4th Grade English Checklist: What Your Child Should Know

Reading Comprehension

Your child is developing sophisticated reading skills — analysing how authors structure texts, comparing different perspectives, understanding themes and literary devices, and integrating information from multiple sources.

• 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

• 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

• 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

• In-Depth Character and Setting Analysis

  Describe in depth a character, setting, or event in a story or drama, drawing on specific details from the text such as a character's thoughts, words, actions, and interactions

  • Write a detailed character description drawing on evidence from multiple points in the text, including what the character says, does, thinks, and how others respond to them
  • Describe a setting in depth by citing specific sensory details, figurative language, and mood clues the author provides
  • Explain how a key event affects the characters and plot development, citing specific textual details about actions, reactions, and consequences

• Narrator's Point of View

  Compare and contrast the point of view from which different stories are narrated, including distinguishing between first-person and third-person narration and explaining how the narrator's perspective shapes the reader's understanding

  • Identify whether a story is told in first person (I/we) or third person (he/she/they) and explain how this affects what the reader knows about characters' thoughts and feelings
  • Compare two versions of a story or event told from different points of view and explain how each narrator's perspective changes what is emphasised, omitted, or revealed
  • Explain why an author might choose first-person narration (immediacy, personal voice) versus third-person narration (broader view, objectivity) for a particular story

• Recommending Books

  Recommend books to peers, giving reasons for choices based on knowledge of a wide range of genres, authors, and themes, and making comparisons within and across books

  • Recommend a book to a peer by explaining its genre, theme, and what makes it engaging, comparing it to other books the peer has enjoyed
  • Justify a book recommendation by referring to specific features such as the author's style, the plot structure, or how a theme is developed
  • Maintain a reading log or book review collection that captures key responses to books read and serves as a reference for future recommendations

• 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

• Poems, Drama & Prose

  Explain major differences between poems, drama, and prose, identifying structural elements unique to each form: verse, rhythm, and meter in poetry; cast of characters, dialogue, and stage directions in drama; chapters and paragraphs in prose

  • Compare a poem, a play script, and a prose passage on a similar theme, identifying the structural features unique to each form (e.g. stanzas vs scenes vs chapters)
  • Identify and explain the function of structural elements in drama: cast list, stage directions (in italics or brackets), dialogue format, and scene divisions
  • Describe how structural elements of poetry such as verse, rhythm, meter, and line breaks affect how a poem is read aloud and how meaning is conveyed

• 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

• Finding Theme and Summarising

  Determine the theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text, and provide an objective summary that captures the key events without personal opinions

  • Identify the theme of a story (e.g. courage, friendship, overcoming adversity) by examining what characters learn, how they change, and what the author emphasises across the whole text
  • Distinguish theme from topic: explain that a topic might be 'war' while the theme is 'the cost of conflict on families'
  • Summarise a story, chapter, or poem objectively, including only key events and details without inserting personal opinions or minor details

• 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)

• 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

• Structure of information texts

  Describe the overall structure of an informational text (chronology, comparison, cause/effect, problem/solution) and explain how the author's chosen structure helps convey information and ideas

  • Identify which organisational structure an informational text uses (chronological order, compare/contrast, cause/effect, or problem/solution) and cite textual features that signal it
  • Explain how signal words (first, then, finally for chronology; however, similarly for comparison; because, as a result for cause/effect; the solution was for problem/solution) reveal text structure
  • Compare two informational texts on the same topic that use different structures and explain how each structure affects the way information is presented to the reader

• 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

• Themes Across Cultures and Traditions

  Compare and contrast the treatment of similar themes, topics, and story patterns (e.g., good vs evil, quest narratives, trickster tales) in stories, myths, and traditional literature from different cultures

