English
The Year 6 Learner
Approach
In English lessons, children are taught speaking, listening, reading and writing skills through studying a variety of styles of writing (genres). Teachers follow the Teaching Sequence for Writing, which means that children will firstly be taught to read and understand the text, then practise the skills of the style of writing (including grammar) and apply into their own writing.
The Primary National Curriculum statements will be taught through the modules below.
Y6 English Coverage
The Year 6 English curriculum consists of the following modules:
Poetry
Fiction
Historical Stories
Significant Authors
Adventure Stories/Quests
Flashback stories
Extending narratives
Non-Fiction
Recounts
Persuasive texts and balanced arguments
Key poets/authors your children will encounter are:
David Wiesner
Michael Morpurgo
Eugene Trivizas & Helen Oxbury
Tom Mitton
Fiona French
Philip Pullman
Shakespeare
Recommended reading list (a variety is best):
Key Texts:
Fantasy
Skellig – David Almond
The Various – Steve Augarde
Artemis Fowl – Eoin Colfer
The Bag of Bones – Vivian French
Inkheart trilogy – Cornelia Funke
Coraline – Neil Gaiman
The Weirdstone of Brisingamen – Alan Garner
Pure Dead Magic – Debi Gliori
Wolf Brother – Michelle Paver
Truckers – Terry Pratchett
The Spiderwick Chronicles – Lynne Reid Banks
Goblins series – Philip Reeve
Wonderstruck – Brian Selznick
The Amulet of Samarkand – Jonathon Stroud
The Hobbit – J.R.R. Tolkien
The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making – Catherynne M. Valente
Tanglewreck – Jeanette Winterson
Science Fiction
Supernaturalist – Eoin Colfer
Grinny: Grinny and You Remember Me – Nicholas Fisk
Among the Hidden – Margaret Peterson Haddix
Double Identity – Margaret Peterson Haddix
Maphead – Lesley Howarth
The Giver – Lois Lowry
Other Worlds: 10 Amazing Sci Fi Stories – Rick Riordan ed.
Timesnatch – Robert Swindells
Hydra – Robert Swindells
Chilling Stories
The Graveyard Book – Neil Gaiman
Uncle Montague’s Tales of Terror – Chris Priestley
Horowitz Horror – Anthony Horowitz
Breathe – Cliff McNish
At the Firefly Gate – Linda Newberry
Chill – Alex Nye
Tales from the Tunnel’s Mouth – Chris Priestley
Tales of Terror From the Black Ship – Chris Priestley
Marianne Dreams – Catherine Storr
Real Life
Pig Heart Boy – Malorie Blackman (science/ethics)
Tangerine – Edward Bloor (blindness)
The Eighteenth Emergency – Betsy Byars (bullying)
The 10PM Question – Kate De Gold (worry/anxiety)
Running on Cracks – Julia Donaldson (running from home – mature themes)
Step By Wicked Step – Anne Fine (step parenting)
Dead End in Norvelt – Jack Gantos (boredom, friendship)
Love, Aubrey – Suzanne LaFleur (family)
Hangman - Julia Jarman (bullying)
The View from Saturday – E.L. Konisburg (friendship)
The Other Side of Truth – Bevery Naidoo (refugee)
Wonder – R.J. Palacio (appearance)
Adventure
Noah Barleywater Runs Away – John Boyne
Ruby Holler – Sharon Creech
Danny: the champion of the world – Roald Dahl
The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane – Kate DiCamillo
Stormbreaker – Anthony Horowitz
The Devil and his Boy – Anthony Horowitz
Journey to the River Sea – Eva Ibbotson
From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler – E. L. Konigsburg
Outlaw: the Legend of Robin Hood – Tony Lee
The Ghost of Thomas Kempe – Penelope Lively
Mortal Engines – Phillip Reeves
Varjak Paw – S. F. Said
The Invention of Hugo Cabret – Brian Selznick
Wonderstruck – Brian Selznick
War
Warboy – Michael Foreman
Once/Now/Then/After – Morris Gleitzman
Goodnight, Mr Tom – Michelle Magorian
War Horse – Michael Morpurgo
At the Firefly Gate – Linda Newberry
Johnny and the bomb – Terry Pratchett
My Friend the Enemy – Dan Smith
The Machine Gunners – Robert Westall
Carrie’s War – Nina Bawden
Doodlebug Summer – Alison Price
Soldier Dog – Sam Angus
Mysteries
Chasing Vermeer – Blue Bailliett
The Crossroads – Chris Grabenstein
Silver Fin – Charlie Higson
The Case of the London Dragonfish – Joan Lennon
The Sign of the Black Dagger – Joan Lingard
Magnus Finn and the Selkie Secret – Janis Mackay
Out of the Depths – Cathy MacPhail
Flood and Fang – Marcus Sedgwick
Humour
How to Train Your Dragon - Cressida Cowell
How To Train Your Dragon http://www.howtotrainyourdragonbooks.com/
