them independently

• Revising and editing (age 8+)

  Read back your own writing critically and independently — notice where meaning is unclear, where a word could be stronger, or where the reader might be confused; make revisions without needing teacher prompts, using your own judgment about what is and isn't working

  • Reread a paragraph silently and independently identify at least one place where meaning could be clearer or a word choice improved
  • Make a revision that goes beyond spelling/punctuation — changing a sentence for clarity or effect
  • Explain in their own words why they changed something ('I thought the reader wouldn't understand what I meant')

• Short Research Projects

  Conduct short research projects that build knowledge about a topic, gather information from print and digital sources, and take brief organised notes

  • Generate three research questions about an assigned topic and identify two sources for each
  • Take brief notes from a print source, sorting key facts into provided categories
  • Write a short summary paragraph synthesising information gathered from two different sources

• Organising Writing into Paragraphs

  Organise writing into paragraphs, grouping related material around a theme, and use simple organisational devices such as headings and sub-headings in non-narrative writing

  • Divide a piece of writing into paragraphs, each focused on one main idea or aspect of the topic
  • Use headings and sub-headings to organise a non-fiction text (e.g., a report about animals with sections 'Habitat', 'Diet', 'Appearance')
  • Identify where a new paragraph should begin in a given text and explain why (e.g., 'A new paragraph starts here because the topic changes from appearance to diet')

• Planning Ideas Before Writing

  Plan before writing by saying aloud or noting down what will be written, writing down ideas and key words, and encapsulating ideas sentence by sentence before composing

  • Verbally rehearse sentences before writing them down
  • Jot key words or ideas in a planning format (e.g., story map) before drafting
  • Write a simple plan with beginning, middle, and end for a story

• Writing Craft Vocabulary

  Know and use the vocabulary of writing craft and effect — form, structure, register, tone, voice, coherence, cohesion, argument, evidence, perspective, rhetoric, technique, formal, informal, and style — and understand that these words describe choices writers make intentionally to achieve a particular effect on the reader

  • Explain the difference between 'formal register' and 'informal register' and give an example of when each is appropriate
  • Use terms like 'coherence', 'cohesion', and 'paragraph structure' accurately when discussing or improving their own writing
  • Identify the 'purpose', 'audience', and 'form' of a piece of writing and explain how these shape the language choices

• Narrative Writing

  Write narratives with developed settings, characters and plot, using dialogue and description to develop experiences and show character responses to situations

  • Write a narrative that includes a described setting, at least one developed character, and a clear plot with a problem and resolution
  • Use dialogue to show what characters say and reveal their personality or feelings
  • Use descriptive details and temporal words to organise events into a clear sequence with a satisfying ending

• Rehearsing and Varying Sentences

  Compose and rehearse sentences orally before writing, progressively building varied and rich vocabulary and an increasing range of sentence structures including dialogue

  • Rehearse a sentence containing dialogue aloud before writing it (e.g. 'Let's go!' shouted Tom)
  • Orally compose sentences with varied openers (e.g. time adverbials, subordinate clauses) before writing
  • Try out two or three different ways to express the same idea orally and choose the most effective version to write

• Vivid Word Choices

  Choose precise and vivid words and phrases to create specific effects in writing

  • Replace vague words in 'The nice man went to the big house' with more precise alternatives and explain the effect
  • Write two versions of the same scene — one with plain language and one with carefully chosen words for suspense or humour
  • Select from a word bank the most effective verb and adjective for a given sentence, justifying each choice

• Basic Informational Writing

  Compose informative or explanatory texts that introduce a topic, use facts and definitions to develop points, and provide a concluding statement or section

  • Write an informative text that introduces a topic clearly and groups related information together
  • Use facts, definitions, and concrete details to develop and explain points about the topic
  • Provide a concluding statement or section that wraps up the information presented

• Shared Research Projects

  Participate in shared research and writing projects; recall information from experiences or gather information from sources to answer a question

  • Contribute ideas and information to a class writing project
  • Draw or write facts learned from personal experience about a topic
  • Help gather information from books or adults for a group research task

• Structured Opinion Writing

  Compose opinion pieces that introduce a topic, state a clear point of view, provide organised reasons linked with connecting words, and include a concluding statement or section

  • Write an opinion piece that introduces the topic, states a clear opinion, and provides at least two reasons
  • Use linking words (because, and, also, for example) to connect the opinion to supporting reasons
  • End an opinion piece with a concluding statement that restates or reinforces the opinion

• Sharing and Publishing Your Writing

  Read own writing aloud clearly enough to be heard by peers and the teacher; use digital tools to produce and publish writing

  • Read own sentences aloud with clear voice and appropriate expression
  • Share a piece of writing by reading it to the class
  • Type simple words or sentences using a computer or tablet

Spelling & Word Study

Your child is learning to spell words that come from other languages, understanding how Greek, French, and Latin origins affect the way English words are written.

