How to learn Key stage 2: English

The national curriculum in England: Key stages 1 and 2 framework document, Key stage 2

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1. Spelling

Suffixes (age 7+): Spell words using productive suffixes (-ation, -ly, -ous) and less common sound-spelling correspondences (/ɪ/ as y, /ʌ/ as ou, endings sounding like /ʒə/, /tʃə/, /ʒən/, /ʃən/) introduced in the Year 3-4 programme
Prefixes (age 7+): Spell words with a range of prefixes (dis-, mis-, un-, re-, pre-, anti-, auto-, super-) understanding how each prefix modifies the root word's meaning without changing its spelling
Homophones: Distinguish and correctly spell common homophones and near-homophones encountered at Y3-4 level (e.g., accept/except, affect/effect, brake/break, grate/great), including using the /eɪ/ sound spelt ei, eigh, or ey
Apostrophes for possession (age 7+): Use the possessive apostrophe accurately with both regular and irregular plural nouns (e.g., the girls' bags, the children's toys), distinguishing singular from plural possession
Spelling Word Lists (age 7+): Spell words from the statutory word list for Years 3 and 4, including commonly misspelt words that do not follow regular patterns
Suffixes (age 9+): Spell words with Latin and French suffix patterns: endings sounding like /ʃəs/ spelt -cious or -tious (e.g., precious, cautious), /ʃəl/ spelt -cial or -tial (e.g., official, essential), and words ending in -ant/-ance/-ancy vs -ent/-ence/-ency (e.g., observant/observance, confident/confidence)
Spelling -able & -ible: Spell words ending in -able/-ible and the corresponding adverb forms -ably/-ibly, applying patterns to determine which suffix to use based on the root word
Advanced Spelling Conventions: Spell words using assorted Y5-6 conventions: doubling after -fer when the stress remains (referring but reference), using hyphens to join prefixes to root words (co-ordinate, re-enter), the /iː/ sound spelt ei after c (receive, ceiling), and the letter string ough representing different sounds (though, through, thought, thorough, plough)
Silent Letters in Words: Spell words containing silent letters that are remnants of earlier pronunciation or etymology, recognising common silent-letter patterns and using word origins to remember them
Homophones (age 9+): Distinguish and correctly spell homophones and commonly confused words at Y5-6 level (e.g., affect/effect, practice/practise, advice/advise, complement/compliment, aisle/isle, led/lead), including confused words such as to/too/two and there/their/they're
Spelling Word Lists (age 9+): Spell words from the statutory word list for Years 5 and 6, including words with irregular or uncommon spelling patterns that must be learned individually

