Welcome to our English

Workshop

Aims

• To share Knaphill priorities for English this year

• To explain how English is taught here including:

Vocabulary, Reading, Spelling, Punctuation,

Sentence Structures and Editing and Improving.

KS2 SATS

Priorities for this year

Focus on high quality presentation of work supported

by our presentation policy which sets out guidelines

and expectations for pupils and staff. Develop high

quality presentation of work across the curriculum.

Rewards - Presentation Award – ‘Golden Pencil.’

Homework Diaries – contain many useful resources e.g.

Statutory spellings, grammar and punctuation

checklists

Aids to support the writing process in class e.g. PC Hill,

dictionary, thesaurus, handwriting pens.

Handwriting

Pupils should be taught to:

a)Write legibly, fluently and with increasing speed

by:

b)Choose which shape of a letter to use when

given choices

and deciding whether or not to join specific

letters

c)Choose the writing implement that is best

suited for a task

PC Hill

Overview

Reading – taught through Guided Reading sessions, 1:1

reading, Phonics through interventions, booster/catch

up groups, class texts. (Vocabulary and

Comprehension skills are developed)

Spelling – Spelling lessons each week at the start of an

English lessons, word lists to learn at home, Spelling tests

once per week.

Writing – is taught regularly with an emphasis on correct

grammar and punctuation, how to structure sentences

and editing and improving work.

Vocabulary

Workshop

Vocabulary

Although it is important to hear your child

read, it will also benefit your child to read

them texts that they aren’t able to

access themselves yet. This will really help

to hear a wider range of vocabulary.

Vocabulary

In class, we facilitate children’s use of ambitious vocabulary in a

number of ways:

- Children are encouraged to use a thesaurus.

- By providing word banks of potential words that a child could

use in their writing.

- Generating word banks as a class group at the start of a task,

for children to magpie(borrow) in their own writing.

Generating Vocabulary and

Descriptive SentencesPobble 365 (www.pobble365.com) is a great

way to find different images to inspire your

child to write.

You could use this resource at home by

choosing an exciting image and ask your child

to generate descriptive phrases, write a story or

describe the character/setting.

The children could use the back of their diaries

to find a range of resources to help them with

their writing e.g. ISPACED to help them with

different sentence starters.

Reading

(APE)

Workshop

Lower KS2

Many people are frightened of

crocodiles. Do you think the

crocodile in this poem sounds

frightening?

Explain your answer.

How Doth the Little Crocodile

How doth the little crocodile

Improve his shining tail,

And pour the waters of the Nile

On every golden scale!

How cheerfully he seems to grin,

How neatly spreads his claws,

And welcomes little fishes in,

With gently smiling jaws!

Upper KS2

Why do you think Mole was so

keen to leave his home and go

above ground?

Explain fully and refer to the text

in your answer.

The Wind in the Willows

The Mole had been working very hard all morning,

spring-cleaning his little home. First, with brooms, then

with dusters; then on ladders and steps and chairs,

with a brush and a pail of whitewash; till he had dust

in his throat and eyes, and splashes of whitewash all

over his black fur, and an aching back and weary

arms. Spring was moving in the air above and in the

earth below and around him, penetrating even his

dark and lowly little house with its spirit of divine

discontent and longing. It was small wonder, then,

that he suddenly flung down his brush on the floor,

said ’Bother!’…

R –

I –

C –

R – What book is this quote from? Who is the

author?

I – What do you think would happen if you have

nice thoughts?

C – What is the author trying to persuade you to

do and how?

Spelling

Workshop

• Spell words from the statutory word list

• use prefixes and suffixes and understand how to add them

(e.g. dis-, un-, -ly, -ness)

• Spell homophones (e.g. here, hear; there, their, they’re)

• Spell words including specified spelling patterns (e.g. ai sound

spelt ei, eight, or ey e.g. weigh, eight, neighbour, they, obey)

• Place the possessive apostrophe accurately in words with

singular nouns (e.g. woman’s, man’s), regular plural nouns

(e.g. girls’, boys’) and in words with irregular plurals (e.g.

children’s, women’s)

• Use apostrophes for contractions accurately e.g. can’t,

wouldn’t

• Write from memory simple sentences, dictated by the

teacher, that include words (and punctuation) taught so far

• Use the first two or three letters of a word to check its spelling

in a dictionary

• Proof read for spelling errors.