• Apostrophes for possession

  Use the possessive apostrophe with singular nouns to show ownership (e.g., the girl's book, the dog's bone)

  • Write 'the cat's tail' to show the tail belongs to the cat
  • Distinguish plural -s ('the cats ran') from possessive 's ('the cat's bed') in writing
  • Add a possessive apostrophe to a singular noun in a dictated sentence

• Alternative Spellings for Sounds

  Spell words using alternative grapheme choices for known phonemes, learning new spellings for sounds already encountered (e.g., /ɔ:/ as 'a' before ll, /ʌ/ as 'o', words ending -tion), including distinguishing common homophones

  • Spell 'ball', 'call', 'walk' using alternative grapheme /ɔ:/ as 'a' before ll
  • Distinguish homophones in writing: 'there/their/they’re', 'here/hear', 'quite/quiet'
  • Spell words ending in -tion correctly: 'station', 'fiction', 'motion'

• Suffixes (age 7+)

  Spell words using productive suffixes (-ation, -ly, -ous) and less common sound-spelling correspondences (/ɪ/ as y, /ʌ/ as ou, endings sounding like /ʒə/, /tʃə/, /ʒən/, /ʃən/) introduced in the Year 3-4 programme

  • Spell words with suffixes -ation (e.g., information, sensation), -ly (e.g., sadly, gently, happily), and -ous (e.g., famous, enormous, various)
  • Spell words with less common vowel patterns: /ɪ/ as y (e.g., myth, gym), /ʌ/ as ou (e.g., young, touch, double)
  • Spell words with endings /ʒə/ as -sure (e.g., measure, treasure), /tʃə/ as -ture (e.g., creature, furniture), /ʒən/ as -sion (e.g., division, television)

• Spelling Word Lists (age 7+)

  Spell words from the statutory word list for Years 3 and 4, including commonly misspelt words that do not follow regular patterns

  • Spell at least 20 words from the Y3-4 statutory list correctly (e.g., accident, believe, different, favourite, imagine)
  • Identify tricky parts of statutory words and use a strategy to remember them (e.g., 'separate' has 'a rat' in the middle)
  • Use statutory list words accurately in own writing across subjects

• Spellings from Greek, French and Latin

  Spell words with etymological letter patterns from Greek (ch = /k/), French (ch = /ʃ/, -gue, -que), and Latin (sc = /s/) origins

  • Spell words with Greek ch such as 'scheme', 'chorus', 'chemist', 'echo' and explain the /k/ sound pattern
  • Spell words with French ch such as 'chef', 'chalet', 'machine' and -gue/-que endings like 'league', 'unique'
  • Spell words with Latin sc such as 'science', 'scene', 'discipline' and identify the silent letter pattern

• Apostrophes for possession (age 7+)

  Use the possessive apostrophe accurately with both regular and irregular plural nouns (e.g., the girls' bags, the children's toys), distinguishing singular from plural possession

  • Place the apostrophe correctly in plural possessives: 'the dogs' kennel' vs 'the dog's kennel'
  • Write possessive forms of irregular plurals correctly (e.g. 'children's', 'women's', 'mice's')
  • Distinguish singular possession (the boy's hat) from plural possession (the boys' hats) in dictated sentences

• Homophones

  Distinguish and correctly spell common homophones and near-homophones encountered at Y3-4 level (e.g., accept/except, affect/effect, brake/break, grate/great), including using the /eɪ/ sound spelt ei, eigh, or ey

  • Spell pairs of homophones correctly in context (e.g., 'there/their/they're', 'brake/break', 'grate/great')
  • Choose the correct homophone to complete a sentence (e.g., 'The dog wagged its/it's tail')
  • Spell words with the /eɪ/ sound as ei, eigh, or ey (e.g., vein, eight, they, neighbour)

• Prefixes (age 7+)

  Spell words with a range of prefixes (dis-, mis-, un-, re-, pre-, anti-, auto-, super-) understanding how each prefix modifies the root word's meaning without changing its spelling

