National Literacy Strategy
Model Medium Term Plan for Small Schools (Mixed-Age Classes)
CROSS-KEY-STAGE (YEARS 2& 3)
(Annual 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
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 Grammatical Awareness;
21
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Phonics; FR
Word Recognition; FR
Vocabulary Extension; FR
Handwriting; FR
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Verbs; 22
Nouns; 23
Adjectives; 23
Pronouns; 24
Connectives; 24
Awareness of Punctuation; 25
Sentences; 26
Capital Letters; 26
Questions; 27
Commas; 27
Punctuating Speech; 28
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General Reading Objectives; 3
General Writing Objectives; 4
Book Types - Same Author; 5
Book Types - Humorous; 5
Book Types - Same Theme; 5
Book Types – Traditional
Stories; 5
Book Types – Playscripts; 5
Story Settings; 6
Characters; 7
Story Themes; 8
Story Viewpoint; 8
Story Structure; 9
Dialogue in Stories; 10
Story Planning; 10
Poetry; 11
Word Play; 13
General Reading Objectives; 14
General Writing Objectives; 14
Finding Information; 15
Instructions; 17
Recounts; 18
Reports; 18
Letters; 19
Biography/Autobiography; 19
Summarising/Note-Taking; 20
IT Texts; 20
STRANDS for ONGOING DEVELOPMENT
The Objectives contained in the following strands need to be pursued on an ongoing basis:
Word Level:
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Phonics; FR
Word Recognition; FR
Vocabulary Extension; FR
Handwriting;; FR
Sentence Level:
 Grammatical Awareness; 21
 Awareness of Punctuation; 25
Text Level (F/P):
 General Reading/Writing Objectives; 3 & 4 (These can be pursued through regular shared, guided and
independent reading and writing sessions - within and possibly extended outside the “literacy hour” .)
Text Level (N-F):
 General Reading/Writing Objectives; 14 (These can be pursued through regular shared, guided and
independent reading and writing sessions - within and possibly extended outside the “literacy hour” .)
 IT Texts; 20
Blocked Strands: Autumn Term
Unit 1:
Humorous Texts
Texts:
Range of humorous stories, poems, rhymes, etc.; 5
Text Level: Word Play; 13
Sentence Level: Nouns; 23
Word
Level: Ongoing (see above)
Unit 2:
Traditional Tales
Texts:
Range of traditional and fairy stories; 5
Text Level: Story Settings; 6 Story Themes; 8
Sentence Level: Capital
Letters; 26 Sentences; 26
Word Level: Ongoing
Unit 3:
Instructions
Texts:
Range of simple non-fiction texts including signs, labels, lists,
instructions.
Text Level: Instructions; 17 Sentence Level: Capital Letters; 26
Sentences; 26
Word Level: Ongoing
Unit 4:
Playscripts
Texts:
Range of traditional and fairy stories, some in play form. (Or
could revolve around one story, e.g. “Goldilocks”)
Text Level: Playscripts; 5
Sentence Level: Verbs; 22
Word
Level: Ongoing (see above)
(This Unit could be geared to fit in with Christmas, if desired. Could also
pick up and develop from Unit 2)
Blocked Strands: Spring Term
Unit 1:
Letters
Texts:
Range of letters and/or stories featuring letters, or written in
letter form.
Text Level: Letters; 19 Sentence Level: Pronouns; 24 Word
Level:
Ongoing (see above)
Unit 2:
Poems
Texts:
Range of poems by different writers (on one or more themes).
Text Level: Poetry; 11 Sentence Level: Adjectives; 23
Word
Level: Ongoing (see above)
Unite 3:
Texts:
Finding Information
Range of Information texts, some arranged alphabetically.
Text Level: Information; 15 Summarising/Note-Taking; 20
Level: Sentences; 26
Word Level: Ongoing
Sentence
Unit 4:
Stories with a Common Theme
Texts:
Range of stories by different authors, but with a common
theme; 5
Text Level: Characters; 7 Dialogue in Stories; 10
Sentence Level:
Punctuating Speech; 28 Word Level: Ongoing
Blocked Strands: Summer Term
Unit 1:
Stories by a Significant Author
Texts:
Range of stories by one “significant” author; 5
Text Level: Story Structure; 9 Story Planning; 10
Sentence
Connectives; 24 Word Level: Ongoing
Level:
Unit 2:
Recounts, Reports, Biographies
Texts:
Range of simple non-fiction texts including recounts, nonchronological reports, biographies/ autobiographies.
Text Level: Recounts/Reports; 18
Biographies/Autobiographies; 19
Sentence Level: Commas; 27 Word Level: Ongoing
Unit 3:
Poems by a Significant Writer
Texts:
Range of poems including several by same “significant” poet.
Text Level: Poetry; 11 Sentence Level: Verbs; 22
Word
Level:
Ongoing (see above)
Unit 4:
Stories from Different Viewpoints
Texts:
Number of versions of the same story from different viewpoints
(e.g. Could be versions of “Three Little Pigs”)
Text Level: Story Viewpoint; 8 Characters; 7
Sentence
Level:
Sentences; 26 Questions; 27 Word Level: Ongoing
Notes on “Blocked” Strands : Annual Cycle
 The three terms of the cycle, and the units within them, are interchangeable. It is the objectives
WITHIN each STRAND which are developmental, not the strands themselves. However, pupils will not
have visited all strands until they have completed all units of the cycle.
 Each Unit is envisaged as THREE WEEKS of “Literacy Hours”, but could be expanded or contracted
to fit the available time. Alternatively work from each of the term’s four units could be rotated on a
weekly basis if more variety of focus is required with these age groups.
 Units could be delivered in any order.
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Each Unit is intended to cover both reading and writing objectives.
 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”). When repeating the cycle, individual
pupils should be able to move onto “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 annual cycle could be repeated in a cross-Key-Stage class
without the pupils feeling they were doing the same thing over again.)
 General Reading and Writing Objectives need to be developed continuously through all units (See page
3 above).
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All WORD level work, and the general strands of SENTENCE level will need to be taught
continuously through all Units, following the continuum outlined in the “Framework” (See page 3
above). With this combination of age groups it will still be most important to give strong daily
emphasis to the phonic elements of the word level work.