Using literacy curricular targets in Year 6: materials for teachers, parents and carers
These materials have been designed to support literacy teaching in Year 6. This leaflet identifies some possible high-value curricular targets for literacy and associated children’s targets, which are linked to key PNS teaching resources and QCA National Curriculum Tests: Implications forTeaching and Learning leaflets. Accompanying this material is a leaflet for parents and carers, about activities they can do with their children at home, that is designed to complement teachers’ own work with the children. The leaflet outlines some of the children’s targets and suggests a variety of activities that can be done at home to support children in achieving these targets.
Curricular target setting
Curricular targets are drawn from learning objectives in the Primary Framework. They are based on age-related expectations; they steer improvements, guide teaching and set the focus for assessments linked to what has been taught. Basing the targets on children’s personal achievements helps them to recognise how well they are doing and make their own assessments of what they need to do next in order to progress.
The process of curricular target setting is already well established and effective in many primary schools and settings. Curricular targets are informed by the analysis of children’s work, discussions with children, teacher assessment information and test performance. These curricular targets are translated into school and class targets. Most schools that are successfully using curricular targets have embedded their use within literacy and mathematics.
The focus is deliberately on a small number of curricular targets that can be applied both within literacy and mathematics lessons and across other areas of the curriculum.Curricular target setting has been a particularly effective part of the Intensifying Support Programme, where focusing on four targets a term (two targets for literacy and two for mathematics) helped teachers to focus their teaching and to help their class achieve age-related expectations.
Using these materials
These materials support the curricular target setting process already established in many primary schools. Curricular targets have been identified for literacy. These materials also offer a structure to support teachers to set their own curricular targets.
The process of using these curricular targets would be asfollows.
• Identify curricular targets to focus on during a half term.
• The aim is that as many children as possible in the class are working at age-related expectations (or above). The targets will need to be personalised for children with diverse needs, so, as appropriate, differentiate the year-group target into targets for different groups and/or individuals (based on the teacher’s specific knowledge of the class and individuals).
The examples of possible children’s targets have been exemplified into age-related targets and above age-related (extension) targets. Teachers should refer to the relevant strands in the Primary Framework for literacy to track back to earlier year groups for children working below or well below age-related expectations.However, reaching at least age-related targets for all children should be the starting point and it is important to avoid the assumption that there are three fixed ability groups in a class. These targets have been turned into language accessible to children in the ‘I can’ statements.
* It is important that teachers plan, teach and assess children's progress towards the achievement of the learning objective from the relevant strand from the Primary Framework. The 'I can' statements are simply a communication device to share the learning with children, parents and carers. The achievement of these is therefore only an indication of overall progress towards the achievement of the learning objective from the Primary Framework.
• Link the curricular targets to teaching and ongoing day-to-day assessment
–Teachers identify the necessary subject-specific knowledge required related to each target/ learning objective.
–Teachers identify links with other relevant strands from the Primary Framework that will support the achievement of the specific targets. For example, the use of the speaking and listening links between reading and writing strands in literacy.
–Teachers identify in their planning a unit of work where they intend to review what the children already know and understand and where they intend to explicitly teach the relevant literacy. They will also need to consider opportunities to practise and apply this knowledge and understanding within literacy lessons and across the curriculum, where appropriate.
–Teachers identify in their unit of work opportunities for ongoing assessment of children's progress towards the achievement of targets/ learning objectivesfrom the Primary Framework.
–Children’s targets are shared with the children in the class and displayed in the classroom, along with learning prompts to support the achievement of the targets and examples of success from children and adults.
–Teachers share with parents and carers the leaflets about the targets linking, where appropriate, to home learning opportunities.
• Review progress against the targets using day-to-day assessment strategies and adjust planning and teachingaccordingly
–Teachers and children assess and record progress usingshared success criteria.
• The assessments feed into the school pupil tracking system to review individual progress towards and beyond age-related expectations
The leaflet for parents and carers is designed to be used over the year. The leaflet makes it clear that the 'I can’statements indicate some of the things most children will beable to do by the end of Year 6 and that the activitiessuggested will help children work towards theseachievements. It also clarifies that children learn at differentrates – some children will find the activities easy, otherchildren will take longer to be able to do them. This mightbe something to suggest that parents and carers discuss withtheir child’s teacher.These materials complement all the other Primary NationalStrategy materials.
