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English

Alphabet on blackboard and apple on book

When your child embarks on their school journey, they won't be able to write much more than their name. Seven years later, they'll have evolved into fluent readers, skilled paragraph writers and have a unique but (hopefully!) legible handwriting style.

Exploring English and literacy from Nursery to Year 6 

Find out what your child will learn in EYFS English, KS1 English and dive into the challenges of KS2 English. Plus, find lots of invaluable advice, engaging worksheets and practical guidance to bolster your child's reading and writing skills at home.

Our assortment of worksheets, games and activities is designed to boost your child's confidence, covering essential areas such as phonics, grammar, spelling and reading comprehension. There is also a step-by-step Handwriting Learning Journey programme to discover.

Support your child's literacy journey every step of the way through primary school.
 

Articles

Primary-school literacy glossary
Primary literacy glossary for parents
From adjectives to writing frames, TheSchoolRun's primary-school literacy glossary offers a complete guide to all the concepts children are taught in EYFS, KS1 and KS2 English. Brush up on your own literacy skills, clear up homework confusion and understand exactly what your child is learning at school by reading our basic definitions (with links to more detailed explanations, teachers' tips and examples).
Little girl writing
Handwriting practice makes perfect
Why is handwriting practice so important, and how can you help your child to learn? Find out in our guide.
Word bank
What is a word bank?
Word banks are useful tools to help improve children's writing in KS1 and KS2. Find out how to create one at home and make expanding vocabulary a whole-family project!

Worksheets

Handwriting practice: cursive letters worksheets
Handwriting practice: cursive letters
Your step-by-step guide to handwriting cursive letters, with worksheets for every letter, including how to write in cursive with capital letters. Whether your child is new to cursive writing or needs to improve their cursive letters these worksheets will take them through every join and shape to help boost their confidence and ability.
My very first spelling test
My very first spelling test
Spelling isn’t usually tested in Reception, but your child might really like the idea of doing a ‘grown-up spelling test’ (especially if they’ve seen an older sibling prepare for spelling tests!).
Reading comprehension: An argument for zoos
Reading comprehension: An argument for zoos
A zoos a good place for animals to live or not. Here is an argument for zoos. Read it and see if you agree with the writer's viewpoint or not.
See all English worksheets here ►

Also see:

English Progress checks

There are six English Progress checks, one for each school year, including questions on the areas of learning that your child will be covering in literacy during each school term. Just get your child to take the test, then check the answers we provide and you'll see straight away if your child has grasped each of these learning skills.


 

English Booster packs

Check out our English Booster packs – there is one for each school year – and give your child the chance to revise all the main literacy topics for their current school year. Filled with wordsearches, memory games, word bingo, crosswords and more, each pack is bursting with fun activities to boost literacy skills.

 


 

Literacy Homework Helper

Literacy Homework Helper covers the ins and outs of reading, writing and spelling as they are taught in the primary national curriculum. Whether you are trying to help with a specific piece of homework, your child has a problem with a topic they’ve covered at school, or you just want to give an extra boost at home to their literacy learning, this resource is designed for you to be able to quickly find relevant information for you and practical ideas and activities to help your child from Reception to Year 6, under the three distinct umbrellas of reading, writing and spelling.



English Learning Journey programme

Why not check out our unique English Learning Journey programme? Every week, the Learning Journey gives you suggestion for English worksheets that, over the course of the school year, will help your child review and master all the core areas of literacy learning that they’ll be taught in the National Curriculum that year… in just a few short at-home sessions each week. As well as an English Learning Journey progamme for each year of primary school, there is also a Handwriting Learning Journey.