Skills Continuum

Language

Reading

IB Conceptual Understandings

Phase 1

Phase 2

Phase 3

Phase 4

Phase 5

Illustrations convey meaning.

Print conveys meaning.

People read for pleasure.

Stories can tell about imagined worlds.

Printed information can tell about the real world.

There are established ways of setting out print and organising books.

Written language works differently from spoken language.

Consistent ways of recording words or ideas enable members of a language community to communicate.

People read to learn.

The words we see and hear enable use to create pictures in our minds.

Different types of text serve different purposes.

What we already know enables us to understand what we read.

Applying a range of strategies helps us to read and understand new texts.

Wondering about texts and asking questions helps us to understand the meaning.

The structure and organisation of written language influences and conveys meaning.

Reading and thinking work together to enable us to make meaning.

Checking, rereading and correcting our own reading as we go enable us to read new and more complex texts.

Identifying the main ideas in the text helps us to understand what is important.

Knowing what we aim to achieve helps us to select useful reference material to conduct research.

Authors structure stories around significant themes.

Effective stories have a structure, purpose, and sequence of events (plot) that help to make the author's intention clear.

Synthesising ideas and information from texts leads to new ideas and understandings.

Reading opens our mind to multiple perspectives and helps us to understand how people think, feel, and act.

Comprehension Skills and Strategies

Students read texts at an age-appropriate level and show understanding as they:

Look at books independently and display reading-like behaviour
Make connections to own experiences when listening to or 'reading' texts
Identify main story settings, events and principal characters
Participate in shared reading, joining in with rhymes, refrains and repeated texts

Word Recognition

Students use a range of word recognition strategies, showing understanding as they:

Distinguish between pictures and written text
Recognise familiar words such as own name and environmental print

Comprehension Skills and Strategies

Students read texts at an age-appropriate level and show understanding as they:

Retell or represent the features of familiar stories
Follows text written in English from left to right and top to bottom
Ascribe meaning to text
Demonstrate comprehension by responding to text
Identify relevant information in fiction and non-fiction text
Predict what might happen next

Word Recognition

Students use a range of word recognition strategies, showing understanding as they:

Discriminate between visual representations such as numbers, letters and words
Recognise words, signs and symbols in familiar contexts
Recognise familiar grapheme-phoneme correspondences
Demonstrate an awareness of syllable division

Year 1

Comprehension Skills and Strategies

Students read texts at an age-appropriate level and show understanding as they:

Recall main ideas and supporting details when retelling texts
Answer simple literal and inferential questions
Locate and select texts appropriate to purpose or interest
Make connections to prior knowledge
Use illustrations to gain meaning from the text
Express opinions about the meaning of a story
Predict what might happen in the context of the text
Participate in shared reading by asking and responding to questions

Word Recognition

Students use a range of word recognition strategies, showing understanding as they:

Blend and segment phonemes to read VC and CVC words
Isolate beginning, middle and end sounds of words with increasing accuracy
Generate rhyming patterns for CVC words
Read high-frequency words in different contexts
Recognise the grapheme-phoneme correspondences of common digraphs
Demonstrate accurate syllable division

Year 2

Comprehension Skills and Strategies

Students read texts at an age-appropriate level and show understanding as they:

Recall main ideas and supporting details when retelling texts
Respond to questions about the text with reference to information found in the text
Locate and select texts appropriate to purpose, interest and readability
Ask questions to understand the author's intent
Express opinions about the meaning of text
Describe how characters, people and events are represented
Make connections between prior knowledge with a variety of texts and with fictional characters
Pay attention to punctuation

Word Recognition

Students use a range of word recognition strategies, showing understanding as they:
• Blend and segment phonemes to read CVCC and CCVC words
• Identify long and short vowel sounds
• Apply knowledge of grapheme-phoneme correspondences in common vowel digraphs and trigraphs
• Identify syllables within a two or three-syllable word
• Read familiar words fluently and accurately

Year 3

Comprehension Skills and Strategies

Students read texts at an age-appropriate level and show understanding as they:

Recall main ideas and supporting details when retelling texts
Read to discover answers and gain information
Respond to texts and make personal connections with facts, characters, and situations
Locate and select texts appropriate for purpose, interest and readability
Describe how fiction and different forms of non-fiction texts are organised
Suggest why characters, people and events are represented in a particular way
Justify personal responses to texts
Understand unfamiliar vocabulary by attending to context
Read with pace and expression paying attention to context and punctuation

Word Recognition

Students use a range of word recognition strategies, showing understanding as they:

Apply knowledge of less common grapheme-phoneme correspondences
Decode unfamiliar words fluently and accurately

