Literacy Curricular Targets
Vocabulary
Use a range of interesting and ambitious vocabulary.
This target particularly supports Assessment Focus 7.
The definition of ‘ambitious’ is crucial. This should mean a word not usually used by a child
at this age. This is not an exhaustive list and pupils should not be limited to the examples provided. It
is important that the vocabulary examples are added to with pupils. Examples should be
collected from reading and generated with pupils for display.
See Grammar For Writing for further examples and definitions
See Jumpstart for ideas of quick warm-up activities that can be used daily to support
teaching and learning.
Age5/6
First.. So..
because.. next..
exciting.. afraid..
lonely.. interesting.
Age 6/7
beautiful.. awful.. enormous..
fierce.. adventure.. accident.. magic..
Age 7/8
gigantic.. weird.. freezing.. quietly.. silently..
bravely.. happiness.. joy.. sadness.. fear.. transport..
shelter.. baggage.. companion.. vehicle..
Age 8/9
thunderous.. fearful.. marvellous.. attractive.. generously.. echo..
nervously.. worriedly.. patiently.. feelings.. courage.. experience..
peak.. patience.. wasteland.. container.. furnishings.. robe..
sensitive/ly.. timid/ly..
Age 9/10
aggressively.. imaginatively.. unfortunate..
murderous..
echoing.. doubtful.. emotion.. anxiety... longing.. progress(noun).. system.. communication..
ingredient..
vibration..
prefer..
nourish..
demonstrate..
enjoy..
leap..
Age 10/11
outstanding/ly.. tender/ly.. biological/ly.. formidable.. outspoken.. stern.. comical.. pathetic..
yearning.. dwell.. dine.. progress(verb).. create.. adore.. foreboding.. speculation.. silhouette.. terrain..
apparel.. vision.. atmosphere..
Year 1
I can write using interesting words I have heard or read.
I can use words I have heard or read e.g. Once upon a
time,… Finally…
I use words like: exciting…afraid…lonely…interesting
I use words like:
beautiful… awful… enormous… fierce…
adventure… accident… magic…
Year 2
I can use adjectives and precise nouns.
I use words like: exciting…afraid…lonely…interesting
I use words like:
beautiful… awful… enormous… fierce…
adventure… accident… magic…
I use words like:
gigantic… weird… freezing…
saunter… screech…
joy… fear… transport… shelter… baggage… companion… vehicle…
Year 3
I can use adjectives, powerful verbs and precise nouns to
make my writing interesting for the reader.
I use words like:
beautiful… awful… enormous… fierce…
adventure… accident… magic…
I use words like:
gigantic… weird… freezing…
screech… reply… stroll…
joy… fear… transport… shelter… baggage… companion… vehicle…
I use words like:
thunderous… fearful… marvellous… attractive…
nibble… whisper…sigh… saunter …
echo… feelings… courage…experience… peak… patience…wasteland…
container… furnishings… robe…
generously…nervously… patiently…
Year 4
I can use adjectives, powerful verbs, precise nouns and adverbs to add detail for the reader.
I use words like:
gigantic… weird… freezing…
saunter… screech…
joy… fear… transport… shelter… baggage… companion… vehicle…
I use words like:
thunderous… fearful… marvellous… attractive…
nibble… whisper…sigh… saunter …
echo… feelings… courage…experience… peak… patience…wasteland… container…
furnishings… robe…
generously…nervously… patiently…
I use words like:
unfortunate… murderous… echoing… doubtful…
utter… devour… grip… cascade… demonstrate… leap…
emotion… anxiety… longing… progress… system… communication… ingredient…
goblet… galleon… glade…
sensitively… timidly… aggressively…imaginatively…
under the cover as darkness… at the stroke of midnight…
Year 5
I can use adjectives, powerful verbs, precise nouns, adverbs and adverbial phrases to add detail for the reader.
I use words like:
thunderous…fearful… marvellous… attractive…
nibble… whisper…sigh… saunter …
echo… courage…experience… peak… patience…wasteland… container… furnishings… robe…
generously… nervously… patiently…
I use words like:
unfortunate… murderous… echoing… doubtful…
utter… devour… grip… cascade… demonstrate… leap…
emotion… anxiety… longing… system… communication… ingredient… goblet… galleon…
sensitively… timidly… aggressively…imaginatively…
under the cover as darkness… at the stroke of midnight…
I use words like:
outstanding… tender…biological… formidable… outspoken… stern… pathetic…
yearn… dwell… dine… progress… create… adore…
foreboding… speculation… silhouette… terrain… apparel… vision… atmosphere…
insistently… apprehensively… prudently…
as calm as a millpond… as silent as the grave…
The lonely train whistle cried out in the night.
Year 6
I can use adjectives, powerful verbs, precise nouns, adverbs and language effects such as simile,
personification and alliteration.
I use words like:
unfortunate… murderous… echoing… doubtful…
utter… devour… grip… cascade… demonstrate… leap…
emotion… anxiety… longing… progress… system… communication… ingredient… goblet…
galleon… glade…
sensitively… timidly… aggressively…imaginatively…
under the cover as darkness… at the stroke of midnight…
I use words like:
outstanding… tender…biological… formidable… outspoken… stern… pathetic…
yearn… dwell… dine… progress… create… adore…
foreboding… speculation… silhouette… terrain… apparel… vision… atmosphere…
insistently… apprehensively… prudently…
as calm as a millpond… as silent as the grave…
The lonely train whistle cried out in the night.
I can use a wide range of vocabulary selectively, including adjectives, powerful verbs, precise
nouns, adverbs and language effects such as simile, personification and alliteration.
Whole School Writing Target:
Year:
What will you do differently to support pupils to achieve this target? (Teaching
strategies/resources/links to planning in literacy and across the curriculum)
Evidence of impact on
learning