Year 3 and 4 Objectives

Statutory Word Lists are also in your child’s homework diary

• Spell words from the statutory word list

• Use further prefixes and suffixes (e.g. over, re–, –ate, –ise] and

understand the guidance for adding them

• Spell words including specified spelling patterns (e.g. word

endings which sound like ‘shush’ spelt –cious or –tious e.g. vicious, ambitious, cautious, delicious)

• Spell words with hyphens (e.g. co-ordinate, re-enter, co-

operate)

• Spell some words with ‘silent’ letters [e.g. knight, psalm,

solemn]

• Continue to distinguish between homophones and other

words which are often confused (e.g. advice/advise,

aloud/allowed)• Use knowledge of morphology and etymology (word origins,

how words are built up using prefixes and suffixes) to spell

correctly

• Use the first three or four letters of a word to check spelling, meaning or both of these in a dictionary

• Use a thesaurus to improve vocabulary

Year 5 and 6 Objectives

Statutory Word Lists are also in your child’s homework diary

Effective Strategies for learning spellings 1

Effective Strategies for learning spellings 3

http://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/ks2/english/spelling_grammar/

For spelling activities try these websites:

http://www.topmarks.co.uk/search.aspx?q=spelling

Support for spelling in class and at home:

Phonetic dictionary

(words are spelt

how they sound)

ThesaurusTraditional dictionary

Have a go! Spelling test – Year 3 and 4

Year 3

Year 4

Have a go! Spelling test – Year 5 and 6

Year 5

Year 6

Have a go! Suffixes and prefixes – Year 3

Have a go! Suffixes and prefixes – Year 6

Have a go! Dictionary work

Race to find a definition for this word in

the dictionary…

Can you use a phonetic dictionary,

which will help you find some common

spelling mistakes?

Have a go! Thesaurus work

Using a thesaurus, can you find two

synonyms (words or phrases that mean

exactly or nearly the same) for the

underlined words:

The boy looked very sad.

Scared and desperate, he ran away

from the scary beast.

Punctuation

Workshop

Year 3 Punctuation Objectives

Introduction to inverted commas to punctuate direct speech

Year 4 Punctuation Objectives

Use of inverted commas and other punctuation to indicate direct

speech (for example, a comma after the reporting clause; end

punctuation within inverted commas: The conductor shouted, “Sit

down!”)

Apostrophes to mark plural possession (for example, the girl’s name,

the girls’ names.)

Use of commas after fronted adverbials.

Year 5 Punctuation Objectives

Use commas to clarify meaning or avoid ambiguity in writing.

Using brackets, dashes or commas to indicate parenthesis

(additional information)) e.g. the president (and his assistant)

travelled by private jet.

Year 6 Punctuation Objectives

Use commas to separate phrases or clauses to clarify meaning or

avoid ambiguity in writing.

Using hyphens to avoid ambiguity.

Use inverted commas correctly.

Using brackets, dashes or commas to indicate parenthesis.

Using semi-colons or dashes to mark boundaries between

independent clauses.

Use apostrophes to mark contractions.

Using a colon to introduce a list.

Punctuating bullet points consistently.

Inverted Commas

Inverted commas go around the part of the sentence that is being spoken.

ApostrophesPossession

Use an apostrophe to show possession (one thing belongs to another).

It was the dog's bone.

Add 's to dog to show the bone belonged to it.

Amy's dad was late picking her up from the cinema.

Add 's to Amy to show that it was her dad who was late.

Contraction

you have you've

we have we've

it is it's

do not don't

could not couldn't

is not isn't

Contractions

You can also use apostrophes to

show that you have omitted (left

out) some letters in a word, or when

joining words together.

Using contractions (two words

shortened to make one) like these

makes your writing easier to read

and more friendly.

Semi ColonSemi-colons, like commas and full stops, are a form of pause. They mark a breather within a

sentence. The full stop is the strongest pause, whilst the comma is the weakest. The semi-colon

comes in-between the two.

Rule 1: The semi-colon can be used instead of a full stop. It can link two completely

independent sentences and join them to make one sentence. The two sentences must be on

the same theme. The semi-colon can be used instead of a conjunction to join the sentences.