  • Spell words with prefixes dis-, mis-, re- correctly without altering the root (e.g., disappoint, misspell, return)
  • Add prefixes un-, pre-, anti-, auto-, super- to root words and use the new word in a sentence (e.g., unhappy, preview, autograph)
  • Explain how a prefix changes the meaning of a root word (e.g., 'dis-' means 'not' or 'opposite of')

• Tricky words

  Spell common exception words from memory that do not follow regular phonic patterns, including the days of the week

  • Correctly spell high-frequency irregular words (e.g. 'said', 'the', 'was')
  • Write all seven days of the week correctly
  • Recall and write exception words in dictated sentences

• Spelling from Dictation

  Write simple sentences from memory when dictated by the teacher, applying taught GPCs, spelling rules, and common exception words

  • Write a dictated sentence using phonically plausible spellings
  • Include correct spelling of taught exception words in dictation
  • Apply sentence punctuation in dictated writing

• Using a Dictionary to Check Spellings

  Use the first two or three letters of a word to check its spelling in a dictionary; consult reference materials including beginning dictionaries to verify and correct spellings

  • Locate a word in a dictionary using its first two or three letters (e.g., find 'beautiful' by looking up 'be-')
  • Check and correct a misspelling by comparing with the dictionary entry (e.g., look up 'freind' → 'friend')
  • Use a glossary or beginning dictionary to confirm spelling of a word used in own writing

Vocabulary

Your child is learning to understand figurative language — recognising when words don't mean exactly what they say and interpreting common phrases and idioms in stories and conversation.

• Discussing and Questioning New Words

  Ask and answer questions about unknown words in texts; discuss word meanings and link new vocabulary to words already known

  • Ask 'What does ___ mean?' when meeting unfamiliar words during reading
  • Use context and pictures to work out what a new word might mean
  • Explain a new word by connecting it to a known word (e.g. 'enormous means really really big')

• Sorting & Categorising Words

  Sort common objects and words into categories to understand how concepts relate; demonstrate understanding of opposites (antonyms) for common verbs and adjectives

  • Group words or objects by category (e.g. animals, foods, colours)
  • Identify and produce opposite pairs (e.g. 'big/small', 'hot/cold', 'go/stop')
  • Explain why items belong together in a category

• Defining Words

  Define words by category and by one or more key attributes (e.g., 'a duck is a bird that swims'), making real-life connections between words and their use

  • Define 'tiger' as 'a large cat with stripes' — naming category and key attribute
  • Connect the word 'cozy' to real-life examples: places at home that feel cozy
  • Sort words into categories and explain why each word belongs

• Shades of Meaning

  Distinguish shades of meaning among verbs describing similar actions and among adjectives differing in intensity; make real-life connections between words and their use

  • Compare similar verbs by acting them out (e.g. 'walk', 'march', 'strut', 'prance')
  • Order adjectives by intensity (e.g. big, huge, gigantic)
  • Connect vocabulary to personal experiences (e.g. note things at school that are 'colourful')

• Formal and Informal English

  Recognise and compare formal and informal uses of English, understanding that language choices vary based on audience, purpose and context

  • Identify whether a spoken or written example uses formal or informal language (e.g., 'Dear Sir' vs 'Hey mate')
  • Rewrite an informal sentence in a more formal way (e.g., change 'Can I have some?' to 'May I please have some?')
  • Explain why formal language might be used in one situation and informal in another (e.g., a letter to the headteacher vs a note to a friend)

• Using New Vocabulary

  Use words and phrases acquired through conversations, being read to, and responding to texts in own speech and writing

  • Incorporate new vocabulary from read-alouds into conversations
  • Attempt to use interesting or topic-specific words in own writing
  • Use newly learned words appropriately in different contexts

• Literal vs Figurative Language

  Distinguish literal from nonliteral (figurative) language in context and interpret common idioms and phrases

  • Identify whether 'It's raining cats and dogs' is literal or nonliteral and explain what it means
  • Read a passage and circle three phrases used nonliterally, restating each in literal terms
  • Explain the difference between 'She was on fire' (figurative — performing well) and 'The log was on fire' (literal)

• Root Words & Inflections

  Identify frequently occurring root words and their inflectional forms (e.g., look/looks/looked/looking), using affixes as clues to word meaning and understanding how suffixes create nouns and adjectives

  • Identify 'play' as the root in 'played', 'playing', 'player'
  • Explain that '-ful' in 'careful' means 'full of care'
  • Use '-ness' and '-er' to form nouns from root words: 'sad → sadness', 'teach → teacher'

• Word Families and Root Words

  Explore word families based on common root words, understanding how words are related in form and meaning through shared roots, prefixes and suffixes (e.g., solve → solution, solver, dissolve, insoluble)

