Literacy World and the Revised Northern Ireland Primary Curriculum
The Essential Fiction and Non-fiction Teaching and Planning Guides have been fully updated in 2007 to reflect the latest
curriculum guidance across the UK.
The tables below demonstrate how the Teaching and Planning Guides cover the Revised Northern Ireland Primary Curriculum for
Language and Literacy.
Note: there are some objectives which we feel will in part be achieved either outside structured lesson time, or over a longer
period as the culmination of a year’s literacy work, most notably the reading objective ‘read with some independence for
enjoyment and information’.
STAGE 1 Essential Non-fiction Teaching and Planning Guide
LW Unit
Unit 1
Reports
Revised NI Primary Curriculum
Language and Literacy
Key Stage 1 (Ages 7-8)
Talking and Listening
Pupils should be enabled to:
 participate in talking and listening in
every area of learning
 listen to and respond to guidance and
instructions
 take turns at talking and listening in
group and paired activities
 express thoughts, feelings and
opinions in response to personal
experiences, imaginary situations,
literature, media and curricular topics
and activities
 present ideas and information with
some structure and sequence
 speak audibly and clearly, using
Reading
Pupils should be enabled to:
 participate in modelled, shared, paired
and guided reading activities
 read, and be read to from a wide
selection of poetry and prose
 read, explore, understand and make use
of a range of traditional and digital texts
 research and manage information relevant
to specific purposes, using traditional and
digital sources, and present their findings
in a variety of ways
 explore and begin to understand how
texts are structured in a range of genres
 build up a sight vocabulary
Writing
Pupils should be enabled to:
 participate in modelled, shared,
guided and independent writing,
including composing on-screen
 talk about and plan what they are
going to write
 begin to check their work in relation to
specific criteria
 write for a variety of purposes and
audiences
 express thoughts, feelings and opinions
in imaginative and factual writing
 organise, structure and present ideas
and information using traditional and
digital means
Unit 2
Instructions
appropriate quality of speech and
voice
 read aloud from a variety of sources,
including their own work, inflecting
appropriately to emphasise meaning
 talk with the teacher about ways in which
language is written down, identifying
phrases, words, patterns or letters and
other features of written language
 develop increasing competence in the
use of grammar and punctuation
 use a legible style of handwriting
Talking and Listening
Pupils should be enabled to:
 participate in talking and listening in
every area of learning
 listen to, respond to and explore
stories, poems, songs, drama, and
media texts through the use of
traditional and digital resources and
recreate parts of them in a range of
expressive activities
 listen to and respond to guidance and
instructions
 take turns at talking and listening in
group and paired activities
 present ideas and information with
some structure and sequence
 speak audibly and clearly, using
appropriate quality of speech and
voice
 devise and ask questions to find
information in social situations and
Reading
Pupils should be enabled to:
 participate in modelled, shared, paired
and guided reading activities
 read, and be read to from a wide
selection of poetry and prose
 read, explore, understand and make use
of a range of traditional and digital texts
 retell, re-read and act out a range of
texts, representing ideas through drama,
pictures, diagrams and ICT
 begin to locate, select and use texts for
specific purposes
 use a range of comprehension skills, both
oral and written, to interpret and discuss
texts
 explore and interpret a range of visual
texts
 begin to use evidence from text to
support their views
 talk with the teacher about ways in which
Writing
Pupils should be enabled to:
 participate in modelled, shared,
guided and independent writing,
including composing on-screen
 write without prompting, making their
own decisions about form and content
 write for a variety of purposes and
audiences
 express thoughts, feelings and opinions
in imaginative and factual writing
 organise, structure and present ideas
and information using traditional and
digital means
 understand some of the differences
between spoken and written language
 use a legible style of handwriting
across the curriculum
Talking and Listening
Unit 3
Information Pupils should be enabled to:
 participate in talking and listening in
texts
every area of learning
 listen to and respond to guidance and
instructions
 take turns at talking and listening in
group and paired activities
 express thoughts, feelings and
opinions in response to personal
experiences, imaginary situations,
literature, media and curricular topics
and activities
 present ideas and information with
some structure and sequence
 speak audibly and clearly, using
appropriate quality of speech and
voice
 devise and ask questions to find
information in social situations and
across the curriculum
language is written down, identifying
phrases, words, patterns or letters and
other features of written language
 recognise and notice how words are
constructed and spelt
Reading
Pupils should be enabled to:
 participate in modelled, shared, paired
and guided reading activities
 read, and be read to from a wide
selection of poetry and prose
 read, explore, understand and make use
of a range of traditional and digital texts
 begin to locate, select and use texts for
specific purposes
 research and manage information relevant
to specific purposes, using traditional and
digital sources, and present their findings
in a variety of ways
 use a range of comprehension skills, both
oral and written, to interpret and discuss
texts
 explore and begin to understand how
texts are structured in a range of genres
 begin to use evidence from text to
support their views
 build up a sight vocabulary
 talk with the teacher about ways in which
language is written down, identifying
phrases, words, patterns or letters and
other features of written language
Writing
Pupils should be enabled to:
 participate in modelled, shared,
guided and independent writing,
including composing on-screen
 talk about and plan what they are
going to write
 begin to check their work in relation to
specific criteria
 write for a variety of purposes and
audiences
 express thoughts, feelings and opinions
in imaginative and factual writing
 organise, structure and present ideas
and information using traditional and
digital means
 use a variety of skills to spell words in
their writing
 spell correctly a range of familiar,
important and regularly occurring
words
 develop increasing competence in the
use of grammar and punctuation
 use a legible style of handwriting
STAGE 1 Essential Fiction Teaching and Planning Guide
LW Unit
Unit 1
Stories with
familiar
settings
Revised NI Primary Curriculum
Language and Literacy
Key Stage 1 (Ages 7-8)
Talking and Listening
Pupils should be enabled to:
 participate in talking and listening in
every area of learning
 listen to, respond to and explore
stories, poems, songs, drama and
media texts through the use of
traditional and digital resources and
recreate parts of them in a range of
expressive activities
 listen to, interpret and retell, with
some supporting detail, a range of oral
and written texts
 tell their own stories based on
personal experiences and imagination
 express thoughts, feelings and
opinions in response to personal
experiences, imaginary situations,
literature, media and curricular topics
and activities
 present ideas and information with
some structure and sequence
 speak audibly and clearly, using
Reading
Pupils should be enabled to:
 participate in modelled, shared, paired
and guided reading activities
 read, and be read to from a wide
selection of poetry and prose
 read, explore, understand and make use
of a range of traditional and digital texts
 use a range of comprehension skills, both
oral and written, to interpret and discuss
texts
 explore and interpret a range of visual
texts
 begin to use evidence from text to
support their views
 build up a sight vocabulary
 use a range of strategies to identify
unfamiliar words
 talk with the teacher about ways in which
language is written down, identifying
phrases, words, patterns or letters and
other features of written language
 recognise and notice how words are
Writing
Pupils should be enabled to:
 participate in modelled, shared,
guided and independent writing,
including composing on-screen
 write for a variety of purposes and
audiences
 express thoughts, feelings and opinions
in imaginative and factual writing
 organise, structure and present ideas
and information using traditional and
digital means
 understand some of the differences
between spoken and written language
 use a variety of skills to spell words in
their writing
 spell correctly a range of familiar,
important and regularly occurring
words
 develop increasing competence in the
use of grammar and punctuation
 use a legible style of handwriting
appropriate quality of speech and
voice
 read aloud from a variety of sources,
including their own work, inflecting
appropriately to emphasise meaning
 recognise and talk about features of
spoken language, showing
phonological awareness
Unit 2
Myths,
legends and
other
stories
Pupils should be enabled to:
 participate in talking and listening in
every area of learning
 listen to, respond to and explore
stories, poems, songs, drama, and
media texts through the use of
traditional and digital resources and
recreate parts of them in a range of
expressive activities
 listen to, interpret and retell, with
some supporting detail, a range of oral
and written texts
 express thoughts, feelings and
opinions in response to personal
experiences, imaginary situations,
literature, media and curricular topics
and activities
 think about what they say and how
they say it
 speak audibly and clearly, using
appropriate quality of speech and
voice
 read aloud from a variety of sources,
including their own work, inflecting
constructed and spelt
Pupils should be enabled to:
 participate in modelled, shared, paired
and guided reading activities
 read and be read to from a wide selection
of poetry and prose
 read, explore, understand and make use
of a range of traditional and digital texts
 explore and begin to understand how
texts are structured in a range of genres
 retell, re-read and act out a range of
texts, representing ideas through drama,
pictures, diagrams and ICT
 explore and interpret a range of visual
texts
 begin to use evidence from text to
support their views
 build up a sight vocabulary
