Alphabet and Dictionary Skills Ladder
Can order the alphabet using concrete materials and a visual aid if
necessary.
Can use a simple dictionary (to the first letter).
Can order the alphabet using concrete materials and a visual aid if
necessary.
Can use a simple dictionary (to the first letter).
Can use a dictionary and order words to the second letter.
Can use a dictionary and order words to the third letter.
Learn to use a dictionary in conjunction with a thesaurus
Investigate synonyms and antonyms with the use of a thesaurus
Continue to investigate synonyms and antonyms through use of dictionary
and thesaurus.
Speech Skills Ladder
Recognise that spoken words are marked off from the rest of a sentence
by speech marks.
Can use speech marks in a simple sentence.
Can put speech marks into a piece of script
Know how dialogue is laid out and punctuated and employ this is their
writing.
Recognise the difference between direct speech and reported speech.
Be able to change one form of speech into the other.
Know how to punctuate interrupted speech.
Sentence Construction Skills Ladder
Begin to understand that a sentence conveys a simple piece of
information.
Begin to understand that a sentence begins with a capital letter and ends
with a full stop
Understand that a sentence does not end at the end of a line.
Begins to use full stops more consistently.
Begins to use capital letters consistently to begin sentences.
Understands the importance of a capital letter and full stop in a sentence
Introduce idea of subject, verb and simple object eg: The dog (subject)
ate (verb) the bone (object).
Introduce idea of subject and verb agreeing in a sentence.
Understand that adverbs and adverbial phrases can be used to open
sentences eg. Quietly, he opened the door/ Holding his breath, he opened
the door.
Can recognise sentences with more than one clause.
Recognise that sentences can have a main clause and a subordinate clause.
Identify where and why short sentences are used effectively to improve
writing.
Identify sentences with three or more clauses.
Word Type Skills Ladder
Understand and recognise what a concrete noun is.
Understand and recognise what a simple verb is.
Understand and recognise adjectives.
Begins to use adjectives in writing.
Introduce the term proper noun.
Can recognise and categorise nouns (eg: nouns of food and transport)
Introduce the compound verb (was/were + participle eg was running)
Introduce personal pronouns (eg he, she, you, we, it) and can substitute
these for nouns.
Introduce simple adverbs ending in –ly.
Revisit singular and plural nouns.
Introduce collective nouns and understand that a collective noun takes a
singular verb.
Link with modern language teacher to ensure the understanding of the
concept of masculine, feminine and neuter nouns
Understand the difference between active and passive verbs (teach in
context where possible).
Understand subject and predicate.
Recognise and identify abstract nouns.
Tenses Skills Ladder
Introduce the past, present and future tenses of verbs.
Introduce conditional tense
Comma Skills Ladder
Understands how commas are used in lists.
Can use a comma to put additional information into a sentence. (eg: The
dog, yelping in pain, licked his paw.).
Capital Letter Skills Ladder
Can form most upper case letters correctly.
Begins to use capital letters consistently to begin sentences.
Recognise that names begin with capital letters.
Recognise that capital letters are used for names, place names etc.
Use of capital letters in other instances (eg book title, film title)
Conjunctions Skills Ladder
Can use and and because to link two ideas.
May begin to recognise and use other connectives (eg: but, then, so)
Recognise and use more complex connectives (but, then, so, when) to join
two sentences.
Can use connectives to clarify and extend a point (eg because, if after,
while, also, as well).
Introduce connectives for time (sometimes, never, always, often, in
addition).
Introduce more sophisticated connectives for formal writing eg on the
contrary, moreover, nonetheless.
Understand that time connectives in writing communicate an order of
events.
Other Punctuation Skills Ladder
Recognises the difference between a statement and a question.
Begins to recognise the purpose of a question mark.
Begins to use a question mark in writing.
Begins to recognise the purpose of an exclamation mark.
Recognises and uses question marks appropriately
Introduce the ellipsis.
Introduce apostrophe for possession.
Use of apostrophe with collective nouns eg the children's socks.
Understand the use of brackets and dashes to punctuate parenthesis.
Understand how to use semi-colons to balance a list.
Revisit semi-colon before introducing and beginning to use a colon for
balance.