Theme

Activity/Knowledge/Skill

Year 3

Year 4

Year 5

Year 6

Term

Term

Term

Term

1

2

3

1

2

3

1

2

3

1

2

3

Alphabetical order

using the first 2 letters

*

using second & third place letters

*

Apostrophes

to spell shortened form of words

*

*

for possessives and contractions

*

Dictionaries

purpose and organisation of dictionary/thesaurus

*

using for spelling

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

know the quartiles

*

use to check spellings & definitions

*

information about word origins, meanings and spelling

*

using a rhyming dictionary

*

compile own class/group dictionary

*

efficient use of dictionary; use a range of dictionaries

*

range of

*

etymological dictionary

*

Handwriting

formation of basic joins

*

*

*

consistency in size and proportions of letters and spacing,

*

*

*

*

*

*

speed fluency & legibility

*

*

use neat hand or informal writing, appropriately

*

use of joined style except where other forms are required,

*

*

*

build up speed

*

*

use a range of presentational skills

*

Prefixes

using them to generate new words e.g. antonyms

*

*

Phonemes

blends for reading

*

*

*

*

*

*

identify in speech and writing

*

*

*

*

*

*

segment words into, for spelling

*

*

*

*

*

*

Reading

use context to infer meaning

*

*

discriminate syllables

*

*

*

high frequency words

*

*

*

*

*

*

words with silent letters

*

understanding common suffixes -ly, -ful, -less

*

prefixes miss-, non-, ex-, co-, anti-,

*

understanding meanings of common homophones

*

suffixes -al, -ary, -ic, -ship, -hood, -ness, -ment

*

words in Appendix List 2

*

*

using phonic/spelling knowledge as a cue

*

*

*

Spelling Strategies

discriminate syllables

*

*

*

practise by "look, say, cover, write, check" strategy

*

*

*

*

*

*

independent strategies

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

identify mis-spelt words in own work

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

identify short words within longer words

*

using I.T.Spell Checkersfor spelling

*

*

*

*

*

*

use known spellings as a basis for spelling other words

*

*

*

*

*

*

using word roots, prefixes & suffixes

*

Spelling - using apostrophes

apostrophes for spelling shortened forms of words

*

*

apostrophes for possessives and contractions

*

Spelling- changing and creating words

use suffixes to generate new words from root words

*

extending and compounding words

*

changing tenses, making comparatives

*

word origins and derivatives

*

inventing rules and mnemonics

*

*

Spelling- prefixes

understanding prefixes un-, de-, dis-, re-, pre-

*

miss-, non-, ex-, co-, anti-

*

al-

*

auto, bi, trans, tele, circum

*

in-, im-, ir-, il-, pro-, sus-

*

Spelling patterns and rules

-le pattern

*

2 syllable words containing double consonants

*

pluralisation, rules for

*

patterns of consonants

*

unstressed vowels in polysyllabic words

*

rules for words ending in modifying e, words ending in y

*

patterns for unstressed vowels

*

unstressed vowels in polysyllabic words

*

Theme

Activity/Knowledge/Skill

Year 3

Year 4

Year 5

Year 6

Term

Term

Term

Term

1

2

3

1

2

3

1

2

3

1

2

3

Spelling words

words containing long vowel phonemes

*

*

*

verbs ending in "ing"

*

high frequency words

*

*

*

*

*

*

compound words

*

noun when "s" is added

*

words with silent letters

*

regular verb endings - s, ed, ing; irregular tense changes

*

words in appendix list 2

*

*

homophones

*

*

words with common endings -ight

*

words with common letter strings but different pronunciations

*

words with common roots

*

words ending in vowels other than the letter "e"

*

possessive pronouns

*

words with different pronunciations

*

connectives- therefore, notwithstanding, furthermore

*

Spelling suffixes

er, est, and y also -ly, -ful, -less

*

-al. -ary, -ac, -ship, -hood, -ness, -ment

*

suffixes added to words ending in "f"

*

-ible, -able, -ive, -tion, -sion

*

-cian, etc.

*

Syllables

identify patterns in multi-syllabic words

*

*

*

Thesaurus

purpose and organisation

*

Terms

prefix

*

synonym

*

definition

*

plural

*

singular

*

suffix

*

Vocabulary - use of

use accurate/interesting words/expressions

*

use adverbs in writing dialogue

*

Vocabulary - exploring and understanding

synonyms: generate synonyms for high frequency words

*

synonyms: collecting synonyms

*

synonyms and shades of meaning

*

opposites

*

antonyms

*

homonyms

*

words which imply gender

*

compound words

*

identifying word roots, derivations, spelling patterns

*

onomatopoeia

*

metaphorical expressions and figures of speech

*

metaphors and similes

*

words borrowed from other languages

*

how words vary across dialects

*

how words and expressions have changed over time

*

origins of proper names

*

how new words are added to the language

*

understanding that meanings of words change over time

*

inventing word games, puns etc.

*

Vocabulary- changing and generating words

generate new words using prefixes

*

*

generate new words using suffixes

*

write own definitions of words

*

*

making nouns and adjectives into verbs

*

making nouns and verbs into adjectives

*

use alternative words/expressions that are more interesting/accurate than common choices

*

forming diminutives

*

how words are formed from longer ones

*

creating new words

*

inventing words using known roots, prefixes and suffixes

*

Vocabulary - collecting

use personal dictionaries: glossaries to collect words

*

*

*

for introducing and concluding dialogue

*

collect, investigate & classify common expressions

*

collect words that are now little used; that vocabulary changes over time

*

collect and classify idiomatic phrases, cliches and expressions

*

collect, define and spell technical words

*

collect useful terms/phrases for argument

*

collect proverbs, explain meanings and origins of

*