  • Compare how two myths or folk tales from different cultures treat a similar theme (e.g., creation, heroism, the importance of honesty) and explain both similarities and differences
  • Identify recurring story patterns across cultures such as the trickster figure, the quest, or the transformation, providing specific examples from texts read
  • Explain how cultural context shapes the way a universal theme is expressed differently in stories from various traditions

• 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

• Combining information from texts

  Integrate information from two texts on the same topic in order to write or speak about the subject knowledgeably, combining and comparing what each source contributes

  • Read two informational texts on the same topic and identify information that appears in both, information unique to each, and any contradictions between them
  • Combine key details from two sources into a coherent summary or short report that draws on both texts
  • Explain how reading a second text on the same topic added to, confirmed, or challenged understanding gained from the first text

• Explaining Events & Ideas

  Explain events, procedures, ideas, or concepts in an informational text, including what happened and why, by citing specific textual evidence about causes, effects, and steps in a process

  • Explain a historical event described in an informational text by identifying both what happened and the causes leading to it, using specific details from the text
  • Describe the steps in a procedure or process presented in an informational text, explaining why each step is necessary based on information in the text
  • Identify cause-and-effect relationships between ideas or events in an informational passage and explain them using evidence from the text

• Interpreting visual information in texts

  Interpret information presented visually, orally, or quantitatively in informational texts (e.g., charts, graphs, diagrams, timelines, animations) and explain how it contributes to understanding the text

  • Read and interpret data from a chart, graph, or table included in an informational text and explain how it supports or extends the written information
  • Explain how a diagram, map, or timeline in an informational text helps the reader understand the topic in ways that words alone might not
  • Synthesise information from both the written text and a visual element (graph, illustration, infographic) to draw a conclusion that neither source provides independently

• 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

• Cultural Allusions and Word Meaning

  Determine the meaning of words and phrases as used in literary texts, including understanding references to mythology and cultural allusions (e.g., Herculean, Achilles' heel)

  • Explain the meaning of an allusion drawn from mythology when encountered in a text, e.g. identify that 'Herculean task' means an extremely difficult task, referencing Hercules' legendary labours
  • Use context and knowledge of word parts to determine the meaning of unfamiliar words in a poem or story, explaining how the word contributes to tone or meaning
  • Identify when an author is using a word figuratively rather than literally and explain the intended meaning in context

• 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

• Firsthand and Secondhand Accounts

  Compare and contrast a firsthand account (autobiography, diary, letter) with a secondhand account (biography, textbook, news report) of the same event or topic, identifying differences in focus and information provided

  • Explain the difference between a firsthand account (written by someone who experienced the event) and a secondhand account (written by someone who researched it), using specific examples
  • Compare a diary entry and a textbook passage about the same historical event, identifying what each account includes, omits, and emphasises
  • Analyse how the perspective of the writer (participant vs observer/researcher) affects the information provided, the language used, and the overall tone

• How authors support their points

  Explain how an author of an informational text uses reasons and evidence to support particular points, evaluating whether the reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant and sufficient

  • Identify the key points an author makes in an informational text and list the specific reasons and evidence provided to support each point
  • Evaluate whether the evidence an author uses (facts, statistics, examples, expert opinions) is relevant to the point being made and sufficient to be convincing
  • Distinguish between well-supported claims backed by evidence and unsupported opinions or assertions in an informational text

• Text & Media Connections

  Make connections between the text of a story or drama and a visual or oral presentation of the text, identifying where each version reflects specific descriptions and directions from the text

  • Compare a passage from a book with a film or audio adaptation, identifying specific moments where the visual or oral version matches or departs from the written text
  • Explain how a film, illustration, or dramatic performance interprets a scene from a story, citing specific textual descriptions the adaptation reflects
  • Identify details in the written text (descriptions of setting, character appearance, dialogue) that a visual or oral presentation brings to life, and note any differences

Grammar & Punctuation

Your child is mastering advanced grammar and punctuation — using complex sentence structures with relative clauses, understanding how to change word meanings with prefixes and suffixes, and creating cohesive, well-connected writing.

