Supporting Your Child’s Learning

Supporting your child's learning

What is expected of your child in Year 1

Reading

In your child’s first year at school you will become familiar with the reading colour wheel. The wheel is made up of 9 different colours that show your child’s progress on their way to becoming a strong reader. They will begin by reading simple books at the magenta level and progress up through the colours. In their reading they will not just learn to read words but to understand, and talk about the stories they read.

After one year of learning reading at school, most children will be able to:

read books at green level on the colour wheel
show they have understood the story and talk about what they have read.

Writing

In Year 1, your child will learn to write simple stories on their own. They will learn to plan their writing by talking, or by drawing pictures. Their writing will be for different purposes that cover several areas of the curriculum. For example, they may write about caring for a pet (science) or a report on a visit to a factory (technology). They will be able to read and talk about what they have written.

After one year of learning writing at school, most children will be able to:

plan what they want to write by talking, drawing or perhaps writing word ideas
write about their experiences and ideas and give information
link their story to everyday experiences
use many words they know from their reading.

Maths

In Year 1 your child will learn about numbers, algebra (symbols), geometry (shapes), measurement and statistics. They will learn to count on their fingers and by using objects. They may start to count in their heads and begin to recognise number patterns like 3+2=5.

After one year of learning maths at school they'll likely be able to:

solve maths problems up to 10, then up to 20
count forwards and backwards up to 20, then up to 100
know the number before and after any given number
explore patterns, shapes and measurement
organise and share objects
talk about position – eg “I am in front of the tree”, “I am behind you”.
ask and answer questions – eg “How many chairs are in the classroom?

What is expected of your child in Year 2

Reading

In your child’s second year at school they'll learn to read longer texts that might include diagrams with labels, some new words and descriptive language. To work out words they don't know they will use what they know about letters and other words in the writing. The stories they read will have a variety of sentence structures. Your child will be taught punctuation with a focus on how it guides the way we use expression, and how it can alter meaning. Your child will be bringing home both fiction and non-fiction books.

After two years of learning reading at school they'll likely be able to:

read books at turquoise level on the colour wheel
be able to tell things about the story that are hidden or suggested in the text
read sentences without big pauses
use punctuation to show meaning and add interest
notice when they make important mistakes and make an attempt to fix them
read silently to themselves
tell if a story is real or made up, remember important parts of a story and be able to find parts that answer questions.

Writing

In Year 2 your child will write simple stories and texts they can use at school and at home. This might include simple instructions, explanations of what happens and the way it happens, simple descriptions of people, or descriptions of things they have done and seen, know about or are have made up. They will learn about punctuation and how to use connecting words (eg “like”, “and”) to join sentences together.

After two years of learning writing at school they'll likely be able to:

write texts with a variety of uses such as stories, instructions, lists
use punctuation - full stops, question marks and capital letters most of the time
spell many words correctly, and try writing new words using what they know about other similar words
write several sentences that have different beginnings
use connecting words correctly
make an attempt at using a variety of adjectives, nouns, and verbs.

Maths

In Year 2 your child will learn to solve problems using numbers, algebra (symbols), geometry (shapes), measurement and statistics. They will be counting forwards and backwards in their heads starting from the biggest number, rather than from 1. They may use their fingers to keep track of numbers. Your child will learn to skip count (eg 5, 10, 15, 20) and to work with basic fractions. During your child’s second year at school, most of mathematics teaching time (60–80 per cent) will focus on number learning.

After two years of learning maths at school they'll likely be able to:

solve problems using numbers up to 100
skip count in 2s, 5s, and 10s, forwards and backwards
find ½ and ¼ of simple shapes and sets of objects
sort objects into common groups and describe what they have done
ask and answer questions and write up what they know
give and follow directions
measure objects using their hands, feet or a pencil.

What is expected of your child in Year 3

Reading

In your child’s third year at school they’ll bring home books to read to you that include some places, events, topics and words that will be new to them. Your child will be able to use the pictures and other parts of the book (sub-headings, text boxes, footnotes, glossaries, indexes, diagrams, maps) to work out the meaning. They may also be reading articles about science, art or other curriculum areas – eg about the life cycle of an insect.

