Year 6 English Curriculum
Reading – word reading
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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
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continue to read and discuss an increasingly wide range of fiction, poetry, plays, nonfiction and reference books or textbooks
read books that are structured in different ways and reading for a range of purposes
increase 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
recommend books that they have read to their peers, giving reasons for their choices
identify and discuss themes and conventions in and across a wide range of writing
make comparisons within and across books
learn a wider range of poetry by heart
prepare 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
check that the book makes sense to them, discussing their understanding and
exploring the meaning of words in context
ask questions to improve their understanding
draw inferences such as inferring characters’ feelings, thoughts and motives from
their actions, and justify inferences with evidence
predict what might happen from details stated and implied
summarise the main ideas drawn from more than one paragraph, identifying key
details that support the main ideas
identify 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, build 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.
Handwriting
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write legibly, fluently and with increasing speed by:
o choosing which shape of a letter to use when given choices and deciding
whether or not to join specific letters
choose the writing implement that is best suited for a task.
Writing – composition
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identify the audience for and purpose of the writing, selecting the appropriate form
and using other similar writing as models for their own
note and develop initial ideas, drawing on reading and research where necessary
consider how authors have developed characters & settings in what pupils have read,
listened to or seen
select appropriate grammar & vocab. understanding how such choices can change and
enhance meaning
describe settings, characters & atmosphere & integrate dialogue to convey character
& advance the action
précis longer passages
use a wide range of devices to build cohesion within and across paragraphs
use further organisational and presentational devices to structure text and to guide
the reader
assess the effectiveness of their own and others’ writing
propose changes to vocabulary, grammar and punctuation to enhance effects and
clarify meaning
ensure the consistent and correct use of tense throughout a piece of writing
ensure correct subject and verb agreement when using singular and plural,
distinguishing between the language of speech and writing and choosing the
appropriate register
proof-read for spelling and punctuation errors
perform their own compositions, using appropriate intonation, volume, and movement
so that meaning is clear.
Vocabulary, grammar and punctuation
Word Structure
Connectives:
Use a wider range of grammatical connections within sentences.
Use of adverbials such as: on the other hand; in contrast; as a consequence.
Adverbials, wider range of connectives, semi-colons.
Word Classes:
Use the passive voice for emphasis. Use active and passive verbs.
I broke the window in the greenhouse. /The window in the greenhouse was broken.
GfW Unit 45, Unit 48
Passive voice makes the subject seem powerless. It’s good for creating empathy or mystery.
You find the passive in formal writing quite often.
Sentence Structure
Sentences:
Craft a range of complex sentence structures to add detail and create specific effects that
engage the reader.
Katie crept with trepidation shivers trembling down her spine with every tentative step; the
emanating darkness from the forest beyond beckoning her malevolently.
GfW Unit 47
Manipulate clauses in different ways to engage, persuade and add detail for the reader.
To know the differences between formal and informal sentence structures.
Use question tags; higher order connectives; formal vocabulary.
GfW Unit 49
Question tags: You have stated that building on greenbelt land is wrong, haven’t you?
Contractions are not generally used in formal writing.
Text Structure
Tenses/verb forms:
Manipulate verb forms for effect (see active and passive verbs).
Use auxiliary verbs to vary sentence structure.
The key had been taken from the lock.
I have been waiting for ages.
GfW Unit 45, Unit 48
Auxiliary verbs: add extra meaning to the main verb. The most common auxiliary verbs are be,
have and do (all of which can also be main verbs).
Sequencing:
Link ideas across paragraphs using a wider range of cohesive devices.
Repetition of a key word or phrase for effect.
Use of higher order connectives to create links.
Referring back to something that’s already happened/been said.
GfW Unit 52
Cohesion needs to be explicitly taught. Get children to highlight the links, using different
colours for different types of links.
Experiment with the structure of texts through using: flashbacks, foreshadowing, telling a story
from different viewpoints
Evacuee story told from child’s and adult’s perspective. Flashbacks triggered by a memory or
event.