• 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

• Modal Verbs and Possibility

  Understand and use modal verbs (can, may, must, might, shall, will, could, should, would) and modal adverbs (perhaps, surely, certainly) to indicate degrees of possibility, necessity, and permission

  • Select a modal verb to express certainty, probability, or possibility in a sentence, e.g. 'It will rain' vs 'It might rain' vs 'It could rain'
  • Replace a modal verb with a modal adverb to achieve a similar effect, e.g. 'He might come' → 'Perhaps he will come'
  • Distinguish between modals expressing permission (may, can), obligation (must, should), and possibility (might, could) in context

• Progressive and Continuous Tenses

  Form and use the progressive (continuous) verb tenses — past progressive (was walking), present progressive (am walking), and future progressive (will be walking) — to convey ongoing actions at different times

  • Write sentences using past progressive to describe an action that was ongoing at a particular time, e.g. 'She was reading when the phone rang'
  • Distinguish present progressive from simple present, e.g. 'I am eating lunch' (right now) vs 'I eat lunch at noon' (habitual)
  • Form the future progressive using 'will be' + present participle to describe an action that will be ongoing, e.g. 'Tomorrow at 3pm I will be travelling'

• 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

• Linking paragraphs with adverbials

  Link ideas across paragraphs using adverbials of time (later, meanwhile, after a while), place (nearby, far away, beyond the wall), and number (secondly, finally, in addition) to guide the reader through a multi-paragraph text

  • Begin a new paragraph with an adverbial of time to signal a shift in time or sequence, e.g. 'Meanwhile, back at the castle...' or 'Several hours later, the storm finally passed'
  • Use adverbials of place to move the reader to a new location between paragraphs, e.g. 'Beyond the forest, the land was flat and dry'
  • Use numbering or addition adverbials to structure non-fiction across paragraphs, e.g. 'The first reason... The second reason... In addition...'

• 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'

• Cohesion within paragraphs

  Use cohesive devices within a paragraph — including pronouns, adverbials (then, after that, firstly), and synonyms — to link sentences and build a coherent flow of ideas

  • Replace repeated nouns with pronouns or synonyms to maintain cohesion without ambiguity, e.g. 'The explorer found a cave. She examined it carefully'
  • Use adverbials of sequence (firstly, then, next, finally) and cause (therefore, as a result, consequently) to connect ideas within a paragraph
  • Identify where cohesion breaks down in a paragraph and insert appropriate linking devices to improve the flow

• 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

• Grammar Terms: Modal Verbs and Clauses

  Know and use Year 5 grammar terminology accurately when discussing reading and writing: modal verb, relative pronoun, relative clause, parenthesis, bracket, dash, cohesion, ambiguity

  • Label a relative clause in a sentence and identify the relative pronoun that introduces it, using correct terminology
  • Explain why a pair of brackets or dashes creates a parenthesis and describe its function using the term 'parenthesis'
  • Use the terms 'modal verb', 'cohesion', and 'ambiguity' when discussing how a writer has achieved particular effects in a text

• 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

• Expanded noun phrases (age 9+)

  Form and use prepositional phrases (preposition + noun phrase) to add detail about time, location, or direction within sentences, recognising how they function as adjective or adverb phrases

  • Identify the preposition and noun phrase within a prepositional phrase, e.g. in 'under the old bridge', 'under' is the preposition and 'the old bridge' is the noun phrase
  • Add prepositional phrases to expand sentences with detail about where, when, or how, e.g. 'The cat slept' → 'The cat slept on the warm windowsill throughout the afternoon'
  • Distinguish prepositional phrases functioning as adjectives (modifying nouns: 'the house on the hill') from those functioning as adverbs (modifying verbs: 'she ran across the field')

• 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'

• Brackets and dashes for parenthesis

  Use brackets, dashes, and commas to indicate parenthesis — additional information inserted into a sentence that could be removed without changing the sentence's core meaning

