National Literacy Strategy
Model Medium Term Plan for Small Schools (Mixed-Age Classes)
KEY STAGE 2
(Two-Year Cycle covering all main “STRANDS”)
(To be used in conjunction with “Spiral Planning Framework”)
East Riding of Yorkshire Council
Curriculum & Quality Development
SPIRAL STRANDS
WORD
LEVEL:
SENTENCE
LEVEL:
TEXT LEVEL:
FICTION/POETRY
TEXT LEVEL:
NON-FICTION
Ongoing:
 Spelling Strategies; FR
 Handwriting; FR
Blocked:
 Spelling Rules and Conventions;
FR
 Vocabulary Extension; FR
Ongoing:
 Grammatical Awareness; 33
 Writing Conventions; 42
 Audience/Purpose; 42
Blocked:
 Pluralisation; 34
 Adjectives; 34
 Verbs; 35
 Adverbs; 36
 Nouns; 36
 Pronouns; 36
 Connectives; 37
 Prepositions; 37
 General Punctuation; 37
 Commas; 38
 Punctuating Speech; 38
 Apostrophes; 39
 Sentence Structure; 40
 Textual Devices; 41
Ongoing:
 Generic Reading/Writing
Objectives; 3
Blocked:
 Story Settings; 5
 Characters; 6
 Story Viewpoint; 7
 Story Structure; 8
 Story Openings; 9
 Expressive Language; 9
 Dialogue in Stories; 10
 Traditional Stories; 10
 Stories from Other Cultures; 11
 “Classical” Literature; 12
 Extended Story Writing; 12
 Story Planning; 13
 Playscripts/TV Versions; 14
 Poetry; 15
 Word Play; 17
 Performance Poetry; 18
Ongoing:
 Generic Objectives
(terminology); 19
 Generic Objectives (stylestructure); 19
 IT texts; 32
Blocked:
 Gathering Information; 20
 Recount Texts; 22
 Non-chronological Reports; 23
 Instructional/Procedural Texts;
24
 Explanation Texts; 25
 Discussion/Argument; 26
 Persuasive Writing; 27
 Newspaper Reporting; 28
 Letters; 29
 Biography/ Autobiography; 29
 Summarising; 30
 Note-Taking; 31
STRANDS for ONGOING DEVELOPMENT
The Objectives contained in the following strands need to be pursued on an ongoing basis:
Word Level:
 Independent Spelling Strategies
 Handwriting (probably pursued in a regular, dedicated teaching session outside the “literacy hour”, as
well as practised generally)
Sentence Level:
 Grammatical Awareness
 Writing Conventions
 Audience/Purpose
Text Level (F/P):
 Generic Reading/Writing Objectives (These can be pursued through regular independent and guided
reading sessions - possibly outside the “literacy hour” - especially if these are supported by regular
teacher/pupil discussions and the keeping of pupil “reading journals”.)
Text Level (N-F):
 Generic Objectives (terminology)
 Generic Objectives (style/structure)
 IT Texts
Blocked Strands: First Year : Autumn Term
UNIT 1: texts: Selection of short stories with contrasting settings.
text strand:
Story Settings (F)
strand: General Punctuation
UNIT 2 :
word strand: Spelling Rules
sentence
texts: Alphabetical texts; directories, encyclopaedia, etc.
text strand:
Gathering Information (N-F)
strand: Textual Devices
word strand: Vocabulary
sentence
UNIT 3: texts: Adventure/Mystery Story (Could be by “significant” writer)
text strand:
Characters (F)
Nouns, Adjectives
word strand: Spelling Rules
sentence strands:
UNIT 4: texts: Examples of recount texts; diaries, letters, school journey reports, etc.
text strand:
strand: Verbs
Recount Texts (N-F)
word strand: Vocabulary
sentence
UNIT 5: texts: Story(ies) about imagined world(s) (Could be by “significant” writer)
text strand:
Dialogue in Stories (F)
strand: Punctuating Speech
word strand: Spelling Rules
sentence
UNIT 6: texts: Playscript (Could be Christmas story - or related theme)
text strand:
Playscripts (F)
word strand: Vocabulary
Punctuating Speech
sentence strand:
Blocked Strands : First Year : Spring Term
UNIT 1: texts: Examples of instruction/procedural texts; recipes, manuals, directions, etc.
