The English curriculum is built
around the three interrelated strands of language, literature and literacy.
Teaching and learning programs should balance and integrate all three strands.
Together, the three strands focus on developing students’ knowledge,
understanding and skills in listening, reading, viewing, speaking, writing and
creating. Learning in English builds on concepts, skills and processes
developed in earlier years, and teachers will develop and strengthen these as
needed.
Prep Year
Students engage with a variety of
texts for enjoyment. They listen to, read and view spoken, written and
multimodal texts in which the primary purpose is to entertain, as well as some
texts designed to inform. These include traditional oral texts, picture books,
various types of stories, rhyming verse, poetry, non-fiction, film, multimodal
texts and dramatic performances. They participate in shared reading, viewing
and storytelling using a range of literary texts, and recognise the
entertaining nature of literature.
Literary texts that support and
extend Prep students as beginner readers include decodable and predictable
texts that range from caption books to books with one or more sentences per
page. These texts involve straightforward sequences of events and everyday
happenings with recognisable, realistic or imaginary characters. Informative
texts present a small amount of new content about familiar topics of interest;
a small range of language features, including simple and compound sentences;
mostly familiar vocabulary, known, high-frequency words and single-syllable
words that can be decoded phonically, and illustrations that strongly support
the printed text.
Students create a range of
imaginative, informative and persuasive texts including pictorial
representations, short statements, performances, recounts and poetry.
Year 1
Students engage with a variety of
texts for enjoyment. They listen to, read, view and interpret spoken, written and
multimodal texts designed to entertain and inform. These encompass traditional
oral texts including Aboriginal stories, picture books, various types of
stories, rhyming verse, poetry, non-fiction, film, dramatic performances and
texts used by students as models for constructing their own texts.
Literary texts that support and
extend Year 1 students as independent readers involve straightforward sequences
of events and everyday happenings with recognisably realistic or imaginary
characters. Informative texts present a small amount of new content about
familiar topics of interest and topics being studied in other areas of the
curriculum. These include decodable and predictable texts which present a small
range of language features, including simple and compound sentences, some
unfamiliar vocabulary, a small number of high-frequency words and words that
need to be decoded phonically, as well as illustrations and diagrams that
support the printed text.
Students create a variety of
imaginative, informative and persuasive texts including recounts, procedures,
performances, literary retellings and poetry.
Year 2
Students engage with a variety of
texts for enjoyment. They listen to, read, view and interpret spoken, written
and multimodal texts in which the primary purpose is to entertain, as well as
texts designed to inform and persuade. These encompass traditional oral texts,
picture books, various types of print and digital stories, simple chapter
books, rhyming verse, poetry, non-fiction, film, multimodal texts, dramatic
performances and texts used by students as models for constructing their own
work.
Literary texts that support and
extend Year 2 students as independent readers involve sequences of events that
span several pages and present unusual happenings within a framework of
familiar experiences. Informative texts present new content about topics of
interest and topics being studied in other areas of the curriculum. These texts
include language features such as varied sentence structures, some unfamiliar vocabulary,
a significant number of high-frequency sight words and words that need to be
decoded phonically, and a range of punctuation conventions, as well as
illustrations and diagrams that support and extend the printed text.
Students create a range of imaginative,
informative and persuasive texts including imaginative retellings, reports,
performances, poetry and expositions.
Year 3
Students engage with a variety of
texts for enjoyment. They listen to, read, view and interpret spoken, written
and multimodal texts in which the primary purpose is aesthetic, as well as
texts designed to inform and persuade. These encompass traditional oral texts
including Aboriginal stories, picture books, various types of print and digital
texts, simple chapter books, rhyming verse, poetry, non-fiction, film,
multimodal texts, dramatic performances and texts used by students as models
for constructing their own work.
Literary texts that support and
extend students in Years 3 and 4 as independent readers describe complex sequences
of events that extend over several pages and involve unusual happenings within
a framework of familiar experiences. Informative texts include content of
increasing complexity and technicality about topics of interest and topics
being studied in other areas of the curriculum. These texts use complex
language features, including varied sentence structures, some unfamiliar
vocabulary, a significant number of high-frequency sight words and words that
need to be decoded phonically, and a variety of punctuation conventions, as
well as illustrations and diagrams that support and extend the printed text.
Students create a range of
imaginative, informative and persuasive types of texts including narratives,
procedures, performances, reports, reviews, poetry and expositions.
Year 4
Students engage with a variety of
texts for enjoyment. They listen to, read, view and interpret spoken, written
and multimodal texts in which the primary purpose is aesthetic, as well as
texts designed to inform and persuade. These encompass traditional oral texts
including Aboriginal stories, picture books, various types of print and digital
texts, simple chapter books, rhyming verse, poetry, non-fiction, film,
multimodal texts, dramatic performances and texts used by students as models
for constructing their own work.
Literary texts that support and
extend students in Years 3 and 4 as independent readers describe complex
sequences of events that extend over several pages and involve unusual
happenings within a framework of familiar experiences. Informative texts
include content of increasing complexity and technicality about topics of
interest and topics being studied in other areas of the curriculum. These texts
use complex language features, including varied sentence structures, some
unfamiliar vocabulary, a significant number of high-frequency sight words and
words that need to be decoded phonically, and a variety of punctuation
conventions, as well as illustrations and diagrams that support and extend the
printed text.
Students create a range of
imaginative, informative and persuasive types of texts including narratives,
procedures, performances, reports, reviews, poetry and expositions.
Year 5
Students engage with a variety of
texts for enjoyment. They listen to, read, view, interpret and evaluate spoken,
written and multimodal texts in which the primary purpose is aesthetic, as well
as texts designed to inform and persuade. These include various types of media
texts including newspapers, film and digital texts, junior and early adolescent
novels, poetry, non-fiction and dramatic performances.
Literary texts that support and
extend students in Years 5 and 6 as independent readers describe complex
sequences, a range of non-stereotypical characters and elaborated events
including flashbacks and shifts in time. These texts explore themes of
interpersonal relationships and ethical dilemmas within real-world and fantasy
settings. Informative texts supply technical and content information about a
wide range of topics of interest as well as topics being studied in other areas
of the curriculum. Text structures include chapters, headings and subheadings,
tables of contents, indexes and glossaries. Language features include complex
sentences, unfamiliar technical vocabulary, figurative language, and
information presented in various types of graphics.
Students create a range of
imaginative, informative and persuasive types of texts including narratives,
procedures, performances, reports, reviews, explanations and discussions.
Year 6
Students engage with a variety of
texts for enjoyment. They listen to, read, view, interpret and evaluate spoken,
written and multimodal texts in which the primary purpose is aesthetic, as well
as texts designed to inform and persuade. These include various types of media
texts including newspapers, film and digital texts, junior and early adolescent
novels, poetry, non-fiction and dramatic performances. Students develop their
understanding of how texts, including media texts, are influenced by context,
purpose and audience.
Literary texts that support and
extend students in Years 5 and 6 as independent readers describe complex
sequences, a range of non-stereotypical characters and elaborated events
including flashbacks and shifts in time. These texts explore themes of
interpersonal relationships and ethical dilemmas within real-world and fantasy
settings. Informative texts supply technical and content information about a
wide range of topics of interest as well as topics being studied in other areas
of the curriculum. Text structures include chapters, headings and subheadings,
tables of contents, indexes and glossaries. Language features include complex
sentences, unfamiliar technical vocabulary, figurative language, and
information presented in various types of graphics.
Students create a range of
imaginative, informative and persuasive types of texts such as narratives,
procedures, performances, reports, reviews, explanations and discussions.