  • Insert a parenthetical phrase using paired brackets, e.g. 'The oldest building (built in 1642) stands in the town square'
  • Use paired dashes to add an aside or extra detail within a sentence, e.g. 'My brother — who is older than me — lives in London'
  • Choose between brackets, dashes, and commas for parenthesis based on how much emphasis the aside should receive, recognising that dashes give most prominence and brackets give least

• Relative Clauses

  Form and use relative clauses beginning with relative pronouns (who, whose, whom, which, that) and relative adverbs (where, when, why) to add detail, qualify nouns, and create complex sentences

  • Combine a main clause with a relative clause using 'who' or 'which' to add information about a noun, e.g. 'The dog, which had a red collar, barked loudly'
  • Choose the correct relative pronoun (who for people, which for things, where for places, when for times) and identify the noun it refers back to
  • Recognise that a relative clause beginning with 'that' can often replace 'who' or 'which' in defining clauses, e.g. 'The book that I read' vs 'The book which I read'

• Adjective Order in Sentences

  Order adjectives within sentences according to conventional English patterns (opinion-size-age-shape-colour-origin-material-purpose) to produce natural-sounding descriptions

  • Arrange multiple adjectives before a noun in conventional order, e.g. 'a lovely little old rectangular green French silver whittling knife' simplified to classroom examples like 'a small red bag' not 'a red small bag'
  • Identify when adjective order sounds unnatural and rearrange to match English conventions, e.g. correct 'the wooden big table' to 'the big wooden table'
  • Apply the size-before-colour-before-material pattern in descriptive writing, e.g. 'a tall grey stone castle' rather than 'a stone grey tall castle'

• Converting Words into Verbs

  Convert nouns and adjectives into verbs by adding suffixes -ate, -ise (-ize), and -ify, understanding how word class changes affect sentence construction

  • Add -ate, -ise, or -ify to nouns or adjectives to form verbs, e.g. pollen → pollinate, advert → advertise, simple → simplify
  • Choose the correct verb-forming suffix for a given root and use the resulting verb in a sentence, e.g. 'They needed to classify the animals' from 'class'
  • Identify the word-class change when a suffix converts a noun or adjective into a verb and explain how this affects the sentence structure

• Verb Prefixes and Meaning

  Use verb prefixes (dis-, de-, mis-, over-, re-) to change verb meaning, understanding how each prefix modifies the action expressed by the root verb

  • Add verb prefixes to change meaning, e.g. dis- (disagree, disappear), de- (decompose, defrost), mis- (misunderstand, misbehave), over- (overlook, overreact), re- (redo, reconsider)
  • Select the appropriate verb prefix to express a specific meaning shift such as negation (dis-/mis-), reversal (de-/un-), repetition (re-), or excess (over-)
  • Distinguish verb prefixes from noun/adjective prefixes and explain how adding a prefix to a verb changes the action described

• 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

• Commas to avoid ambiguity

  Use commas to clarify meaning and avoid ambiguity in sentences where the absence of a comma could cause misreading

  • Insert a comma to prevent ambiguity, e.g. 'Let's eat, Grandma' vs 'Let's eat Grandma' or 'Most of the time, travellers worry about their bags'
  • Identify sentences where a missing comma changes the meaning and explain the two possible readings
  • Use commas after introductory elements (adverbial phrases, subordinate clauses) to prevent misreading of the main clause

• Commas Before Joining Words

  Use a comma before a coordinating conjunction (and, but, or, so, yet) when joining two independent clauses in a compound sentence

  • Place a comma before the coordinating conjunction in a compound sentence, e.g. 'I wanted to go outside, but it was raining'
  • Distinguish compound sentences (two independent clauses) from simple sentences with compound predicates, e.g. 'She sang and danced' needs no comma but 'She sang a song, and he played the piano' does
  • Edit writing to insert missing commas before coordinating conjunctions in compound sentences