text strand:
Procedure Texts (N-F)
strand: Prepositions
UNIT 2:
word strand: Spelling Rules
sentence
texts: Range of Folk/Fairy Tales
text strand:
Traditional Stories (F)
Sentence Structure
word strand: Vocabulary
sentence strand:
UNIT 3: texts: Versions of same story from different viewpoints (Could be a traditional tale, following
on from Unit 2)
text strand:
Story Viewpoint (F)
sentence strand: Pronouns
word strand: Spelling Rules
UNIT 4: texts: Examples of letters (Could be a story told in letters, and/or could follow on from Unit 3)
text strand:
Letters (N-F)
General Punctuation
word strand: Vocabulary
sentence strand:
UNIT 5: texts: Information texts on similar theme/topic (subject of interest to pupils and/or link with
another curriculum area)
text strand:
Note-Taking (N-F)
sentence strand: Pluralisation
word strand: Spelling Rules
UNIT 6: texts: Poetry which plays with language; word puzzles, puns, riddles, shape poems, etc.
text strand:
Word Play (P)
word strand: Vocabulary
sentence strand: Adverbs
N.B. Much of this term’s work could be linked to “Traditional Tales” if required.
Blocked Strands : First Year : Summer Term
UNIT 1: texts: Range of poems on a similar theme (different forms/periods)
text strand:
Poetry (P)
Sentence Structure
UNIT 2 :
word strand: Spelling Rules
sentence strand:
texts: Selection of examples of report text-type (Could link to History or Geography)
text strand:
Non-chronological Reports (N-F)
strand: Connectives
word strand: Vocabulary
sentence
UNIT 3: texts: Range of short stories with interesting structures (Could be - stories raising issues;
myths/legends; by “significant” authors)
text strand:
Story Structure (F)
strand: Sentence Structure
word strand: Spelling Rules
sentence
UNIT 4: texts: Continuing from Unit 3
text strand:
Commas
Story Planning (F)
word strand: Vocabulary
sentence strand:
UNIT 5: texts: Continuing from Units 3 / 4
text strand:
Extended Story (F)
strand: Punctuating Speech
word strand: Spelling Rules
sentence
UNIT 6: texts: Range of poems suitable for performance (including narrative poems) (Could be by
“significant” poet)
text strand:
Performance Poetry (P)
Sentence Structure
word strand: Vocabulary
sentence strand:
N.B. Several sections of this term’s work could all relate to one book, if required (Units 3/4/5 - half a term
??)
Blocked Strands : Second Year : Autumn Term
UNIT 1: texts: Range of poems by same (“significant”) writer
text strand:
Poetry (P)
Nouns, Adjectives
UNIT 2:
word strand: Spelling Rules
sentence strand:
texts: Prose examples of expressive language (following on from Unit 1)
text strand:
Expressive Language (F/P)
strand: Adverbs
word strand: Vocabulary
sentence
UNIT 3: texts: Variety of information texts (Could be linked to history/geography, if required)
text strand:
Summarising (N-F)
strand: Apostrophes
word strand: Spelling Rules
sentence
UNIT 4: texts: Examples on newspaper reports (Could be “Ancient Egyptian News”, etc., if required)
text strand:
strand: Verbs
Newspaper Reporting (N-F)
word strand: Vocabulary
sentence
UNIT 5: texts: Selection of multi-cultural stories (or could be one “other culture”, if required)
text strand:
Stories Other Cultures (F)
sentence strand: Sentence Structure
word strand: Spelling Rules
UNIT 6: texts: Story to turn into playscript (Could be one used in Unit 5, or could be Christmas related)
text strand:
Playscripts (F)
Punctuating Speech
word strand: Vocabulary
N.B. This whole term could have “other cultures” theme if required.