 talk with the teacher about ways in which
language is written down, identifying
phrases, words, patterns or letters and
other features of written language
 recognise and notice how words are
constructed and spelt
Pupils should be enabled to:
 participate in modelled, shared,
guided and independent writing,
including composing on-screen
 write for a variety of purposes and
audiences
 express thoughts, feelings and opinions
in imaginative and factual writing
 use a variety of skills to spell words in
their writing
 develop increasing competence in the
use of grammar and punctuation
Unit 3
Adventure
and mystery
Unit 4
Authors and
letters
appropriately to emphasise meaning
Pupils should be enabled to:
 participate in talking and listening in
every area of learning
 listen to, respond to and explore
stories, poems, songs, drama, and
media texts through the use of
traditional and digital resources and
recreate parts of them in a range of
expressive activities
 listen to, interpret and retell, with
some supporting detail, a range of oral
and written texts
 tell their own stories based on
personal experiences and imagination
 express thoughts, feelings and
opinions in response to personal
experiences, imaginary situations,
literature, media and curricular topics
and activities
 read aloud from a variety of sources,
including their own work, inflecting
appropriately to emphasise meaning
Pupils should be enabled to:
 participate in modelled, shared, paired
and guided reading activities
 read, and be read to from a wide
selection of poetry and prose
 read, explore, understand and make use
of a range of traditional and digital texts
 retell, re-read and act out a range of
texts, representing ideas through drama,
pictures, diagrams and ICT
 explore and begin to understand how
texts are structured in a range of genres
 express opinions and give reasons based
on what they have read
 begin to use evidence from text to
support their views
 talk with the teacher about ways in which
language is written down, identifying
phrases, words, patterns or letters and
other features of written language
 recognise and notice how words are
constructed and spelt
Pupils should be enabled to:
 participate in modelled, shared,
guided and independent writing,
including composing on-screen
 write for a variety of purposes and
audiences
 express thoughts, feelings and opinions
in imaginative and factual writing
 organise, structure and present ideas
and information using traditional and
digital means
 develop increasing competence in the
use of grammar and punctuation
 use a legible style of handwriting
 participate in talking and listening in
every area of learning
 tell their own stories based on
personal experiences and imagination
 express thoughts, feelings and
opinions in response to personal
experiences, imaginary situations,
literature, media and curricular topics
 participate in modelled, shared, paired
and guided reading activities
 read, and be read to from a wide
selection of poetry and prose
 research and manage information relevant
to specific purposes using traditional and
digital sources and presenting their
findings in a variety of ways
 participate in modelled, shared,
guided and independent writing,
including composing on-screen
 understand and use a range of
vocabulary by investigating and
experimenting with language
 write for a variety of purposes and
audiences
Unit 5
Dialogue
and plays
and activities
 read aloud from a variety of sources
including their own work, inflecting
appropriately to emphasise meaning
 recognise and talk about features of
spoken language, showing
phonological awareness
 express opinions and give reasons based
on what they have read
 begin to use evidence from text to
support their views
 build up a sight vocabulary
 talk with the teacher about ways in which
language is written down, identifying
phrases, words, patterns or letters and
other features of written language
 express thoughts, feelings and opinions
in imaginative and factual writing
 organise, structure and present ideas
and information using traditional and
digital means
 develop increasing competence in the
use of grammar and punctuation
 participate in talking and listening in
every area of learning
 listen to, respond to and explore
stories, poems, songs, drama and
media texts through the use of
traditional and digital resources and
recreate parts of them in a range of
expressive activities
 take turns at talking and listening in
group and paired activities
 take part in a range of drama
activities to support activity based
learning across the curriculum
 think about what they say and how
they say it
 speak audibly and clearly, using
appropriate quality of speech and
voice
 read aloud from a variety of sources,
including their own work, inflecting
appropriately to emphasise meaning
 participate in modelled, shared, paired
and guided reading activities
 read, and be read to from a wide
selection of poetry and prose
 read, explore, understand and make use
of a range of traditional and digital texts
 retell, re-read and act out a range of
texts, representing ideas through drama,
pictures, diagrams and ICT
 use a range of comprehension skills, both
oral and written, to interpret and discuss
texts
 explore and begin to understand how
texts are structured in a range of genres
 begin to use evidence from text to
support their views
 build up a sight vocabulary