• 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

• Fixing Fragments & Run-Ons

  Recognise and correct sentence fragments (incomplete sentences lacking a subject or predicate) and run-on sentences (two or more independent clauses joined without proper punctuation or conjunctions)

  • Identify a sentence fragment by checking whether it has both a subject and a predicate, e.g. recognise 'Running through the park' as a fragment and correct to 'The dog was running through the park'
  • Identify a run-on sentence where two independent clauses are fused without punctuation or a conjunction, e.g. 'I like cats I also like dogs' and correct using a full stop, comma + conjunction, or semicolon
  • Edit a paragraph to fix fragments and run-ons, choosing the most effective correction strategy for each error

• 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')

• 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 sophisticated writing skills — crafting clear, well-organised pieces for different audiences and purposes, and supporting their ideas with evidence from texts they've read.

• 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

• Choosing Form and Tone for Your Audience

  Identify the audience for and purpose of writing before beginning, selecting the appropriate form, tone, and register to match the intended reader and communicative goal

  • Determine the audience (e.g., peers, teacher, younger children, a public audience) and purpose (to persuade, inform, entertain, or explain) before drafting and explain how these choices affect language and structure
  • Select an appropriate form for the writing task (letter, report, story, instructions, review) based on audience and purpose
  • Adjust vocabulary, sentence length, and level of formality to suit the identified audience, e.g. using simpler language for younger readers and more formal language for an official letter

• 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')

• Evidence-Based Writing

  Draw evidence from informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research in writing, applying grade-level reading standards to non-fiction

  • Write a research-based paragraph or short report that cites specific facts, details, and evidence from informational texts to support key points
  • Synthesise information from two informational sources into a written summary that accurately represents both, noting areas of agreement and difference
  • Paraphrase information from informational texts accurately and cite sources appropriately, avoiding plagiarism

• Literary Evidence in Writing

  Draw evidence from literary texts to support analysis, reflection, and research in writing, applying grade-level reading standards to literature

  • Write a response to a literary text that includes direct quotations and specific details from the text as evidence to support a claim or observation
  • Explain how a character's actions or dialogue reveal their traits or motivations, citing specific passages from the story as evidence
  • Compare how two literary texts treat a similar theme, using textual evidence from both to support the comparison

• 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 for an audience

  Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development and organisation are appropriate to the task, purpose, and audience, maintaining a consistent style and structure throughout

  • Identify the task, purpose, and audience before writing and make deliberate choices about structure, tone, and vocabulary to suit them
  • Organise ideas logically so that the writing flows from introduction through development to conclusion, with each section serving a clear purpose
  • Review a draft to check that the organisation, style, and level of formality are consistent and appropriate for the intended reader

• 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

• 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 tackling challenging spelling patterns — distinguishing between confusing word pairs, understanding Latin and French word endings, and mastering silent letters and complex suffixes.

• 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

• Spelling Word Lists (age 9+)

  Spell words from the statutory word list for Years 5 and 6, including words with irregular or uncommon spelling patterns that must be learned individually

  • Spell high-frequency words from the Y5-6 list accurately in dictated sentences, e.g. accommodate, committee, correspond, exaggerate, immediately, necessary
  • Use look-cover-write-check and mnemonic strategies to learn words with tricky patterns such as 'separate' (a rat in separate), 'rhythm' (rhythm helps your two hips move)
  • Identify and self-correct misspellings of statutory list words when proof-reading extended writing

• 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)

• Homophones (age 9+)

  Distinguish and correctly spell homophones and commonly confused words at Y5-6 level (e.g., affect/effect, practice/practise, advice/advise, complement/compliment, aisle/isle, led/lead), including confused words such as to/too/two and there/their/they're