2. Vocabulary, Grammar and Punctuation

Punctuating Direct Speech: Punctuate direct speech using inverted commas (speech marks), understanding that direct speech records the exact words spoken and must be enclosed in punctuation marks
Expressing Time, Place and Cause: Use conjunctions (when, before, after, while, so, because), adverbs (then, next, soon, therefore) and prepositions (before, after, during, in, because of) to express time, place and cause within and across sentences
Grammar Terms: Clauses and Conjunctions: Use and understand Year 3 grammatical terminology accurately when discussing reading and writing: preposition, conjunction, word family, prefix, clause, subordinate clause, direct speech, consonant letter, vowel letter, inverted commas/speech marks
Organising Writing into Paragraphs: Organise writing into paragraphs, grouping related material around a theme, and use simple organisational devices such as headings and sub-headings in non-narrative writing
The Present Perfect Tense: Use the present perfect form of verbs in contrast to the simple past tense, understanding how the present perfect indicates an action completed at an unspecified time or with ongoing relevance (e.g., 'He has gone out' vs 'He went out')
Choosing A or An: Use the correct form of the indefinite article — 'a' before words beginning with a consonant sound and 'an' before words beginning with a vowel sound (e.g., a rock, an open box, an hour, a unicorn)
Word Families and Root Words: Explore word families based on common root words, understanding how words are related in form and meaning through shared roots, prefixes and suffixes (e.g., solve → solution, solver, dissolve, insoluble)
Pronouns for clarity: Choose pronouns for clarity and cohesion, avoiding ambiguity and repetition; use reflexive pronouns correctly (e.g., myself, ourselves, himself)
Brackets and dashes for parenthesis: Use brackets, dashes, and commas to indicate parenthesis — additional information inserted into a sentence that could be removed without changing the sentence's core meaning
Commas to avoid ambiguity: Use commas to clarify meaning and avoid ambiguity in sentences where the absence of a comma could cause misreading
Relative Clauses: Form and use relative clauses beginning with relative pronouns (who, whose, whom, which, that) and relative adverbs (where, when, why) to add detail, qualify nouns, and create complex sentences
Modal Verbs and Possibility: Understand and use modal verbs (can, may, must, might, shall, will, could, should, would) and modal adverbs (perhaps, surely, certainly) to indicate degrees of possibility, necessity, and permission
Grammar Terms: Modal Verbs and Clauses: Know and use Year 5 grammar terminology accurately when discussing reading and writing: modal verb, relative pronoun, relative clause, parenthesis, bracket, dash, cohesion, ambiguity
Cohesion within paragraphs: Use cohesive devices within a paragraph — including pronouns, adverbials (then, after that, firstly), and synonyms — to link sentences and build a coherent flow of ideas
Linking paragraphs with adverbials: Link ideas across paragraphs using adverbials of time (later, meanwhile, after a while), place (nearby, far away, beyond the wall), and number (secondly, finally, in addition) to guide the reader through a multi-paragraph text
Converting Words into Verbs: Convert nouns and adjectives into verbs by adding suffixes -ate, -ise (-ize), and -ify, understanding how word class changes affect sentence construction
Verb Prefixes and Meaning: Use verb prefixes (dis-, de-, mis-, over-, re-) to change verb meaning, understanding how each prefix modifies the action expressed by the root verb
Punctuating Clauses: Use semi-colons, colons, and dashes to mark boundaries between independent clauses, choosing the appropriate punctuation based on the relationship between the clauses
Colons and Semicolons in Lists: Use a colon to introduce a list and semi-colons to separate items within lists, particularly when list items contain internal commas or are complex phrases
Bullet Point Punctuation: Punctuate bullet points consistently to list information clearly, applying conventions for capitalisation, end punctuation, and parallel structure across items
Hyphens in Prefixed Words: Use hyphens to avoid ambiguity in compound modifiers and prefixed words, distinguishing between meanings that change based on hyphen placement
Active and passive voice: Use the passive voice to shift focus from the agent to the action or recipient, understanding how passive constructions affect the presentation of information in formal and objective writing
The subjunctive mood: Use the subjunctive form in formal writing and speech to express wishes, demands, suggestions, or hypothetical situations (e.g., 'If I were you', 'I suggest that he go', 'Were they to arrive')
Grammar Terms: Voice and Punctuation: Know and use Year 6 grammatical terminology accurately: subject, object, active voice, passive voice, synonym, antonym, ellipsis, hyphen, colon, semi-colon, bullet points
Paragraph Cohesion: Link ideas across paragraphs using a wider range of cohesive devices including word repetition, grammatical connections such as adverbials, and ellipsis to create coherent extended texts
Layout and Formatting in Informational Writing: Use layout devices including headings, sub-headings, columns, bullets, and tables to structure text and guide the reader through informational and explanatory writing
Choosing Formal Vocabulary: Distinguish between formal and informal vocabulary, selecting words appropriate for formal speech and writing such as 'discover' instead of 'find out' and 'request' instead of 'ask for'
Antonyms & Synonyms: Demonstrate understanding of words by relating them to their antonyms (opposites) and synonyms (words with similar meanings), using synonym and antonym relationships to refine vocabulary and improve precision in writing