Example 1: John opened the drawer; it was empty.

Example 2: She was very tired; she had worked late the night before.

So long as the second 'sentence' after the semi-colon links back to the first 'sentence,' it is

correct. They both must make sense on their own.

Rule 2: The semi-colon can be used in a descriptive list. When we first write lists lower down

the school, we tend to separate items in the list using a comma. However, when we describe

each item in the list, the sentence is extended considerably meaning that a semi-colon is

more appropriate.

To play the piano well you need a strong pair of hands; the ability to read music; a high level

of focus and a certain passion to perform.

ColonColons are used to expand a sentence. A colon is used to introduce an idea that is an

explanation or continuation of the one that comes before the colon.

Colons are used to introduce a list.

Dashes and BracketsDashes and brackets perform similar functions. They are useful for separating off parts of

a sentence which introduce subordinate information which could be omitted. They are

used to punctuate subordinate clauses.

Dashes also introduce afterthoughts, particularly those of a surprising or unexpected

nature. Brackets cannot be used in this way:

Isobel (Isobel White, not Isobel Greene), injured her knee in P.E

today.

Many cats – but not all of them – sleep for 15 hours a day.

Lilies are my favourite flower – they smell awful though.

I don’t like sharing a room with my brother – he is the messiest person in the world!

SPAG

SPAG

SPAG

SPAG

SPAG

SPAG

Sentence

Structures

Workshop

Year 3 Sentence structure objectives

Uses a wider range of conjunctions e.g. however, when, if because,

although

Uses expanded noun phrases to add detail and interest e.g. The

spooky house on the hill.

Start with a conjunction and add an

expanded noun phrase

Although Mike was really scared, he bravely

crossed the threshold of the spooky house on the

hill.

Year 4 Sentence Structure objectives

Continue to use conjunctions (but, so when, because, while), adverbs (then,

next, soon, therefore) and prepositions (before, after, during, in, because of)

to express time and cause.

Uses fronted adverbials e.g. Later that day, I heard the bad news

I can use expanded noun phrases by modifying adjectives, nouns and

prepositions e.g. the strict Maths teacher with curly hair or the boy from the

shop is waiting at the corner

Start with a fronted adverbial

add an expanded noun phrase with a modifying

adverbs and a prepositional phrase.

A few minutes later, he smelt a mysterious aroma

drifting slowly from the gloomy kitchen.

-recognising vocabulary and structures that are appropriate for formal speech

and writing.

-using the perfect form of verbs to mark relationships of time and cause e.g. I

had/have found a necklace.

-using expanded noun phrases to convey complicated information concisely.

e.g. the paisley patterned tie with a Windsor knot….

-using modal verbs or adverbs to indicate degrees of possibility e.g. could, might,

should-he could (verb) probably (adverb) help us a lot or I will (verb) definitely

(adverb) call you tomorrow.

-using relative clauses beginning with who, which, where, when, whose, that e.g. I

want to live in a place where there is lots to do or with an implied (i.e. omitted)

relative pronoun e.g. the boy who was feeling very ill…the boy feeling very ill….

-Using some variety in subordinating conjunctions: because, if, which e.g.

because the rain can damage their skin….which was strange…if she could…..

Year 5 Sentence structure objectives

Start with a simple sentence.

Barry went to the fish and chip shop.

This is an independent clause.

Children need to know what is the subject of the sentence and what the verb and noun is.

We can then add an expanded noun phrase.

Barry went to the fish and chip shop with the bright neon sign outside.

Relative clause

Barry went to the fish and chip shop with the bright neon sign outside.

They start with: who, which, where, when, whose, that.

We have been teaching the children to place the relative clause in different places.

Barry, who should really be on a diet, went to the fish and chip shop with the bright neon sign outside.

Can you add your own relative clause?

Conjunctions

Add in a conjunction for a dependent clause.

because, if, which, while, although, despite, when

Barry, who should really be on a diet, went to

the fish and chip shop with the bright neon sign

outside while his old lady had a chat with

friends.