  • Select the correct spelling from a pair of homophones by analysing meaning in context, e.g. 'The doctor's advice (noun) was to practise (verb) daily'
  • Spell commonly confused words accurately by applying word-class clues: advise/advice, practise/practice, licence/license (verb ends in -ise, noun ends in -ice)
  • Identify and correct homophone errors in extended writing, including to/too/two, there/their/they're, whose/who's, and its/it's

• 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')

• Advanced Spelling Conventions

  Spell words using assorted Y5-6 conventions: doubling after -fer when the stress remains (referring but reference), using hyphens to join prefixes to root words (co-ordinate, re-enter), the /iː/ sound spelt ei after c (receive, ceiling), and the letter string ough representing different sounds (though, through, thought, thorough, plough)

  • Apply the -fer doubling rule: double the r when the syllable is stressed (referring, preferred, transferred) but not when stress shifts (reference, preference)
  • Use hyphens correctly when a prefix ends with the same letter the root begins with (re-enter, co-own) or to avoid ambiguity (re-cover vs recover)
  • Read and spell words containing ough by recognising its multiple pronunciations: /oʊ/ (though), /uː/ (through), /ɔː/ (thought), /ʌf/ (rough), /aʊ/ (plough)

• Silent Letters in Words

  Spell words containing silent letters that are remnants of earlier pronunciation or etymology, recognising common silent-letter patterns and using word origins to remember them

  • Identify and spell words with silent initial consonants: knight, know, write, wrap, gnaw, psalm, applying knowledge that these letters were once pronounced
  • Spell words with silent internal letters: doubt (b), island (s), muscle (c), solemn (n), using etymological connections to aid memory (e.g. doubt from Latin dubitare)
  • Use word families and etymology to remember silent letters, e.g. sign is related to signal where the g is pronounced

• Spelling -able & -ible

  Spell words ending in -able/-ible and the corresponding adverb forms -ably/-ibly, applying patterns to determine which suffix to use based on the root word

  • Apply the guideline that -able is typically used with complete root words (enjoyable, comfortable) while -ible is used with incomplete roots (visible, possible), noting key exceptions
  • Convert -able/-ible adjectives into adverbs by changing the ending to -ably/-ibly, e.g. comfortable → comfortably, possible → possibly, terrible → terribly
  • Determine whether to drop or retain the final -e of the root when adding -able, e.g. adorable (drop e) vs changeable (keep e before soft g)

• Suffixes (age 9+)

  Spell words with Latin and French suffix patterns: endings sounding like /ʃəs/ spelt -cious or -tious (e.g., precious, cautious), /ʃəl/ spelt -cial or -tial (e.g., official, essential), and words ending in -ant/-ance/-ancy vs -ent/-ence/-ency (e.g., observant/observance, confident/confidence)

  • Apply the pattern that -cious follows a vowel (spacious, gracious) while -tious follows a consonant (cautious, ambitious), noting common exceptions like anxious
  • Choose between -cial (usually after a vowel: special, official) and -tial (usually after a consonant: essential, partial) when spelling words with the /ʃəl/ ending
  • Select -ant/-ance or -ent/-ence by checking whether the root ends in a hard c or g sound (-ant: significant) or a soft c or g sound (-ent: innocent), and by applying word-family strategies

• 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 developing sophisticated language skills — understanding figurative language like metaphors and similes, learning word relationships through synonyms and antonyms, and using Greek and Latin word parts to figure out unfamiliar words.

