What your child learns in Key Stage 2 English
Your guide to what your child will learn in years 3, 4, 5 and 6 in English.
English is still a daily lesson in KS2, and is made up of:
- Reading
- Writing
- Speaking and listening
Topics the children may cover during this Key Stage include:
- Myths and legends
- Adventure and mystery stories
- Poetry
- Stories with historical settings
- Stories in imaginary worlds
- Stories from other cultures
- Significant authors
- Classic novels
- Drama
- Newspapers and magazine articles
- Information texts
- Persuasive writing
- Biography and autobiography
Reading
Throughout KS2 the children move from decoding words to interpretation. At the start of year 3 most children are reading around 300 of the most frequent words: by the end of year 6, most are confident, fluent readers.
Your child will learn to:
- Read new words independently
- Understand themes, plots and ideas
- Recognise the use of figurative language
- Use structure
- Compare different writing styles
- Find information in a piece of non-fiction
Writing
Writing develops through KS2: handwriting becomes clearer and neater, spelling is more accurate, and punctuation is used correctly. The children write longer pieces now, using characters, dialogue and more imaginative vocabulary.
What your child will learn:
- Paragraphs
- Punctuation
- Connectives
- Clauses with commas
- Adverbs
- Possessive apostrophes
- Direct and reported speech
- Active and passive voice
Speaking and listening
Children take part in class discussions and develop more confidence with drama and role-play.
What your child will learn:
- Performance skills
- Improvisation
- Speaking to an audience