Year 4

Comprehension Skills and Strategies

Students read texts at an age-appropriate level and deepen understanding by applying strategies to comprehend as they:

Read to discover answers and gain information
Locate relevant information in texts
Recall main ideas and supporting details when retelling texts
Summarise learning from texts
Make connections within and between texts
Select and use texts in multimodal forms to suit a purpose
Distinguish between fact and opinion
Justify personal responses to text and understand authors and other readers have different responses
Refer to literal and inferential evidence from the text
Identify and describe the techniques authors and illustrators use to influence a reader

Fluency, vocabulary and word recognition

Students show development in fluency, vocabulary, and word recognition as they:

Use text clues to infer the meaning of subject-specific words
Make meaning of words by applying knowledge of morphology, phonology, etymology and orthography
Read with appropriate expression, pace and accuracy

Year 5

Comprehension Skills and Strategies

Students read texts at an age-appropriate level and deepen understanding by applying strategies to comprehend as they:

Read to discover answers and gain information
Locate relevant information in texts
Recall main ideas and supporting details when retelling texts
Summarise and synthesise learning from texts
Connect ideas, feelings and attitudes expressed within, and between texts
Infer meaning from clues found throughout a text
Question and evaluate a range of multimodal sources to identify relevant information
Distinguish between fact and opinion, reaching conclusions about what represents valid information
Identify and describe the techniques authors and illustrators use to influence a reader
Explain how a range of text forms vary by using knowledge of purpose, text structure and language features
Recognise literary devices

Fluency, vocabulary and word recognition

Students show development in fluency, vocabulary and word recognition as they:

Use text clues to infer the meaning of subject-specific words
Make meaning of words by applying knowledge of morphology, phonology, etymology and orthography
Read with appropriate expression, pace and accuracy

Year 6

Comprehension Skills and Strategies

Students read texts at an age-appropriate level and deepen understanding by applying strategies to comprehend as they:

Read to discover answers and gain information
Locate relevant information in texts
Recall main ideas and supporting details when retelling texts
Make inferences and be able to justify them
Locate, summarise and synthesise information from a range of multimodal sources
Describe the authors' use of language and interpret meaning beyond the literal
Discuss and justify own interpretation of a text
Distinguish between fact and opinion, justifying conclusions about what represents valid information
Identify and describe the techniques authors and illustrators use to influence a reader
Identify the genre of a text and explain its purpose and features
Recognise and interpret literary devices

Fluency, vocabulary and word recognition

Students show development in fluency, vocabulary and word recognition as they:

Use text clues to infer the meaning of subject-specific words
Make meaning of words by applying knowledge of morphology, phonology, etymology and orthography
Read with appropriate expression, pace and accuracy

Writing

IB Conceptual Understandings

Phase 1

Phase 2

Phase 3

Phase 4

Phase 5

Writing conveys meaning.

People write to tell about their experiences, ideas, and feelings.

Everyone can express themselves in writing.

Talking about our stories and pictures helps other people to understand and enjoy them.

People write to communicate.

The sound of spoken language can be represented visually (letters, symbols, characters).

Consistent ways of recording words or ideas enables members of a language community to understand each other's writing.

Written language works differently from spoken language.

We write in different ways for different purposes.

The structure of different types of texts includes identifiable features.

Applying a range of strategies helps us to express ourselves so that others can enjoy our writing.

Thinking about storybook characters and people in real life helps us to develop characters in our own stories.

When writing, the words we choose and how we choose to use them enables us to share our imaginings and ideas.

Writing and thinking work together to enable us to express ideas and convey meanings.

Asking questions of ourselves and others helps to make our writing more focused and purposeful.

The way we structure and organise our writing helps others to understand and appreciate it.

Rereading and editing our own writing enables us to express what we want to say more clearly.

Stories that people want to read are built around themes to which they can make connections.

Effective stories have a purpose and structure that help to make the author's intention clear.

Synthesising ideas enables us to build on what we know, reflect on different perspectives, and express new ideas.

Knowing what we aim to achieve helps us to plan and develop different forms of writing.

Through the process of planning, drafting, editing, and revising, our writing improves over time.