Year group curricular targets/ learning objectives / Examples of possible children’s targets* / Example questions to support planning, teaching and assessment /Success criteria
/ PNS Useful Resources/ ReferencesStrand 7
Understanding and interpreting texts
(fiction, plays and poetry example)
Understand underlying themes, causes and points of view
Related learning objectives in this strand:
Explore how word meanings change when used in different contexts
Understand how writers use different structures to create coherence and structure
Appraise a text quickly, deciding its value, quality or usefulness
Recognise rhetorical devices used to argue, persuade, mislead and sway the reader / I can explain how a writer has created a mood or feeling,
making reference to the text
I can say whether a writer has been successful in their
purpose, e.g. to make
me laugh/ cry/ think …
I can identify the narrative voice in a text and explain how the writer has achieved this
I can give reasons why the writer has written a text from a certain perspective
Possible extension: I can talk about how a piece of writing affects me, commenting on language,theme and style
Possible extension: I can explainhow successful the writer
has been in creating a
mood or feeling, referring
to the themes, language used and the narrative perspective / How has the writer created [setting, mood/ character/ theme]?
Who is the ‘voice’ in the text? What happens if we change the ‘voice’?
Has the writer been successful in creating [a setting/ mood/ character/ theme/ making you laugh, etc.]? What else could the writer have done?
Which character does the writer want you to like or dislike? How have they done this? Have they succeeded?
What message do you think the [author/ character] wants to give us here?
Choose a passage describing a significant moment and question the children on the [mood/ atmosphere] before and after the event. How has the [mood/ atmosphere] changed? Why has it changed?
What do you think the writer wants you to think/ feel at this point in the [story/ play/ poem]? How have they done this?
Focus on a paragraph or section of text and summarise the [events/ mood/ atmosphere/ feelings, etc.].
Describe how the writer showed different characters’ reactions to the same event.
What did [a character] mean when they said [give suitable example]?
Explain the use of words [… and …] in this text.
Highlight an important phrase in the text and ask: What do you think is the effect of this phrase on the reader?
Why do you think [a character] would have found [an event from the text] [surprising/ scary/ upsetting, etc]?
Explain [a character’s] motives or feelings throughout the story. How do you know what their motives or feelings are?
What clues are given to show that [a character] is [liked/ disliked/ envied/ feared/ loved/ hated, etc]?
For further subject knowledge support see Principles and explanation Year 5and 6 Reading Targets,Understanding Reading Comprehension Fliers and Developing Reading Comprehension Paper / Commenting, analysing and
evaluating
The children:
- use a range of reading comprehension strategies to get meaning from a text
- are able to locate and comment on the choice and effect of language used to create setting, characters, narrative structure
and to develop themes
- are able to analyse a text and
evaluate its success referring to
language, theme, style and layout to justify their ideas
- understand how narrative perspective has an impact on the reader / Developing Reading Comprehension and The Simple View of ReadingPapers on Subject Leader DVD handbook
Understanding Reading Comprehension, fliers 1, 2 and 3 ref: DfES 1310 – 2005 to 1312-2005
QCA / PNS Speaking, Listening and Learning: working with children in Key Stages 1 and 2 DfES 0163-2004
PNS Exemplified
units of work on Primary Framework
PNS Year 6 booster
Materials
ExampleYear 6 reading comprehension targets- fiction, plays and poetry
QCA AF3 Level 3 to 4 empathise with characters in non-fictional texts, as well as fictional
QCA AF5 Level 3 to 4 identify the intended effect of particular language choices
QCA AF6 Level 3 to 4 identify the effect of different sections of a text
ExampleYear 6 reading comprehension targets- non-fiction
QCA AF2 Level 3 to 4 skim and scan text to find evidence and reread for meaning to confirm accuracy
QCA AF5 Level 3 to 4 identify the intended effect of particular language choices
QCA AF6 Level 3 to 4 identify the effect of different sections of a text
Year group curricular targets/ learning objectives / Examples of possible children’s targets* / Example questions to support planning, teaching and assessment /Success criteria
/ PNS Useful Resources/ ReferencesStrand 7
Understanding and interpreting texts
(non-fiction example)
Understand how writers use different structures to create coherence and structure
Related learning objectives in this strand:
Appraise a text quickly, deciding its value, quality or usefulness
Recognise rhetorical devices used to argue, persuade, mislead and sway the reader
Understand underlying themes, causes and points of view
Explore how word meanings change when used in different contexts / I can state the purpose ofdifferent non-fiction texts and give reasons referring to the text and structure
I can identify the
purpose, audience and
organisation for different
non-fiction texts
Possible extension: I can say whether a piece of non-fiction writing has beensuccessful or not,
commenting on purpose,
audience and form
Possible extension: I can identify how print, images and sound combine to create meaning / What is the purpose of this text? How do you know?