  • Generate at least 4 words in a word family from a given root (e.g., from 'play': player, playful, replay, playground)
  • Explain how members of a word family are connected in meaning (e.g., 'solve, solution, dissolve all relate to finding answers or breaking apart')
  • Use knowledge of a word family to predict the meaning of an unfamiliar member (e.g., knowing 'act' helps understand 'actor', 'action', 'react')

• Word Parts as Clues

  Use knowledge of common inflections and affixes (-ed, -s, un-, -er) as clues to the meaning of unknown words; understand how the prefix un- changes meaning

  • Recognise that -ed signals past tense (e.g. 'jumped' = already happened)
  • Explain how un- makes a word mean the opposite (e.g. 'unhappy' = not happy)
  • Use word parts to figure out the meaning of an unfamiliar word

Speaking & Listening

Your child is developing stronger discussion and presentation skills — learning to prepare for conversations, share ideas clearly, and present information in an organised way.

• Listening and responding

  Listen and respond appropriately to adults and peers; follow agreed-upon rules for discussion such as listening to others and taking turns speaking

  • Demonstrate attentive listening by making eye contact and responding relevantly
  • Follow classroom discussion rules (e.g. raise hand, wait for turn)
  • Show understanding of what was said by paraphrasing or responding appropriately

• Group discussions

  Participate actively in collaborative conversations staying on topic; continue a conversation through multiple exchanges; maintain attention in discussions

  • Stay on topic during a conversation for multiple turns
  • Build on what another speaker has said (e.g. 'I agree because...')
  • Maintain focus and contribute meaningfully in group discussions

• Describing Aloud

  Describe familiar people, places, things, and events with detail; speak audibly and express thoughts, feelings, and ideas clearly; give well-structured descriptions and explanations

  • Describe a familiar person or place using several details
  • Speak clearly and loudly enough for the whole group to hear
  • Organise ideas logically when sharing information or telling about an event

• Asking Questions

  Ask relevant questions to extend understanding; ask and answer questions to seek help, get information, or clarify something not understood

  • Ask a question when something is unclear or more information is needed
  • Answer questions with relevant and specific information
  • Request clarification politely (e.g. 'Can you explain that again?')

• Engaging Listeners and Valuing Viewpoints

  Gain, maintain and monitor the interest of listeners when speaking; consider and evaluate different viewpoints, attending to and building on others' contributions; begin to select appropriate language for different situations

  • Use strategies to engage listeners during a presentation (e.g., make eye contact, vary tone and pace, ask the audience a question)
  • Listen to a peer's viewpoint and respond by agreeing, disagreeing, or extending their idea with a reason (e.g., 'I agree with Priya because… but I also think…')
  • Choose more formal language for a class presentation and more informal language for a group discussion, explaining the difference

• Reciting Poetry

  Learn poems by heart and recite with appropriate intonation, adding visual displays to descriptions when appropriate, and producing complete sentences in spoken presentations

  • Recite a poem from memory with expression and clear enunciation
  • Add a drawing or visual display to support an oral description or presentation
  • Present information to the class using complete sentences and audible voice

• Preparing for and Explaining in Discussions

  Come to discussions prepared, draw on preparation and known information, and explain ideas in light of the discussion

  • Read assigned material and prepare three discussion points or questions before a group conversation
  • During discussion, refer explicitly to the text or preparation notes to support a point
  • After a group exchange, explain how one's own thinking changed or was confirmed by others' contributions

• Reporting & Recounting

  Report on a topic or recount an experience with organised facts and descriptive details, speaking clearly at an understandable pace

  • Deliver a one-minute oral report on a chosen topic, including at least three organised facts
  • Recount a personal experience using descriptive details and a clear beginning, middle, and end
  • Self-assess a recorded presentation for pace, clarity, and inclusion of relevant details

Phonics & Word Reading

Your child is learning to read more complex words by understanding how prefixes, suffixes, and root words work together, helping them tackle unfamiliar words with confidence.