Students use writing to communicate a message as they:

Students demonstrate conventions of written text as they:

Make marks with increasing understanding of shape and direction

Students use writing to communicate a message as they:

Students demonstrate conventions of written text as they:

Year 1

Students use writing to communicate a message as they:

Write to express ideas, opinions, experiences and feelings
Create written text for different purposes
Create written text to connect with images
Plan for writing by orally rehearsing and/or drawing
Generate own ideas for writing

Students demonstrate conventions of written text as they:

Explore different writing structures
Use the grapheme-phoneme correspondences (GPCs) of common digraphs when writing
Segment words and write the corresponding letter sounds
Write some key personal words and high-frequency words
Form all uppercase and lowercase letters and numerals correctly
Occasionally use capital letters and full stops to begin and end sentences
Compose simple sentences

Year 2

Students use writing to communicate a message as they:

Use a process to plan, draft, revise, edit and publish a range of texts
Write ideas, experiences and feelings conveying a main idea
Write a range of taught text types
Explain the purpose of a piece of writing and the structure that needs to be included
Uses written text to enhance the meaning of images
Use vocabulary drawn from other texts or classroom activities in own writing

Students demonstrate conventions of written text as they:

Correctly spell phonically decodable two and three-syllable words
Spell key personal words and high-frequency words
Form all lowercase and uppercase letters correctly with automaticity
Use full stops and capital letters to punctuate sentences
Use simple conjunctions to write compound sentences
Consistently use accurate noun-pronoun agreement
Consistently use accurate subject-verb agreement

Year 3

Students use writing to communicate a message as they:

Use a process to plan, draft, revise, edit and publish a range of texts
Plan and write to convey main ideas
Write a range of text types selected according to purpose
Develop ideas with supporting detail and descriptive language
Develop ideas in a logical sequence
Use vocabulary drawn from a variety of sources to enhance writing
Offer constructive feedback to improve the writing of peers
Identify next steps needed to improve own writing

Students demonstrate conventions of written text as they:

Use letter-sound relationships and irregular letter patterns to spell words
Spell high-frequency words
Write legibly in a consistent style
Use capital letters, full stops, question marks correctly
Begin to use speech marks
Use adverbs and adjectives to add impact to writing
Use simple and compound sentences

Year 4

Students use writing at an age-appropriate level to communicate a message as they:

Use a process to plan, draft, revise, edit and publish a range of texts
Demonstrate voice in writing by imitating mentor texts
Write a range of text types selected according to purpose and audience
Develop ideas with supporting details and descriptive language
Organise main ideas and supporting detail into paragraphs
Use literary devices in writing
Use vocabulary drawn from a range of sources to enhance writing
Offer and receive constructive feedback to improve the writing of themselves and peers

Students demonstrate conventions of written text as they:

Spell words by applying knowledge of morphology, phonology, etymology and orthography
Use spelling strategies to self-monitor and self-correct
Write legibly in a consistent style
Use capital letters, full stops, question marks and exclamation marks correctly
Use speech marks, commas, apostrophes
Follow grammatical rules, vary sentence beginnings, structures and length for impact

Year 5

Students use writing at an age-appropriate level to communicate a message as they:

Students demonstrate conventions of written text as they:

Spell words by applying knowledge of morphology, phonology, etymology and orthography
Use spelling strategies to self-monitor and self-correct
Demonstrate fluent, consistent and legible handwriting
Use punctuation accurately to support meaning
Follow grammatical rules, vary sentence length and structure for impact, rhythm and flow

Year 6

Students use writing at an age-appropriate level to communicate a message as they:

Students demonstrate conventions of written text as they:

Spell words by applying knowledge of morphology, phonology, etymology and orthography
Use spelling strategies to self-monitor and self-correct
Demonstrate fluent, consistent and legible handwriting
Use punctuation accurately to support and enhance meaning
Follow grammatical rules, vary sentence length and structure for audience and purpose

Listening and Speaking

IB Conceptual Understandings

Phase 1

Phase 2

Phase 3

Phase 4

Phase 5

Spoken words connect us with others.

People listen and speak to share thoughts and feelings.

People ask questions to learn from others.

The sounds of language are a symbolic way of representing ideas and objects.

People communicate using different languages.

Everyone has the right to speak and be listened to.

Spoken language varies according to the purpose and audience.

People interpret messages according to their unique experiences and ways of understanding.

Spoken communication is different from written communication - it has its own set of roles.

Taking time to reflect on what we hear and say helps us to make informed judgements and form new opinions.

Thinking about perspective of our audience helps us to communicate more effectively and appropriately.

The grammatical structures of a language enables members of a language community to communicate with each other.

Spoken language can be used to persuade and influence people.

Metaphorical language creates strong visual images in our imagination.

Listeners identify key ideas in spoken language and synthesise them to create their own understanding.

People draw on what they already know in order to infer new meaning from what they hear.