3. Reading - comprehension

Listening to Texts Read Aloud: Listen to and discuss poems, stories, and non-fiction at a level beyond independent reading; confirm understanding of texts read aloud by asking and answering questions about key details
Self-Correcting While Reading: Check that text makes sense while reading and self-correct inaccurate reading by re-reading or using context
Discussing and Questioning New Words: Ask and answer questions about unknown words in texts; discuss word meanings and link new vocabulary to words already known
Characters, settings, and events: Identify characters, settings, and major events in stories; become familiar with key stories, fairy tales, and traditional tales and retell them with key details in sequence
Reading between the lines: Ask and answer questions about key details in literary and informational texts; make simple inferences based on what characters say and do
Inferring Characters' Feelings and Motives: Draw inferences from independently-read texts, such as inferring characters' feelings, thoughts and motives from their actions, and justifying inferences with evidence from the text
Non-Fiction Text Features: Recognise different non-fiction text structures and features (headings, contents, glossary, index), understanding how texts are organised to present information
Main Ideas & Note-Taking: Identify main ideas drawn from more than one paragraph and summarise them; retrieve and record information from non-fiction texts using notes, tables or other methods
Expressive and Sensory Language: Recognise recurring literary language in stories and poetry, identify words and phrases that suggest feelings or appeal to the senses, and discuss favourite words and phrases
Text Features & Presentation: Identify how language choices, text structure and presentational features (illustrations, diagrams, bold print, layout) contribute to the overall meaning and effect of a text
Discussing Texts as a Group: Participate in discussions about what is read, taking turns and listening to others; explain understanding clearly; actively engage in group reading activities
Defining Words: Define words by category and by one or more key attributes (e.g., 'a duck is a bird that swims'), making real-life connections between words and their use
Themes and messages: Identify recurring themes (good vs evil, friendship, bravery) and conventions (once upon a time, moral at the end, hero's journey) across a wide range of books including fairy stories, myths, legends and traditional tales
Reading with Expression and Accuracy: Read aloud with accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression (prosody), re-reading familiar texts to build fluency and confidence, and using context to self-correct
Forms of Poetry and Performance: Recognise different forms of poetry (free verse, narrative poetry, haiku) and discuss their features; prepare poems and play scripts to read aloud and perform with understanding through intonation, tone, volume and action
Recommending Books: Recommend books to peers, giving reasons for choices based on knowledge of a wide range of genres, authors, and themes, and making comparisons within and across books
Comparing Books: Make comparisons within and across books, identifying similarities and differences in themes, characters, settings, and authorial choices across multiple texts
How Language Choices Affect the Reader: Evaluate how authors use language including figurative language, considering the impact of word choices, imagery, and literary devices on the reader
Fact vs opinion: Distinguish between statements of fact and statements of opinion in texts, recognising how authors blend factual information with subjective viewpoints
Justifying Views About Texts: Provide reasoned justifications for views about texts, supporting interpretations and opinions with evidence and logical arguments

4. Writing - composition

Planning Ideas Before Writing: Plan before writing by saying aloud or noting down what will be written, writing down ideas and key words, and encapsulating ideas sentence by sentence before composing
Sharing and Publishing Your Writing: Read own writing aloud clearly enough to be heard by peers and the teacher; use digital tools to produce and publish writing
Choosing Form and Tone for Your Audience: Identify the audience for and purpose of writing before beginning, selecting the appropriate form, tone, and register to match the intended reader and communicative goal
Planning Narratives: Plan narrative writing by considering how authors have developed characters and settings, drawing on techniques observed in texts read, heard, or performed
Vivid Word Choices: Choose precise and vivid words and phrases to create specific effects in writing
Narrative Writing: Write narratives with developed settings, characters and plot, using dialogue and description to develop experiences and show character responses to situations
Writing a Précis: Precis longer passages by summarising the main ideas and key information concisely while maintaining the essential meaning and removing non-essential detail
Revising and editing (age 7+): Evaluate and edit writing by assessing effectiveness, proposing changes to grammar and vocabulary for consistency, and proof-reading for spelling, grammar and punctuation errors at Y3-4 level

5. Writing - transcription

Joining Letters: Begin to join letters using diagonal and horizontal strokes, understanding which letter pairs are best left unjoined, forming letters of correct size relative to one another
Alternative Spellings for Sounds: Spell words using alternative grapheme choices for known phonemes, learning new spellings for sounds already encountered (e.g., /ɔ:/ as 'a' before ll, /ʌ/ as 'o', words ending -tion), including distinguishing common homophones
Tricky words: Spell common exception words from memory that do not follow regular phonic patterns, including the days of the week
Using a Dictionary to Check Spellings: Use the first two or three letters of a word to check its spelling in a dictionary; consult reference materials including beginning dictionaries to verify and correct spellings
Spelling from Dictation: Write simple sentences from memory when dictated by the teacher, applying taught GPCs, spelling rules, and common exception words
Spellings from Greek, French and Latin: Spell words with etymological letter patterns from Greek (ch = /k/), French (ch = /ʃ/, -gue, -que), and Latin (sc = /s/) origins
Using a Thesaurus to Choose Words: Use a thesaurus to find synonyms and extend vocabulary choices, selecting the most appropriate word based on context, connotation, and register

6. Writing - vocabulary, grammar and punctuation

Subordinate clauses: Use subordination (when, if, that, because) and co-ordination (or, and, but) to join clauses and create compound and complex sentences
Expanded noun phrases (age 8+): Expand noun phrases with modifying adjectives, nouns, and preposition phrases to add detail