sentence strand:
Blocked Strands : Second Year : Spring Term
UNIT 1: texts: Information text(s) related to topic(s) from other curriculum area(s)
text strand:
Gathering Information (N-F)
sentence strand: Textual Devices
word strand: Spelling Rules
UNIT 2:
texts: Explanation texts (Could relate to Unit 1)
text strand:
Connectives
Explanation Texts (N-F)
word strand: Vocabulary
sentence strand:
UNIT 3: texts: Range of varied story openings (Could relate to stories with historical settings)
text strand:
Story Openings (F)
strand: Sentence Structure
word strand: Spelling Rules
sentence
UNIT 4: texts: Range of biographical/autobiographical texts (Could relate to Unit 3)
text strand:
Pronouns
Biography/Auto (N-F)
word strand: Vocabulary
sentence strand:
UNIT 5: texts: Texts to provide models for story planning (Could relate to Units 3/4)
text strand:
Story Planning (F)
strand: General Punctuation
word strand: Spelling Rules
sentence
UNIT 6: texts: Extended from Units 3 and/or 4 and/or 5
text strand:
Extended Story Writing (F)
strand: Sentence Structure
word strand: Vocabulary
N.B. This whole term could have a strong history link, if required.
sentence
Blocked Strands : Second Year : Summer Term
UNIT 1: texts: Example(s) of “classic” text(s) (Could be Shakespeare or others)
text strand:
“Classical” Literature (F)
sentence strand: Sentence Structure
word strand: Spelling Rules
UNIT 2:
texts: Texts to exemplify structural forms (Could be versions of “classic” stories)
text strand:
Commas
Story Structure (F)
word strand: Vocabulary
sentence strand:
UNIT 3: texts: Stories/extracts with examples of dialogue (Could relate to Units 1/2)
text strand:
Dialogue in Stories (F)
strand: Punctuating Speech
word strand: Spelling Rules
sentence
UNIT 4: texts: Examples of letters (Could relate to above. Macbeth ? Twelfth Night ? Could be letters
from/to fictional/historical characters)
text strand:
Punctuation
Letters (N-F)
word strand: Vocabulary sentence strand: General
UNIT 5: texts: Examples of discussion/argument in writing
text strand:
Discussion/Argument (N-F)
sentence strand: Pluralisation
word strand: Spelling Rules
UNIT 6: texts: Examples of persuasive writing; adverts, pamphlets, etc.
text strand:
Persuasive Writing (N-F)
strand: Prepositions
word strand: Vocabulary
sentence
N.B. Much of this term could relate to study of a particular “classic” text, if required.
Notes on “Blocked” Strands : Two-Year Cycle
 The two years of the cycle, and the terms within them, are interchangeable. It is the objectives WITHIN
each STRAND which are developmental, not the strands themselves. However, pupils will not have
covered all strands until they have completed both years of the cycle.
 Each Unit is envisaged as TWO WEEKS of “Literacy Hours”, with additional time outside this to
extend the writing activities. (Plus handwriting, plus daily independent/guided reading ??)
 Each Unit is intended to cover both reading and writing objectives.
 The WORD level strand could be pursued one week of the two, SENTENCE level the other.
Alternatively the two could be intermingled over the two weeks if preferred.
 The full range of WORD/SENTENCE level strands are covered in EACH year of the cycle, so that
pupils will benefit from regular “spiral” revisiting. Some strands with many learning objectives (e.g.
“Sentence Structure”) are revisited a number of times per year.
 There are SIX units per term, but these could be moved, expanded or contracted to fit the available
time.
 Units could be delivered in any order (although sometimes a “flow” or sequence of work extends over
two or three units).
 In whole Key Stage 2 classes, at each visit to a particular “strand” the teacher will need to try to cover
all or most of the range of different objectives associated with it (see “Spiral Framework”). These
objectives could be arranged into three broad ability “bands” to help render planning and delivery
practicable. When repeating the cycle, individual pupils should be able to move on to “higher”
objectives within each strand.
 There is considerable flexibility as to the particular texts to be used for each unit. Hence when revisiting a unit, the work could be made to feel very different each time, from the pupils’ point of view.
(i.e. By using totally different texts, the full two-year cycle could be repeated in a whole-Key-StageTwo class without the pupils feeling they were doing the same thing over again.)
 In a Y3/Y4 class it would be possible to work the two-year cycle, largely ignoring the Y5/Y6 objectives
in each strand. A Y5/Y6 class could then repeat the cycle (with totally different texts), working mainly
from the Y5/Y6 objectives in each strand.