Year 1 Literacy Medium Term Plan
Units may be taught in any order and linked to other aspects of learning e.g. class readers, curriculum topics and school
events. Fiction and non-fiction are taught every half term; poetry once per term; visual literacy at least once per year and
a significant speaking and listening outcome once per year. Some units may also be extended.
Unit
(durations may
vary depending on
progression)
Stories with
Familiar
Settings
(2 weeks)
Traditional
Stories and
Fairy Tales
Fiction
(2 weeks + 2
weeks in separate
terms)
Stories from
a range of
cultures
(2 weeks)
Stories about
fantasy
worlds
(2 weeks)
Author focus
(4 weeks)
Visual
Literacy
(2 weeks)
Outcomes
Speech/thought
bubbles; role play and
drama; freeze frames;
hot seating; character
descriptions
Story sequencing; role
play; Wanted posters;
rewriting stories;
rewriting stories with
own endings; class
debates about
characters
Retell story; Sequence
main events; Write own
simple version e.g. diff
food / animal
Setting description.
Create and describe a
setting. Write own
version of story.
Superheroes stories.
Write letter to author.
Read biographical
information. Write own
version of one of the
stories. Class display.
Drama and role-play,
predictions, writing
story, comic strip.
Texts
Skills / SC
Notes/
VCOP / Grammar
Resources
Phonics to sound out words;
Handwriting; Basic sentence
punctuation
The Chicken Thief (class reader); Rosie’s Walk;
Pig in the Pond; Peace at Last; Not Now Bernard;
Percy the Park Keeper
Any quality text
set in the real
world
Characterisation (description);
Sentence punctuation;
sequencing sentences; reading
own writing aloud
Less well-known fairy tales:
Chicken Licken (class reader); The Snow Queen; Hansel
and Gretel; Rapunzel; Rumplestiltskin; Ugly Duckling;
Elves and the Shoemaker; etc
Do NOT use
Three Little Pigs
or Little Red
Riding Hood
(saved for Y2
units)
Characterisation (description);
Sentence punctuation;
sequencing sentences; reading
own writing aloud
Use a widening range of
adjectives, adverbs and
connectives.
On the Way Home
Handa’s Surprise
Where the Wild things are
Meg and Mog
Traction Man
Superheroes stories
Masks for
retelling stories
To understand fiction / nonfiction. To begin to be aware of
author’s style (characters,
pictures, humour).
Eric Carle / Nick Sharrat
Websites for
author
Letters/emails to
author
Characterisation; Sentence
punctuation; sequencing
sentences; reading own writing
aloud
Use a widening range of openers,
adjectives, adverbs and
connectives.
Meg and Mog (Vis Lit folder for FS)
Regular plural noun suffixes –s
or –es [for example, dog, dogs;
wish, wishes], including the
effects of these suffixes on
the meaning of the noun
Suffixes that can be added to
verbs where no change is
needed in the spelling of root
words (e.g. helping, helped,
helper)
How the prefix un– changes
the meaning of verbs and
adjectives [negation, for
example, unkind, or undoing:
untie the boat]
How words can combine to
make sentences
Joining words and joining
clauses using and
Short clips from
popular films
could be
appropriate but
please seek
advice
Sequencing sentences to form
short narratives
Separation of words with
spaces
Introduction to capital letters,
full stops, question marks and
exclamation marks to
demarcate sentences
Capital letters for names and
for the personal pronoun I
letter, capital letter
word, singular, plural
sentence
punctuation, full stop, question
mark, exclamation mark
Labels lists
and captions
(1 week)
Classroom labels; label
pictures; shopping lists;
Phonics to sound out words;
Handwriting; Basic sentence
punctuation
Shopping Basket (John Burningham)
Any simple non-fiction text
Information
Texts
Create class book of
information texts
(curricular links)
Library sessions; Fiction vs nonfiction; simple headings; subheadings; labels and captions;
non-fiction tone; developed
sentences (connectives);
contents pages
To use imperative verbs. Time
connectives. Sequencing.
Library books- curricular links
(2 weeks + 2
weeks in separate
terms)
Non-fiction
Instructions
(2 weeks)
Black History
(1 week)
Dictionary
Skills
(1 week)
Recount
(Trip week)
Poetry
Recounts
(2 weeks)
Follow instructions for
games etc. Write a
recipe e.g. for fruit
salad; pizza;
sandwiches
Theme-dependent
Poetry- Using
the Senses
(2 weeks)
Simple poem
Patterned /
rhyme poetry
(1 week + 1
Week, or
perhaps
longer if
required)
Learn to recite a
repetitive poem and
perform it. Write own
poem using rhyme.
Recipe Book – round the world cook book Usbourne
Theme-dependent
Reciting alphabet (or
backwards);
Ordering/alphabetising
; Class dictionary
Trip recount; recount
of significant school or
personal event
Memories book.
May not be an
entire week’s unit
but a nice Y1
starting point
Home in on
children’s (esp
boys’) interests
Dictionaries
Past tense; sequencing;
description; time connectives;
emotions
Sentence punctuation,
sequencing ideas, understanding
non-fiction texts (contents,
glossary, captions and labels,
etc), time connectives,
dictionary work, openers,
adjectives and openers.
Phonics to sound out words;
Handwriting;
Word choices to create images;
Word choices for sounds
Develop bank of rhyming words.
Using a repetitive structure.
Anything in
alphabetical
order!
Take regular
photos of trip
Florella Benjamin biography as an example.
The Works (Paul Cookson)
Smell/sound poems
The Sound Collector (Roger McGough)
Poems about journeys e.g. A sailor went to sea; nursery
rhymes; Room on a Broom
2012-2103
Memories DVD