English

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  Teachers should develop vocabulary actively, building systematically on pupils’ current knowledge. They should increase pupils’ store of words in general; simultaneously, they should also make links between known and new vocabulary and discuss the shades of meaning in similar words. In this way, pupils expand the vocabulary choices that are available to them when they write. In addition, it is vital for pupils’ comprehension that they understand the meanings of words they meet. It is particularly important to induct pupils into the language which defines each subject in its own right, such as accurate mathematical and scientific language. 

 The national curriculum for English reflects the importance of spoken language in pupils’ development across the whole curriculum – cognitively, socially and linguistically. Spoken language continues to underpin the development of pupils’ reading and writing during key stages 3 and 4 and teachers should therefore ensure pupils’ confidence and competence in this area continue to develop. Pupils should be taught to understand and use the conventions for discussion and debate, as well as continuing to develop their skills in working collaboratively

Pupils should be taught to speak clearly and convey ideas confidently using Standard English. They should learn to justify ideas with reasons; ask questions to check understanding; develop vocabulary and build knowledge; negotiate; evaluate and build on the ideas of others; and select the appropriate register for effective communication. They should be taught to give well-structured descriptions and explanations and develop their understanding through speculating, hypothesising and exploring ideas. This will enable them to clarify their thinking.

They must be assisted in making their thinking clear to themselves as well as to others and teachers should ensure that pupils build secure foundations by using discussion to probe and remedy their misconceptions. Pupils should also be taught to understand and use the conventions for discussion and debate. All pupils should be enabled to participate in and gain knowledge, skills and understanding associated with the artistic practice of drama. Pupils should be able to adopt, create and sustain a range of roles, responding appropriately to others in role. They should have opportunities to improvise, devise and script drama for one another and a range of audiences, as well as to rehearse, refine, share and respond thoughtfully to drama and theatre performances.

• Listen and respond appropriately to adults and their peers
• Ask relevant questions to extend their understanding and knowledge
• Use relevant strategies to build their vocabulary
• Articulate and justify answers, arguments and opinions
• Give well-structured descriptions, explanations for different purposes, including for expressing feelings
• Maintain attention and participate actively in collaborative conversations, staying on topic and initiating and responding to comments
• Use spoken language to develop understanding through speculating, hypothesising, imagining and exploring ideas
• Speak audibly and fluently with an increasing command of Standard English
• Participate in discussions, presentations, performances, role play, and debates
• Gain, maintain and monitor the interest of the listener(s)
• Consider and evaluate different viewpoints, attending to and building on the contributions of others
• Select and use appropriate registers for effective communication

Pupils should be taught to develop their competence in spoken language and listening to enhance the effectiveness with which they are able to communicate across a range of contexts and to a range of audiences. They should therefore have opportunities to work in groups of different sizes – in pairs, small groups, large groups and as a whole class. Pupils should understand how to take turns and when and how to participate constructively in conversations and debates. Attention should also be paid to increasing pupils’ vocabulary, ranging from describing their immediate world and feelings to developing a broader, deeper and richer vocabulary to discuss abstract concepts and a wider range of topics, and to enhancing their knowledge about language as a whole.

Pupils should have opportunities to listen frequently to stories, poems, nonfiction and other writing, including whole books and not just extracts, so that they build on what was taught previously. In this way, they also meet books and authors that they might not choose themselves.

• Pupils should be taught to recognise themes in what they read, such as loss or heroism
• They should have opportunities to compare characters, consider different accounts of the same event and discuss viewpoints (both of authors and of fictional characters), within a text and across more than one text
• In using reference books, pupils need to know what information they need to look for before they begin and need to understand the task
• They should be shown how to use contents pages and indexes to locate information
• The skills of information retrieval that are taught should be applied, for example, in reading geography and science textbooks, and in contexts where pupils are genuinely motivated to find out information
• Pupils should have guidance about and feedback on the quality of their explanations and contributions to discussions
• Pupils should be shown how to compare characters, settings, themes and other aspects of what they read

Pupils should maintain positive attitudes to reading and understanding of what they read by:

• Continuing to read and discuss an increasingly wide range of fiction, poetry, plays, non-fiction and reference books or textbooks
• Reading books that are structured in different ways and reading for a range of purposes
• Increasing their familiarity with a wide range of books
• Recommending books that they have read to their peers, giving reasons for their choices
• Identifying and discussing themes and conventions in and across a wide range of writing
• Making comparisons within and across books
• Learning a wider range of poetry by heart
• Preparing poems and plays to read aloud and to perform, showing understanding through intonation, tone and volume so that the meaning is clear to an audience

They should understand what they read by:

• Checking that the book makes sense to them, discussing their understanding and exploring the meaning of words in context
• Asking questions to improve their understanding
• Drawing inferences such as inferring characters’ feelings, thoughts and motives from their actions, and justifying inferences with evidence
• Predicting what might happen from details stated and implied
• Summarising the main ideas drawn from more than one paragraph, identifying key details that support the main ideas
• Identifying how language, structure and presentation contribute to meaning
• Distinguish between statements of fact and opinion
• Retrieve, record and present information from non-fiction
• Participate in discussions about books that are read to them and those they can read for themselves, building on their own and others’ ideas and challenging views courteously
• Explain and discuss their understanding of what they have read, including through debates, maintaining a focus on the topic and using notes where necessary
• Provide reasoned justifications for their views