How to speak dragonese - Cressida Cowell
The Meanwhile Adventures – Roddy Doyle
Boom! – Mark Haddon
Ribblestrop – Andy Mulligan
Goblins series – Philip Reeve
Holes – Louis Sachar
There’s a Boy in the Girls’ Bathroom – Loius Sachar
A Boy and a Bear in a Boat – Dave Shelton
Gangsta Granny – David Walliams
Ratburger – David Walliams
Animals
The Midnight Fox – Betsy Byars
The Tale of Despereaux – Kate DiCamillo
Charlotte’s Web – E.B.White
Flush – Carl Hiaasen
One Boy and His Dog – Eva Ibbotson
A Coyote in the House – Elmore Leonard
The Call of the Wild – Jack London
Going Home –Cliff McNish
Why the Whales Came – Michael Morpurgo
The Amazing Story of Adolphus Tips – Michael Morpurgo
War Horse – Michael Morpurgo
Catscape – Mike Nicholson
Wolf Brother – Michelle Paver
The Outlaw Varjack Paw – S.F. Said
Black Beauty – Anna Sewell
Curriculum Content
Speaking and Listening
Children will be taught to discuss their learning and to develop speaking skills. They will become more familiar with and confident in, using language in a variety of situations, for a range of audiences and purposes. They will, for example
·Develop their understanding of a subject through discussions, learning to give their opinions and listen to other viewpoints.
·Speak clearly and in different ways for drama, formal presentations and debate.
·They will prepare work orally, through drama and role play, discussing, rehearsing and recording their ideas.
Reading
This part of the curriculum is broken down into ‘word reading’ and ‘comprehension’.
Word reading will not be directly taught, except where individuals need support. Instead, children will be encouraged to work out unfamiliar words that they meet. They should use their knowledge of word roots and word families to help them to understand new words. Children will be taught key comprehension skills to enable them to read, understand and enjoy a wide range of books. Year 6 will have the opportunity to read and discuss a wider range of fiction, poetry, plays and non-fiction. They will, for example:
·Identify and discuss themes and conventions across a wide range of writing
·Predict what may happen based on evidence and clues given
·Give responses to texts and recommend books to peers, giving reasons for views and choices
·Use clues from the text to work out characters’ feeling, actions or motives and give evidence to back their conclusions
·Discuss and evaluate how authors use language (including figurative language) and consider the impact on the reader.
·Compare different texts
Writing
Writing is developed through teaching the following:
Spelling: Children should learn to spell new words correctly and have opportunities to practise spelling skills. They will be taught spelling patterns and conventions, and draw on their knowledge of word families and roots to help them spell new words correctly. They will continue to practise and use the words included in Appendix 1 of the National Curriculum for years 5 & 6. Children will be expected to use a dictionary and thesaurus.
Handwriting: Pupils will continue to be taught handwriting in order to increase speed, fluency and legibility.
Composition (structure): This includes vocabulary, grammar and punctuation. To develop their composition skills, the children will be taught to
·Plan, draft, compose, edit and evaluate their writing
·Use a wide variety of punctuation and grammar features with confidence
·Refine their grammar and vocabulary to further develop the effectiveness of their writing
·Use a wider range of techniques to build detail into their writing and ensure it flows smoothly throughout the sections of a piece.
·Build on their understanding of the differences between Standard and non-Standard English, and will also focus on how to achieve different levels of formality in their spoken and written language.
·Adapt writing for a range of purposes and audiences as part of their work across the curriculum. In year 6 this will include (cross curricular example, schools to insert their own)
Grammar will be taught throughout the writing process and teachers will follow the terms and concepts of Appendix 2 of the National Curriculum.
Should you wish for a more detailed explanation, please follow this link to the Primary National Curriculum document