After three years of learning reading at school they'll likely be able to:

read books at gold level on the colour wheel - this is the final stage on the wheel.
use the picture or the meaning of the story to work out unfamiliar words, or to understand the meaning
notice when they have made a mistake and fix it up, most of the time
find information that is clearly stated in the story, as well as some information that is hidden or suggested
talk about the meaning of the story and tell you what they have learned from reading about a special topic.

Writing

In Year 3 your child will be learning to write for a range of different purposes across the curriculum. For example they might write a step by step guide to compost (science) or a report on a visit from a nurse (health). They will be learning about using punctuation in their writing and how to use things like titles, headings and captions.

After three years of learning writing at school they'll likely be able to:

think about, record and communicate experiences, ideas and information
organise their writing using a basic structure, eg writing a text with a beginning, a middle and an end
write mainly simple (and sometimes complex) sentences that have different beginnings and lengths
use some words that are specifically about the topic and chosen for the audience
often correctly spell words they use, and use what they know about sounds in words to try to work out how to spell unknown words
build on their knowledge of punctuation and use it more often.

Maths

In Year 3 your child will be learning to solve realistic problems using their growing understanding of numbers, algebra (symbols), geometry (shapes), measurement and statistics. They will be learning skills like how to break up numbers and move them around without counting, eg 8 + 5 can be more easily worked out by breaking it up into 8+2+3.

After three years of learning maths at school they'll likely be able to:

explore patterns in numbers up to 1,000
use their basic facts to solve problems
talk about fractions when sharing and exploring shapes and quantities
organise objects and talk about what’s different and what’s the same
create and describe patterns
measure objects and time
give and follow directions
talk about the reasons why an event is likely to happen or not
investigate a topic, display and discuss what they have discovered.

What is expected of your child in Year 4

Reading

In your child’s fourth year at school they’ll be independently reading a range of fiction and non-fiction books. They will use this reading to support their learning in all areas of the curriculum. Their reading material will include some compound and complex sentences, which may consist of 2 or 3 clauses. They’ll also be introduced to figurative language, such as metaphors, similes, and personification.

After four years of learning reading at school they'll likely be able to:

know what they like to read and be able to choose what’s right for them
understand what they are reading and be able to talk about the main ideas, as well as ideas that are not so obvious
recognise and understand the information in different kinds of books
read smoothly, like talking
notice when they make a mistake in their reading and be able to fix it, most of the time
read to find out information, like answers to questions.

Writing

In Year 4 your child will be writing a variety of material to support their learning in all areas of the curriculum. They’ll be writing in simple and compound sentences, and learning to write more complex sentences with more than one clause. They will be learning about nouns, verbs, adverbs and adjectives.

After four years of learning writing at school they'll likely be able to:

use their writing to think about, record and communicate experiences, ideas and information
write by themselves for different purposes
know that their writing needs to be suited to the people who will read it
read and change their writing to improve it, most of the time
notice mistakes and correct them in their writing (spelling, grammar, punctuation), most of the time
publish their writing in a variety of ways including using computers, cameras, illustrations, and diagrams.

Maths

In Year 4 your child will continue to learn to solve realistic problems using their growing understanding of numbers, algebra (symbols), geometry (shapes), measurement and statistics. They’ll learn about solving problems by using basic addition, subtraction and simple multiplication facts.

After four years of learning maths at school they'll likely be able to:

work with numbers up to 1,000
use their knowledge of 2, 3, 4, 5 and 10 times tables to solve problems
find fractions of sets, shapes and quantities
make and continue patterns and explain the rule for the pattern
sort objects and describe how they have been grouped (eg shape and size)
choose how you can best measure length, area, volume, capacity, weight, temperature and time
use simple maps to show position and direction
talk about events that will or will not happen
make up questions to investigate then graph and discuss their findings.

What is expected of your child in Year 5

Reading

In your child’s fifth year at school they will be reading and learning to understand a variety of fiction and non-fiction stories. Texts will include more abstract ideas and figurative language, longer sentences with multiple clauses, different text types, and a significant number of words that are likely to be unfamiliar to your child.