Students use receptive and expressive language to communicate as they:

Listen and join in with stories, songs and rhymes
Discriminate and recreate vocal and environmental sounds
Respond appropriately to one-step instructions
Respond appropriately to “what” and “where” questions
Use short phrases to express feelings, wants and needs
Express thoughts and ideas using vocabulary in real life or imaginative play in context

Students use receptive and expressive language to communicate as they:

Listen and show understanding through responding or retelling
Discriminate rhyming words or alliterative phrases in familiar texts
Orally segment words
Use connectives to link two ideas
Follow two-step instructions
Understand and respond to 'who, 'what', 'where', 'why' and 'how' questions using full sentences
Use language to describe experiences and explain thinking
Hold a conversation with several exchanges, maintaining context in real-life or imaginative play situations
Ask 'who, 'what', 'where', 'why' and 'how' questions

Year 1

Students use receptive and expressive language to communicate as they:

Contribute to discussions by asking questions and offering suggestions
Predict phonemic patterns in poems, songs, rhymes and repeated phrases
Enunciate beginning, middle and end sounds of words with increasing accuracy
Give a range of details when describing personal experiences
Use a range of high-frequency, topic-specific and personal content vocabulary
Talk about their writing, pictures and models
Follow the meaning of others’ conversations

Year 2

Students use receptive and expressive language to communicate as they:

Listen and respond in discussions
Use sequential language including simple connectives to retell events or stories
Structure simple oral text accurately
Accurately predict phonemic patterns in poems, songs, rhymes and repeated phrases
Talk about thinking with others
Accurately use a bank of high-frequency, topic-specific and personal content words

Year 3

Students use receptive and expressive language to communicate as they:

Express thoughts, ideas and opinions clearly
Uses a range of appropriate strategies when speaking to engage an audience
Actively listen to the contributions of others
Use specific vocabulary to explain, enquire, and compare
Adjust speech by using specific vocabulary to suit the purpose and audience

Year 4

Students use age-appropriate receptive and expressive language to communicate as they:

Determine important information in an oral text
Organise thoughts and feelings before speaking
Listen and respond in context during small and large group interactions
Use correct grammatical structure and organisation in spoken language
Adapt language to suit audience and purpose
Use specific vocabulary to explain, enquire, compare and synthesise ideas
Use tone, volume and intonation to enhance meaning

Year 5

Students use age-appropriate receptive and expressive language to communicate as they:

Determine important information in an oral text
Select listening behaviours and appropriate responses to suit purpose and audience
Verbalize thinking and explain reasoning
Generate and modify ideas and opinions through discussions
Use correct grammatical structure and organisation in spoken language
Paraphrase and summarise when communicating orally
Justify a point of view
Adapt language to suit audience and purpose
Use specific vocabulary to explain, enquire, compare and synthesise ideas
Select words and literary devices to enhance impact of oral texts
Use tone, volume and intonation to enhance meaning

Year 6

Students use age-appropriate receptive and expressive language to communicate as they:

Determine important information in an oral text
Select listening behaviours and appropriate responses to suit purpose and audience
Develop, modify and present ideas, opinions and information through discussion
Use correct grammatical structure and organisation in spoken language
Paraphrase and summarise when communicating orally
Debate and justify a point of view
Infer meanings, draw conclusions and make judgements about oral presentations
Use specific vocabulary to explain, enquire, compare and synthesise ideas
Select words and literary devices to enhance impact of oral texts
Use tone, volume and intonation to enhance meaning

Viewing and Presenting

IB Conceptual Understandings

Phase 1

Phase 2

Phase 3

Phase 4

Phase 5

Visual language is all around us.

The pictures, images, and symbols in our environment have meaning.

We can enjoy and learn from visual language.

People use static and moving images to communicate ideas and information.

Visual texts can immediately gain our attention.

Viewing and talking about the images others have created helps us to understand and create our own presentations.

Visual texts can expand our database of sources of information.

Visual texts provide alternative means to develop new levels of understanding.

Selecting the most suitable forms of visual presentation enhances our ability to express ideas and images.

Different visual techniques produce different effects and are used to present different types of information.

Visual texts have the power to influence thinking and behaviour.

Interpreting visual texts involves making and informed judgement about the intention of the message.

To enhance learning we need to be efficient and constructive users of the internet.

The aim of commercial media is to influence and persuade viewers.

Individuals respond differently to visual texts according to their previous experiences, preferences, and perspectives.

Knowing about the techniques used in visual texts helps us to interpret presentations and create our own visual effects.

Synthesising information from visual texts is dependent upon personal interpretation and leads to new understandings.

Students show an understanding of semiotic systems and codes when viewing as they:

Recognise common signs and symbols used in the environment
Make connections to different media