Who is the intended audience? What are the clues?
What are the language features?
How has this text been organised? What presentational devices have been used?
What effect has the [writer/ page designer/ editor] tried to achieve by using [a presentational device/ language feature], e.g. headings/ subheadings/ illustrations/ use of language/ use of punctuation/ size and style of font/ colour/ use of space/ topic sentences/ charts/ out-take boxes?
Has the [writer/ page designer/ editor] been successful in their judgements about [purpose/ audience/ form/ use of language]?
Why do you think the author wrote [words/ phrases from the text]? What alternatives could they have written?
How does the [writer/ page designer/ editor] make sure that the reader reads the text in a certain way?
Compare two non-fiction texts on a similar theme or topic. Evaluate the purpose, audience, form and use of language.
For further subject knowledge support see Principles and explanation Year 5 and 6 Reading Targets, Understanding Reading Comprehension Fliers and Developing Reading Comprehension Paper / Commenting analysing and evaluating
The children:
- use a range of reading comprehension strategies to get meaning from a text
- know that non-fiction texts are organised according to their purpose and intended audience
- understand that non-fiction texts can be read in non-linear ways
- are able to read quickly and efficiently by skimming and
scanning
- are able to analyse and evaluate the success of a text, referring to
language features and structure to justify ideas / Developing Reading Comprehension and The Simple View of ReadingPapers on Subject Leader DVD handbook
Understanding Reading Comprehension, fliers 1, 2 and 3 ref: DfES 1310 – 2005 to 1312-2005
QCA / PNS Speaking, Listening and Learning: working with children in Key Stages 1 and 2 DfES 0163-2004
PNS Exemplified
units of work on Primary Framework
PNS Year 6 booster
Materials
Example Year 6 writing targets- creating and shaping texts
QCA AF1Level 3 to 4 develop a significant event from different points of view to interest or amuse the reader
QCA AF5 Level 3 to 4 use adverbials to vary sentence construction
Year group curricular targets/ learning objectives / Examples of possible children’s targets* / Example questions to support planning, teaching and assessment /Success criteria
/ PNS Useful Resources/ ReferencesStrand 9
Creating and shaping texts
Use different narrative techniques to engage and entertain the reader
Related learning objectives in this strand:
Integrate words, images and sounds imaginatively for different purposes
Select words and language drawing on their knowledge of literary features and formal and informal writing
Set their own challenges to extend achievement and experience in writing / I can create interesting
characters in my stories
by mixing action,
description and dialogue
I can use figurative language effectively to describe the setting, mood and characters in my writing
Possible extension: I can createand develop characters in mywriting by mixing action,description and dialogueusing direct and reportedspeech
Possible extension: I can use a range of narrative devices to engage the reader in my writing / Can you use a more powerful verb instead of saidor went?
Can you add an adverb to tell the reader more about the verb, e.g. how, when and where?
Can you add an action after the reporting clause? e.g. …,replied Sam angrily, storming out of the room.
How can you make the main characters represent opposites, e.g. good/evil, brave/cowardly, angry/happy?
How can you develop or change the main characters throughout your story?
How can you give a hint to the reader to show how a character is thinking or feeling in your story?
Could you use the passive voice to hide the agent and build the tension in your story?
How can you use [noun phrases/ similes/ metaphors/ personification/ alliteration] effectively to describe the setting or your characters? What effect have you created?
Should you use a reporting clause to let the reader know who is talking?
Could you use reported speech to move the action on more quickly?
Can you manipulate the phrases and clauses in your sentences to vary the pace, build up tension and avoid repetition?
Have you started a new line for a different speaker in your story?
Where should you use punctuationand capital letters in direct speech?
For further subject knowledge support see Principles and explanation Year 6 Writing Targets / The children:
- are able to create and develop
characters in stories using action,description and dialogue
- understand how to manipulatephrases and clauses for an effecton the reader
- are able to use punctuation within
the sentence
– use speech punctuation
accurately / GFW Unit:44, 45 and 53
(Yr5 Unit: 36)
UKLA/PNS Boys Writing Fliers DfES 1170-2005G
QCA / PNS Speaking, Listening and Learning: working with children in Key Stages 1 and 2 DfES 0163-2004
PNS Exemplified
units of work on Primary Framework
PNS Year 6 booster
Materials
Quality texts to
support the
teaching of
writing
Example Year 6 writing targets- text structure and organisation