After five years of learning reading at school they'll likely be able to:

read for longer periods of time
choose stories that support their learning and choose stories to read for fun
choose what reading skills they use when they have difficulties and when they are reading harder stories eg re-reading parts they don’t understand
work out the words they don’t know by looking at the surrounding words, pictures or other clues
understand and discuss the different levels of meaning a story can have eg understand hidden meanings
read different stories about the same topic, and be able to pull this information together to express an idea, or write on a topic
ask and answer questions about things that they read
discuss the way authors have made choices when writing – about the words, places, characters and ideas the authors have chosen.

Writing

In Year 5 your child will continue to learn to think about, record, and communicate their experiences and ideas in their writing. Ideas for writing may come from talking, listening and reading about topics in all areas of the curriculum.

After five years of learning writing at school they'll likely be able to:

use different ways to think about, plan and organise their writing
use words and phrases that are suitable for the topic and audience
choose the best way to express their message or ideas in writing
use detail to support their main ideas and paragraphs to group their ideas
improve the clarity and impact of their writing, especially after feedback from others
check their own writing for correct spelling, grammar and punctuation
choose the best way to publish their writing, including digitally, print, charts and diagrams.

Maths

In Year 5 your child will be learning to solve realistic problems using their growing understanding of numbers, algebra (symbols), geometry (shapes), measurement and statistics. They will be solving problems involving several steps, including choosing the best method. They will be learning that there are often several ways that a problem can be solved.

After five years of learning maths at school they'll likely be able to:

choose an appropriate method to solve problems (using +, – , x , ÷) and clearly explain their methods to other people
use their known basic facts to work out unknown facts and to find fractions of sets, shapes and quantities
sort 2D and 3D shapes and justify how they have been grouped
use grid references on maps and points of the compass to describe the location of objects
measure the size and capacity of objects
explore the concept of chance by listing all of the possible outcomes
investigate questions, show the information and discuss the data.

What is expected of your child in Year 6

Reading

In your child’s sixth year at school they’ll be reading non-fiction books, chapter books, magazines and information on the computer. They’ll be reading these kinds of stories in all areas of the curriculum.

After six years of learning reading at school they'll likely be able to:

read longer stories more quickly, and read for longer periods of time
find information and ideas easily in the story, as well as information that is more hidden – using clues in the story and what they already know
work out words they don’t know the meaning of by using clues in the story or pictures and diagrams
quickly find important ideas and information by ‘skimming’ and ‘scanning’ (eg using sub-headings, key words or first sentences in paragraphs)
know they sometimes need to read from several sources of information (books, magazines, the internet) to get all the information they need for their work.

Writing

In Year 6 your child’s writing will continue to describe their own experiences and ideas and to show how they are thinking about these. Ideas for writing may come from talking, listening and reading about topics in all areas of the curriculum.

After six years of learning writing at school they'll likely be able to:

choose the type of writing to suit the audience
plan what they will write in different ways
organise their writing logically using paragraphs as well as other features like headings, sub-headings, diagrams, pictures and captions
choose words carefully to suit the topic or purpose and to make people want to read their writing
check their writing to make sure it makes sense
spell most words correctly and use appropriate punctuation.

Maths

In Year 6 your child will continue to learn to solve realistic problems using their growing understanding of numbers, algebra (symbols), geometry (shapes), measurement and statistics. They’ll be solving problems involving several steps and which require them to choose the most appropriate method. They will be learning a range of approaches to solve problems and will be able to make general statements about numbers and patterns.

After six years of learning maths at school they'll likely be able to:

solve problems (using +, – , x , ÷) that require them to choose the best method
use repeated halving or known multiplication facts to solve problems involving fractions
find the value of a given number in a pattern
sort, create and identify 2D and 3D shapes
measure time and find the area and volume of objects
use grid references on maps and points of the compass to give directions
draw objects from different view points
explain results of investigations by identifying patterns
experiment to work out the likelihood of an event happening.