• 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')

• 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

• Domain Vocabulary Across Subject Areas

  Acquire and use accurately academic and domain-specific vocabulary relevant to grade-level topics, including words that signal precise meaning in informational texts across subject areas

  • Identify and define academic vocabulary (e.g., compare, contrast, summarise, evidence, interpret) used across multiple subject areas and use these words accurately in discussion and writing
  • Determine the meaning of domain-specific words encountered in science, social studies, or maths texts (e.g., ecosystem, democracy, numerator) using context, glossaries, and prior knowledge
  • Use newly acquired academic and domain-specific vocabulary in sentences that demonstrate understanding of precise meaning and appropriate context

• 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)

• Greek and Latin Roots for Word Meaning

  Use knowledge of Greek and Latin affixes (prefixes and suffixes) and roots as clues to determine the meaning of unfamiliar words, building a bank of common roots and their meanings

  • Identify common Greek and Latin roots in unfamiliar words and use root meaning to infer word meaning, e.g. 'aqua' (water) in aquarium/aquatic, 'dict' (say) in predict/dictionary
  • Break a multi-morpheme word into prefix + root + suffix to determine meaning, e.g. un- (not) + believe + -able = not able to be believed
  • Use knowledge of Greek-origin prefixes (auto-, tele-, micro-) and Latin-origin prefixes (inter-, trans-, sub-) to decode and define unfamiliar vocabulary in context

• Similes & Metaphors

  Understand and identify similes (comparisons using like or as) and metaphors (direct comparisons stating something is something else) in texts, explaining how each creates imagery and conveys meaning

  • Identify similes in a text by locating comparisons using 'like' or 'as' and explain what two things are being compared and what quality is highlighted, e.g. 'The snow was like a white blanket'
  • Identify metaphors in a text and explain the implied comparison, e.g. in 'Time is a thief', explain that time is compared to a thief because it takes things away
  • Explain how a simile or metaphor in a poem or story creates a particular image or feeling for the reader that a literal description would not achieve

• 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')

• Antonyms & Synonyms

  Demonstrate understanding of words by relating them to their antonyms (opposites) and synonyms (words with similar meanings), using synonym and antonym relationships to refine vocabulary and improve precision in writing

  • Generate synonyms and antonyms for given words and explain subtle differences between synonyms, e.g. happy/joyful/ecstatic differ in intensity
  • Use a thesaurus to find synonyms and select the most precise word for a given context, e.g. choosing 'sprinted' rather than 'ran' to convey speed
  • Replace overused words in writing with more precise synonyms and explain how the substitution changes the tone or emphasis

• Idioms & Proverbs

  Recognise and interpret common idioms (break the ice, hit the nail on the head), adages (actions speak louder than words), and proverbs (a stitch in time saves nine), understanding their figurative meanings and when to use them

  • Explain the figurative meaning of common idioms encountered in texts, e.g. 'let the cat out of the bag' means to reveal a secret, not literally releasing a cat
  • Interpret the meaning and intended lesson of adages and proverbs, e.g. explain that 'the early bird catches the worm' advises that acting promptly gives an advantage
  • Use context clues to determine the meaning of an unfamiliar idiom or proverb encountered during reading and verify using a reference source

Speaking & Listening

Your child is developing critical listening skills, learning to identify key ideas from what they hear and evaluate whether speakers provide good reasons and evidence for their points.

• 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

• 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?')

• Identifying Reasons Behind a Speaker's Points

  Identify the reasons and evidence a speaker provides to support particular points, evaluating whether the reasoning is logical and the evidence is relevant

  • Listen to a speaker's argument or presentation and list the specific reasons and evidence provided to support each main point
  • Evaluate whether the reasons a speaker gives are logical and whether the evidence cited is relevant to the claim being made
  • Ask follow-up questions that probe the strength of a speaker's reasoning, e.g. 'What evidence supports that claim?' or 'Are there other explanations?'

• Paraphrasing What You Hear

  Paraphrase portions of a text read aloud or information presented in diverse media and formats, capturing the key ideas accurately in one's own words

  • Listen to a passage read aloud and restate the main idea and key details in own words without looking at the original text
  • Paraphrase information from a short video, podcast, or presentation, identifying the central message and supporting details
  • Distinguish between paraphrasing (restating in own words) and copying, demonstrating the ability to capture meaning without repeating exact wording

• 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

English Thinking

• 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)

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.

• 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

• 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')

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