Writing:

We begin the year by improving the children’s vocabulary through poetry. Our first class topic will be Ancient Greece; all English work will be linked to it. For example, following poetry, we be delving further into Greek legends, where they will learn how to produce their own legend, using a similar style to that of the traditional myths they will encounter. The class will then look into writing clear and concise instructions. After half term, the children will be writing recounts with a focus on biographical accounts. More poetry will then follow, ending the term with report writing. All of this will continue to follow the Ancient Greece theme. 

Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar:

A continued focus this year is developing the children’s confidence with spelling rules, the use of simple and more complex punctuation, and knowing, recognising and using more advanced grammatical vocabulary and techniques.

Reading:

In Year 5, the children are expected to continue reading at least 5 times a week. It is important that the children choose books which are appropriately pitched against their reading ability, but we encourage them to read texts which demand more resilience in terms of the length, complexity of vocabulary and sentence structure. Alongside being able to retrieve information from a text, and discuss choices made by the author, the children are expected to look deeper into texts, making deductions about characters, plots and information, where the evidence may not be clearly written within the text. The children will also address underlying themes within narratives, as well as how language is used for effect (creating images in their minds). Some key technical terms the children will be exploring are: metaphor, simile, analogy, imagery, style and effect.

In addition, please try to read a range of texts and both fiction and non-fiction material. We will soon be using Bug Club. This is a website that allows staff to place books on a virtual shelf for children to read both at home and in school. Some homework will include this. Opportunities to do homework that requires the internet will be provided in school for those who do not have access to it at home.