GfW Unit 52
Foreshadowing: hinting at something e.g. ‘Little did he know what was to come.’
Punctuation
Use semi-colons and colons
Tom looked out of the window and gazed far into the distance; today was going to be an
important day.
Semi colons are used to provide a stronger sub-division than a comma in a sentence. (a
longer pause)
I liked the book; it was interesting to read. I came; I saw; I conquered.
They can be used to show where the second clause is a result of the first one.
The Beatles: the most important band in music history.
Colons can be used to introduce important information.
GfW Unit 47
Use brackets, dashes and commas to emphasise parenthesis.
Sam – Sarah’s elder brother - is coming to visit next weekend. Tom woke up smiling (despite
the awful weather) and leapt out of bed.
GfW Unit 47
A parenthesis is a word or phrase added to a sentence to provide more detail. It can be placed
in brackets or between dashes.
Use hyphens to avoid ambiguity.
man eating shark/man-eating shark, recover/re-cover
GfW Unit 47
Hyphens make things clear for the reader. Man eating shark (could mean a man who eats a
shark). Man-eating shark (clarifies it’s a shark eating a man!)
Spelling
Words with the /ee/ sound spelt ei after c
deceive, conceive, receive, perceive, ceiling (+ deceit, conceit, receipt)
Words containing the letter-string ough
ought, bought, thought, nought rough, tough, enough cough though, although, dough
through thorough, borough plough
Words with ‘silent’ letters (i.e. letters which cannot be predicted from the
pronunciation of the word)
doubt, island, lamb, solemn, thistle, knight
Homophones and other words that are often confused
In these pairs of words, nouns end –ce and verbs end –se. Advice and advise provide a
useful clue as the word advise (verb) is pronounced with a /z/ sound – which could not be
spelt c.
advice/advise device/devise licence/license practice/practise prophecy/prophesy
aisle/isle allowed/aloud affect/effect altar/alter ascent/assent bridal/bridle
cereal/serial compliment/complement descent/dissent desert/dessert
disinterested/uninterested draft/draft eligible/illegible eliminate/illuminate
father/farther guessed/guest heard/herd lead/led morning/mourning past/passed
precede/proceed principal/principle profit/prophet stationary/stationery steal/steel
wary/weary who’s/whose
Y5/6 Tricky words or Common Exception Words
accommodate affection analyse ancient apparent appreciate atmosphere attitude average
awkward bargain believe blemish boundary bruise career celebrate century challenge
committee convince correspond coward create curious debate deceive decimal definite
demonstrate deprive destroy develop electric embarrass emigrate encounter encourage
endure engineer enrol envelope equator equip especially estimate Europe European
evidence exaggerate excavate exceed explanation favour familiar festival flavour forbid
foreign forty fruit garage genuine germ government gradual granite guarantee harass
haughty haunt hearty height hinder hindrance hoax honour horizon humility hurricane
identify illustrate imagine imitate immense impress imprison include index industry
inferior influence inhabitant instrument interfere interrupt interview introduce
investigate jealous juice junction jury knead knuckle lawyer lecture legend leisure length
lenient lightning liquid magazine majesty majority manage manufacture marvellous medium
military mineral minor miracle mischief mischievous modern modest moisture mosquito
narrate nation natural ninth nuisance object observe occupy omit operate opinion organise
origin parallel parliament permanent persevere phrase popular prefer privilege
pronunciation protect punctual purpose qualify quench query rapid realise reason receive
receipt recent recommend refuse regret relevant remove request resemble resign
restore revise rhyme rhythm ridiculous sandwich satisfy saucepan scheme seize severe
sign similar sincere society solemn sphere statue stubborn style succeed success suggest
suit superior syllable sympathy syrup talent telescope tempt terminate theatre thorough
tomorrow tremendous triumph twelfth tyrant umpire unite utter vacant variety ventilate
villain virtue vocabulary volcano volume wardrobe whether wisdom wizard woollen wrench
yacht yeast zero zone zoology