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Browse by Grade: Year 2

United Kingdom · National Curriculum Attainment Targets

Year 2 English

This course develops foundational literacy through immersive exploration of narrative structures, functional writing, and spoken performance. Students transition from decoding to fluent reading while mastering the grammatical tools necessary for expressive and coherent composition.

6 units·47 topics·Ages 6-7

01Mastering Narrative Worlds

8 topics·Autumn Term

Students explore traditional tales and contemporary stories to understand character motivation and plot sequencing.

Identifying Character Traits

Analyzing how authors use adjectives and actions to reveal what a character is like inside.

Hot SeatThink-Pair-Share
Understanding Character Feelings

Exploring how characters express emotions and how these feelings drive their actions.

Role PlayCase Study Analysis
Analyzing Character Motivation

Investigating why characters make certain choices and the impact of those choices on the story.

Role PlayCase Study Analysis
Story Beginnings: Setting the Scene

Identifying how stories introduce characters, settings, and initial problems.

Concept MappingThink-Pair-Share
Story Middles: Rising Action and Challenges

Breaking down stories into rising action, challenges, and the turning point.

Role PlayJigsaw
Story Endings: Resolution and Closure

Understanding how stories resolve conflicts and conclude their narratives.

Concept MappingRAFT Writing
Exploring Traditional Tales: Fairy Tales

Identifying common features, characters, and moral lessons in fairy tales.

Hexagonal ThinkingThink-Pair-Share
Exploring Traditional Tales: Fables

Identifying common features, characters, and moral lessons in fables.

Think-Pair-Share

02Information and the Real World

8 topics·Autumn Term

Focusing on non-fiction texts to identify organizational features and extract specific information.

Navigating Non-Fiction: Headings

Using headings to quickly understand the main idea of sections.

Gallery WalkCase Study Analysis
Navigating Non-Fiction: Subheadings

Using subheadings to quickly understand the main idea of subsections.

Stations RotationThink-Pair-Share
Navigating Non-Fiction: Glossaries

Using glossaries to find the meaning of new words quickly and accurately.

Stations RotationThink-Pair-Share
Navigating Non-Fiction: Indexes

Using indexes to find specific information quickly and accurately.

Stations RotationThink-Pair-Share
Navigating Non-Fiction: Diagrams and Captions

Understanding how diagrams and captions provide visual information and context.

Gallery WalkConcept Mapping
Reporting Facts: Organizing Information

Writing clear and concise reports about animals or historical events using technical vocabulary.

Expert PanelStations Rotation
Reporting Facts: Using Precise Vocabulary

Selecting appropriate technical vocabulary to enhance the accuracy and clarity of reports.

Chalk TalkGive One, Get One
Distinguishing Fact vs. Opinion

Distinguishing between factual statements and personal opinions in non-fiction texts.

Philosophical ChairsHuman Barometer

03The Power of Poetry and Performance

8 topics·Spring Term

Investigating rhythm, rhyme, and imagery through oral performance and creative verse.

Rhyme and Rhyme Schemes

Exploring different rhyme schemes in classic and modern poetry.

Save the Last WordRound Robin
Rhythm and Beat in Poetry

Understanding how the rhythm of a poem influences its reading and mood.

Role PlayFishbowl Discussion
Alliteration for Sound Effects

Identifying and using alliteration to create vivid sound effects in poetry.

Chalk TalkRound Robin
Onomatopoeia for Sensory Detail

Identifying and using onomatopoeia to create vivid sound effects in poetry.

Chalk TalkRound Robin
Performance: Using Voice and Intonation

Using intonation and volume to bring written words to life for an audience.

Role PlayFishbowl Discussion
Performance: Pauses and Pace

Understanding the role of pauses and pace in making a performance more dramatic and clear.

Role PlayFishbowl Discussion
Performance: Body Language and Gestures

Exploring how gestures and facial expressions enhance spoken performance.

Role PlayHot Seat
Creating Simple Rhyming Poems

Drafting short poems using learned poetic devices like rhyme and alliteration.

Carousel BrainstormRAFT Writing

04Persuasion and Instruction

8 topics·Spring Term

Learning how to influence others and provide clear directions through functional writing.

Instructions: Imperative Verbs

Using imperative verbs to write clear and direct 'how-to' guides.

Peer TeachingCollaborative Problem-Solving
Instructions: Chronological Order

Sequencing steps logically to create effective instructional texts.

Problem-Based LearningStations Rotation
Instructions: Time Connectives

Using time connectives (e.g., 'first', 'next', 'then') to sequence instructions clearly.

Peer TeachingStations Rotation
Persuasion: Emotive Language

Exploring how to use emotive language to convince an audience.

RAFT WritingThink-Pair-Share
Persuasion: Slogans and Catchphrases

Designing memorable slogans and catchphrases for persuasive texts.

Project-Based LearningCarousel Brainstorm
Persuasion: Layouts and Visuals

Designing visually appealing layouts for persuasive texts, like posters or advertisements.

Project-Based LearningGallery Walk
Giving Clear Verbal Directions

Practicing giving clear verbal instructions for simple tasks or routes.

Simulation GameExperiential Learning
Following Multi-Step Directions

Practicing following multi-step directions accurately and asking for clarification.

Simulation GameExperiential Learning

05Grammar as a Craft Tool

8 topics·Summer Term

Refining writing quality by mastering sentence types, punctuation, and tense consistency.

Sentence Types: Statements

Constructing clear and complete statements.

Stations RotationChalk Talk
Sentence Types: Questions

Constructing questions to vary writing style and engage the reader.

Stations RotationChalk Talk
Sentence Types: Exclamations

Using exclamations to add emphasis and express strong feelings in writing.

Stations RotationRound Robin
Sentence Types: Commands

Using commands to direct action in writing.

Stations RotationRound Robin
Tense: Consistent Past Tense

Ensuring consistency in past tense throughout a piece of writing.

Case Study AnalysisPeer Teaching
Tense: Consistent Present Tense

Maintaining consistent present tense in descriptions and factual writing.

Round RobinThink-Pair-Share
Punctuation: Capital Letters

Mastering the use of capital letters for proper nouns and sentence beginnings.

Stations RotationGraffiti Wall
Punctuation: Full Stops

Mastering the use of full stops to end sentences.

Stations RotationGraffiti Wall

06The Independent Author

7 topics·Summer Term

Synthesizing skills to plan, draft, and edit original extended narratives.

Brainstorming Story Ideas

Using brainstorming techniques to generate creative ideas for original stories.

Carousel BrainstormConcept Mapping
Developing Characters and Settings

Creating detailed characters and vivid settings for an original narrative.

Hexagonal ThinkingThink-Pair-Share
Story Mapping for Plot Structure

Creating visual story maps to outline plot, characters, and setting.

Concept MappingPlacemat Activity
Drafting: Engaging Story Beginnings

Writing engaging opening paragraphs that introduce the story's world and characters.

RAFT WritingThink-Pair-Share
Drafting: Developing the Middle with Challenges

Expanding on the plot, introducing challenges, and developing character interactions.

Role PlayInquiry Circle
Drafting: Crafting Satisfying Endings

Crafting satisfying endings that resolve conflicts and provide closure.

RAFT WritingSave the Last Word
Editing: Spelling and Punctuation Check

Reviewing work to check for spelling, punctuation, and grammatical accuracy.

Save the Last WordPeer Teaching