Year 6 Sentence Structure objectives

using expanded noun phrases to convey

complicated information concisely e.g. the

unsightly rubbish lying at the bottom of the once beautiful canal….

uses some variation in sentence structure through

a range of openings: adverbials (e.g. some time

later, as we ran, once he had arrived…); subject

reference (e.g. they, the boys, our gang…); speech.

Adverbials

Some time later, immediately, with no

time to lose…

Can you think of one to add?

Barry, who should really be on a diet, went to

the fish and chip shop with the bright neon

sign outside while his old lady had a chat

with friends.

Recap

With surprising speed, Barry, who

should really be on a diet, went to

the fish and chip shop with the

bright neon sign outside while his

old lady had a chat with friends.

Editing &

Improving

Workshop

Why edit and improve?The new National Curriculum emphasises the importance of children being able to edit and proofread their work.

Year 3 ObjectivesShould evaluate and edit by:• Suggesting positive features of and ways to improve a piece of writing, using specific success

criteria in their own and others’ writing.• Re-write sentences making changes to grammar or vocabulary based on objectives already

taught.• Begin to develop proof-reading skills, for identifying punctuation errors with support. E.g.

checklist, marking codes.• Read aloud their own writing, using appropriate intonation and controlling the tone and

volume so the meaning is clear.

Year 4 ObjectivesShould evaluate and edit by:• Assessing the effectiveness of their own and others’ writing and suggesting improvements.• Proposing changes to grammar and vocabulary to improve consistency, including the

accurate use of pronouns in sentences.• Proof-read for spelling and punctuation errors.• Read aloud their own writing, to a group or the whole class, using appropriate intonation and

controlling the tone and volume so the meaning is clear.

Why edit and improve?The new National Curriculum emphasises the importance of children being able to

edit and proofread their work.

Year 5 ObjectivesShould evaluate and edit by:

• Assessing the effectiveness of their own and others’ writing.

• Proposing changes to vocabulary, grammar and punctuation to clarify meaning.

• Ensuring the consistent and correct use of tense throughout a piece of writing.

• Ensuring correct subject and verb agreement when using singular and plural.

• Proof-read for spelling and punctuation errors.

Year 6 ObjectivesShould evaluate and edit by:

• Assessing the effectiveness of their own and others’ writing.

• Proposing changes to vocabulary, grammar and punctuation to enhance effects

and clarify meaning.

• Ensuring correct subject and verb agreement when using singular and plural,

distinguishing between the language of speech and writing and choosing the

appropriate register.

• Proof-read for spelling and punctuation errors.

How could you improve these sentences?

Guided Reading or Homework Activity (Example)

Think about all the ways you can improve a sentence:-

• Using powerful verbs

• Using adjectives (but too many!) to describe the noun

• Adding adverbs to tell the reader about the verb

• Extending a sentence using conjunctions

• Adding super sentence starters

• Don’t forget PUNCTUATION!

1. The band played.

2. The police searched the park.

3. The witch climbed onto her broom.

4. The footballer kicked the ball.

5. The man walked up the hill.

6. The cat walked along the wall.

How do we support children to edit and improve?

At the end of each piece of

extended writing, children are

given a target by their class

teacher.

The child should then show that

this target has been addressed in

their next piece of extended

writing.

E.g.

Commas to mark clauses.

The child will then need to show

how they have used commas to

mark clauses in their writing.

If the target is not met fully, the

target will be ongoing for the next

piece of writing.

How would you improve this work?

The example on the right is an extract taken from a child’s narrative.

The class teacher has underlined the words that they would like the child to look up and correct independently in the dictionary.

The target which has been given to this child is to improve the sentence starters which they have used.

The child will need to go through this paragraph and, using green pen, improve the sentence starters they have used.

Sunny woke up to the smell

of dirtee water and dirtee

earth. Sunny looked

beneeth his feet and saw

some stones and some

weeds. Sunny realised he

was in a small cave and the

walls were covered in

horrible slime.

Redrafting

After completing a piece of extended writing, children also have

the opportunity to redraft a paragraph of their work.

They should ensure that they have:-

• Used a dictionary to address misspellings identified by the

teacher.

• Improve the vocabulary they have used using a thesaurus.

• Use constructive feedback given by their peer during the

editing and improving process.

• Implement the new writing target that the teacher has given

them.