• Alternative Spellings for Known Sounds

  Recognise alternative grapheme-phoneme correspondences for known phonemes (e.g., /dʒ/ as ge/dge/g, /s/ as c, /n/ as kn/gn, /r/ as wr, /ʒ/ as s), reading words with less common spellings for familiar sounds

  • Read words with less common spellings for familiar sounds: 'badge', 'giraffe', 'city', 'knock', 'gnaw', 'write', 'treasure'
  • Identify that the same phoneme can be represented by different graphemes (e.g., /dʒ/ spelled g, ge, dge)
  • Select the correct alternative GPC to decode an unfamiliar word in context

• Reading High-Frequency Words by Sight

  Read common high-frequency and exception words automatically by sight, including words with irregular spelling patterns

  • Read common exception words instantly without sounding out (e.g. 'the', 'said', 'was', 'you')
  • Note unusual correspondences between spelling and sound in exception words
  • Recognise at least 20-30 high-frequency words in connected text

• Reading with Expression and Accuracy

  Read aloud with accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression (prosody), re-reading familiar texts to build fluency and confidence, and using context to self-correct

  • Read a grade-level passage aloud with expression and appropriate pacing
  • Self-correct miscues during oral reading by re-reading or using context cues
  • Re-read a familiar book demonstrating increased fluency and confidence

• Syllables (age 6+)

  Decode words of two or more syllables by breaking them into syllable chunks, applying knowledge that every syllable must contain a vowel sound, and blending the parts together

  • Read 'rabbit', 'thunder', 'fantastic' by breaking into syllable chunks and blending
  • Clap or tap syllables in a multi-syllable word, then read each chunk before blending
  • Identify that every syllable must contain a vowel sound

• Compound Words

  Recognise and spell compound words by identifying the two component words that combine to form a single word

  • Identify the two words in a compound (e.g. 'sunshine' = 'sun' + 'shine')
  • Spell compound words by combining known words
  • Create compound words from given word pairs

• Decoding unfamiliar words

  Read Y3-4 exception words with unusual spelling-sound correspondences, applying growing knowledge of morphology and etymology to decode unfamiliar exception words

  • Read exception words from the Y3-4 statutory word list accurately (e.g. 'business', 'caught', 'knowledge', 'different')
  • Identify unusual letter-sound correspondences in exception words and explain why the word does not follow common GPC rules
  • Use growing knowledge of morphology and etymology to attempt unfamiliar exception words (e.g. recognise the root 'know' in 'knowledge')

• Prefixes and suffixes

  Read words containing common prefixes and suffixes from the Y3-4 programme, applying knowledge of root words, prefixes and suffixes (morphology and etymology) to read aloud and understand new words

  • Read words with common prefixes (dis-, mis-, re-, pre-) and suffixes (-ation, -ous, -ly) by identifying the root word first
  • Apply morphological knowledge to attempt unfamiliar words (e.g. recognise 'happy' inside 'unhappiness')
  • Explain how a prefix or suffix changes the meaning or word class of a root word (e.g. 'care' → 'careless' → 'carelessly')

English Thinking

• Monitoring Comprehension

  Notice the difference between decoding words and actually understanding them — recognise when you've read the words but not grasped the meaning, and do something about it

  • comprehension monitoring research
  • Metacognitive Monitoring in Reading Comprehension (MDPI 2024)

• Reviewing Own Writing

  Evaluate whether your own writing achieves the effect you intended on a reader — go beyond checking for correctness to asking whether it actually works

  • writing self-evaluation research grades 3-5
  • metacognitive awareness of writing (Frontiers 2025)

• Author's word choices

  Recognise how an author's deliberate choices — of words, structure, tone, and perspective — create particular effects on you as a reader

  • authorial awareness research
  • Understanding Author's Purpose (Firkins)
  • collaborative multilayered text interpretation in 5-8 year olds

• Knowing What You Don't Know

  Monitor your own vocabulary gaps — notice words you half-know, distinguish confident from uncertain knowledge, and develop strategies to resolve the uncertainty

  • Noticing Unfamiliar Words Assessment research (grade 2+)
  • word consciousness and vocabulary metacognition research
  • Building Word Knowledge e-Book (PMC 2019)

• Inference vs Explicit Meaning

  Distinguish between what a text explicitly says and what you have inferred, assumed, or read in — knowing which is which is fundamental to honest comprehension

  • inference vs literal comprehension development research
  • online inference making and comprehension monitoring (PMC 2021)

Handwriting & Transcription

Your child is learning to join letters together when writing, developing smooth handwriting by connecting letters with diagonal and horizontal strokes while keeping letters the right size.

• Joining Letters

  Begin to join letters using diagonal and horizontal strokes, understanding which letter pairs are best left unjoined, forming letters of correct size relative to one another

  • Join 'in', 'un', 'it' with a diagonal stroke connecting the letters
  • Leave letters like 'b' unjoined when followed by certain letters, explaining why
  • Write with consistent letter sizing on lined paper, ascenders and descenders in proportion