Front page resources › Year 5/6 English Curriculum Objectives

Year 5/6 English Curriculum Objectives

Reading - Word Reading

  • apply their growing knowledge of root words, prefixes and suffixes (morphology and etymology), as listed in English appendix 1, both to read aloud and to understand the meaning of new words that they meet

Reading - Comprehension

  • maintain positive attitudes to reading and an understanding of what they read by continuing to read and discuss an increasingly wide range of fiction, poetry, plays, non-fiction and reference books or textbooks
  • maintain positive attitudes to reading and an understanding of what they read by reading books that are structured in different ways and reading for a range of purposes
  • maintain positive attitudes to reading and an understanding of what they read by increasing their familiarity with a wide range of books, including myths, legends and traditional stories, modern fiction, fiction from our literary heritage, and books from other cultures and traditions
  • maintain positive attitudes to reading and an understanding of what they read by recommending books that they have read to their peers, giving reasons for their choices
  • maintain positive attitudes to reading and an understanding of what they read by identifying and discussing themes and conventions in and across a wide range of writing
  • maintain positive attitudes to reading and an understanding of what they read bymaking comparisons within and across books
  • maintain positive attitudes to reading and an understanding of what they read by learning a wider range of poetry by heart
  • preparing poems and plays to read aloud and to perform, showing understanding through intonation, tone and volume so that the meaning is clear to an audience
  • understand what they read by checking that the book makes sense to them, discussing their understanding and exploring the meaning of words in context
  • understand what they read by asking questions to improve their understanding
  • understand what they read by drawing inferences such as inferring characters’ feelings, thoughts and motives from their actions, and justifying inferences with evidence
  • understand what they read by predicting what might happen from details stated and implied
  • understand what they read by summarising the main ideas drawn from more than 1 paragraph, identifying key details that support the main idea
  • understand what they read by identifying how language, structure and presentation contribute to meaning
  • discuss and evaluate how authors use language, including figurative language, considering the impact on the reader
  • distinguish between statements of fact and opinion
  • retrieve, record and present information from non-fiction
  • participate in discussions about books that are read to them and those they can read for themselves, building on their own and others’ ideas and challenging views courteously
  • explain and discuss their understanding of what they have read, including through formal presentations and debates, maintaining a focus on the topic and using notes where necessary
  • provide reasoned justifications for their views

Writing - Transcription

Spelling

  • use further prefixes and suffixes and understand the guidance for adding them
  • spell some words with ‘silent’ letters [for example, knight, psalm, solemn]
  • continue to distinguish between homophones and other words which are often confused
  • use knowledge of morphology and etymology in spelling and understand that the spelling of some words needs to be learnt specifically, as listed in English appendix 1
  • Spell words with endings which sound like /ʃəs/ spelt –cious or –tious
  • Spell words with endings which sound like /ʃəl/
  • Spell words ending in –ant, –ance/–ancy, –ent, –ence/–ency
  • Spell words ending in –able and –ible, words ending in –ably and –ibly
  • Add suffixes beginning with vowel letters to words ending in –fer
  • Learn to use the hyphen
  • Spell words with the /i:/ sound spelt ei after c
  • Spell words containing the letter-string ough
  • Spell words with ‘silent’ letters (i.e. letters whose presence cannot be predicted from the pronunciation of the word)
  • Spell homophones and other words that are often confused
  • Spell words from the word list – years 5 and 6
  • use dictionaries to check the spelling and meaning of words
  • use the first 3 or 4 letters of a word to check spelling, meaning or both of these in a dictionary
  • use a thesaurus

Handwriting and Presentation

  • write legibly, fluently and with increasing speed by choosing which shape of a letter to use when given choices and deciding whether or not to join specific letters
  • write legibly, fluently and with increasing speed by choosing the writing implement that is best suited for a task

Writing - Composition

  • plan their writing by identifying the audience for and purpose of the writing, selecting the appropriate form and using other similar writing as models for their own
  • plan their writing by noting and developing initial ideas, drawing on reading and research where necessary
  • plan their writing by in writing narratives, considering how authors have developed characters and settings in what pupils have read, listened to or seen performed
  • draft and write by selecting appropriate grammar and vocabulary, understanding how such choices can change and enhance meaning
  • draft and write by in narratives, describing settings, characters and atmosphere and integrating dialogue to convey character and advance the action
  • draft and write by précising longer passages
  • draft and write by using a wide range of devices to build cohesion within and across paragraphs
  • draft and write by using further organisational and presentational devices to structure text and to guide the reader [for example, headings, bullet points, underlining]
  • evaluate and edit by assessing the effectiveness of their own and others’ writing
  • evaluate and edit by proposing changes to vocabulary, grammar and punctuation to enhance effects and clarify meaning
  • evaluate and edit by ensuring the consistent and correct use of tense throughout a piece of writing
  • evaluate and edit by ensuring correct subject and verb agreement when using singular and plural, distinguishing between the language of speech and writing and choosing the appropriate register
  • proofread for spelling and punctuation errors
  • perform their own compositions, using appropriate intonation, volume, and movement so that meaning is clear

Writing - Vocabulary, Grammar and Punctuation

English Appendix 2 guidance:

Year 5

Year 6