 use a range of strategies to identify
unfamiliar words
 talk with the teacher about ways in which
language is written down, identifying
phrases, words, patterns or letters and
 participate in modelled, shared,
guided and independent writing,
including composing on-screen
 write for a variety of purposes and
audiences
 express thoughts, feelings and opinions
in imaginative and factual writing
 develop increasing competence in the
use of grammar and punctuation
 use a variety of skills to spell words in
their writing
 spell correctly a range of familiar,
important and regularly occurring
words
other features of written language
 recognise and notice how words are
constructed and spelt
Unit 6
Poems to
perform
 participate in talking and listening in
every area of learning
 listen to, respond to and explore
stories, poems, songs, drama and
media texts through the use of
traditional and digital resources and
recreate parts of them in a range of
expressive activities
 take turns at talking and listening in
group and paired activities
 think about what they say and how
they say it
 speak audibly and clearly, using
appropriate quality of speech and
voice
 read aloud from a variety of sources,
including their own work, inflecting
appropriately to emphasise meaning
 participate in modelled, shared, paired
and guided reading activities
 read, and be read to from a wide
selection of poetry and prose
 read, explore, understand and make use
of a range of traditional and digital texts
 express opinions and give reasons based
on what they have read
 begin to use evidence from text to
support their views
 participate in modelled, shared,
guided and independent writing,
including composing on-screen
 understand and use a range of
vocabulary by investigating and
experimenting with language
 write for a variety of purposes and
audiences
 express thoughts, feelings and opinions
in imaginative and factual writing
Unit 7
Shape
poems and
calligrams
 listen to, respond to and explore
stories, poems, songs, drama and
media texts through the use of
traditional and digital resources and
recreate parts of them in a range of
expressive activities
 take turns at talking and listening in
group and paired activities
 express thoughts, feelings and
opinions in response to personal
 participate in modelled, shared, paired
and guided reading activities
 read, and be read to from a wide
selection of poetry and prose
 read, explore, understand and make use
of a range of traditional and digital texts
 explore and interpret a range of visual
texts
 read and share their own books of stories
and poems including the use of digital
 participate in modelled, shared,
guided and independent writing,
including composing on-screen
 understand and use a range of
vocabulary by investigating and
experimenting with language
 write for a variety of purposes and
audiences
 express thoughts, feelings and opinions
in imaginative and factual writing
experiences, imaginary situations,
literature, media and curricular topics
and activities
present ideas and information with
some structure and sequence
speak audibly and clearly, using
appropriate quality of speech and
voice
read aloud from a variety of sources
including their own work, inflecting
appropriately to emphasise meaning
recognise and talk about the features
of spoken language, showing
phonological awareness
resources
 talk with the teacher about ways in which
language is written down, identifying
phrases, words, patterns or letters and
other features of written language
 use a legible style of handwriting
 participate in talking and listening in
every area of learning
 listen to, respond to and explore
stories, poems, songs, drama and
media texts through the use of
traditional and digital resources and
recreate parts of them in a range of
expressive activities
 express thoughts, feelings and
opinions in response to personal
experiences, imaginary situations,
literature, media and curricular topics
and activities
 think about what they say and how
they say it
 speak audibly and clearly, using
appropriate quality of speech and
voice
 participate in modelled, shared, paired
and guided reading activities
 read, and be read to from a wide
selection of poetry and prose
 read, explore, understand and make use
of a range of traditional and digital texts
 read and share their own books of stories
and poems including the use of digital
resources
 build up a sight vocabulary
 talk with the teacher about ways in which
language is written down, identifying
phrases, words, patterns or letters and
other features of written language
 recognise and notice how words are
constructed and spelt
 participate in modelled, shared,
guided and independent writing,
including composing on-screen
 understand and use a range of
vocabulary by investigating and
experimenting with language
 write for a variety of purposes and
audiences
 express thoughts, feelings and opinions
in imaginative and factual writing
 use a variety of skills to spell words in
their writing
 spell correctly a range of familiar,
important and regularly occurring
words
 develop increasing competence in the
use of grammar and punctuation
 use a legible style of handwriting




Unit 8
Wordplay
 read aloud from a variety of sources,
including their own work, inflecting
appropriately to emphasise meaning
 recognise and talk about features of
spoken language, showing
phonological awareness