Year 2 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)
Fiction
Stories
with
Familiar
Settings
(character
emotions)
(2 weeks)
Traditional
Stories
(2 weeks +
2 weeks)
Stories by
the Same
Author
(Anthony
Browne)
(2 weeks)
Stories
with
Familiar
Settings
(2 weeks)
Extended
Stories
(4 weeks)
Visual
Literacy
(2 weeks)
Play script
(4 weeks)
Outcomes
Rewrite part of a story;
Expanded thought/
speech bubbles/
character descriptions;
drama and role play
Rewrite a story; write an
alternative story;
character comparisons;
drama and role play;
letters or invitations to
characters, drama,
alternative story
Opinion bubbles;
comparisons; predictions;
role play; similar stories
Flat Stanley dictionary,
letter writing, drama and
role-play
Character description;
write own chapter;
dialogue between
characters.
Drama and role-play,
predictions, writing
story, comic strip.
Year 2 production (S&L),
creating props and back
drops, writing play script,
Texts
Skills / SC
Basic sentence punctuation;
adjectives and description;
connectives; emotion
Story language; story time
connectives; setting description;
character description; solving
story problems; sequencing and
story mountain; paragraphs,
openers; connectives; adjectives
and adventurous vocabulary.
First/third person; character
emotions and development;
speech marks
Reading using a range of
strategies, using a dictionary,
alphabetical order,
characterisation, features of a
letter, informal language.
Character description (SATS),
connectives, justifying from
story, adventurous vocabulary,
openers, similes, dialogue.
Characterisation; Sentence
punctuation; Use a widening
range of openers, adjectives,
adverbs and connectives;
dialogue.
Understanding what a play script
is, sentence punctuation,
performing (S&L), speaking
Dogger (Shirley Hughes)
Not Like That, Like This
Little Red Riding Hood (contrasting versions) The Wolf’s
Story
Three Little Pigs (contrasting versions) The True Story
of the 3 Little Pigs
Gorilla; Voices in the Park; The Tunnel; Willie the Wizard;
Changes (Anthony Browne)
Flat Stanley (class reader)
The Twits
Otherwise (saved in Y1 Vis Lit folder)
Peter and the Wolf
Carnival of the Animals
A Tree for all Seasons (Lazy Bee Scripts)
Fantastic Mr Fox: A Play (Y3 Class Reader)
Notes/
VCOP / Grammar
Resources
Formation of nouns using
suffixes such as –ness, –er and
by compounding [for
example, whiteboard,
superman]
Formation of adjectives using
suffixes such as –ful, –less
(A fuller list of suffixes can be
found on page Error! Bookmark
not defined. in the year 2
spelling section in English
Appendix 1)
Use of the suffixes –er, –est in
adjectives and the use of –ly in
Standard English to turn
adjectives into adverbs
Subordination (using when, if,
that, because) and coordination (using or, and, but)
Expanded noun phrases for
description and specification
[for example, the blue
butterfly, plain flour, the man
in the moon]
How the grammatical
patterns in a sentence
indicate its function as a
statement, question,
exclamation or command
Correct choice and consistent
use of present tense and past
tense throughout writing
Use of the progressive form
of verbs in the present and
Poetry
Non-fiction
drama and role-play,
create programme and
adverts.
Instructions
(2 Weeks)
Spells, potions and
recipes
Information
Texts
(2 weeks)
Class books (curricular
links)
Black
History
Week
Nonchronologic
al Reports
(2 weeks +
2 weeks)
Theme Dependent
Recounts (2
weeks)
Memories book.
Silly Stuff
Poetry (2
weeks)
Write own silly poem,
drama, reciting poem,
performance.
Poetry –
shape
poems (2
weeks)
Poetry (2
weeks)
Shape poems
Write own nonchronological report
about transport/
nocturnal animals/ space/
curricular or seasonal
link. Class book
Write own poem based on
stimulus, performance
poetry
clearly with expression for a
purpose, persuasive writing
(adverts), sentence punctuation,
connectives, openers.
Imperative (‘bossy’) verbs;
sequencing; time connectives;
formal language; adjectives
Fiction vs non-fiction; subheadings; labels and captions;
non-fiction tone; developed
sentences (connectives); nonfiction openers; glossary and
index pages
Check GR cupboard for examples of plays
past tense to mark actions in
progress [for example, she is
drumming, he was shouting]
Children’s recipe books
Stone Soup
Beware of Boys (Tony Blundell)
Use of capital letters, full
stops, question marks and
exclamation marks to
demarcate sentences
Library books
Commas to separate items in a
list
Apostrophes to mark where
letters are missing in spelling
and to mark singular possession
in nouns [for example, the girl’s
name]
Martin Luther King Jnr: I have a dream
Library/research skills, note
taking, features of non-fiction
(heading, sub-heading, captions,
labels) planning report, openers,
connectives, adjectives, adverbs,
paragraphs, rhetorical questions,
opening statements,
introductions and closing
statements.
Sentence punctuation,
sequencing ideas, understanding
non-fiction texts (contents,
glossary, captions and labels,
etc), time connectives,
dictionary work, openers,
adjectives and openers.
Reading and responding to a
range of poems, alliteration,
rhyming words, onomatopoeia,
using adventurous and
entertaining language
Library session; Rhyme;
repeating patterns; descriptive
language; alliteration; similes;
visual layout
Comparing a range of poems by
the same author, alliteration,
rhyming words, onomatopoeia,
using music to perform.
Library books
Florella Benjamin biography as an example.
Revolting Rhymes
Augustus Gloop from Charlie and Chocolate Factory.
On the Ning Nang Nong – Spike Milligan
Poet to come in to
school
The Works (Paul Cookson)
Puffin Book of Utterly Brilliant
Poet dependent.
Really Looking
unit from Primary
Framework- lots
of resources!