Year 6
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 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 revisit and strengthen these as needed.
In Years 5 and 6, students communicate with peers and teachers from other classes and schools, community members, and individuals and groups, in a range of face-to-face and online/virtual environments.
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.
The range of literary texts for Foundation to Year 10 comprises Australian literature, including the oral narrative traditions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, as well as the contemporary literature of these two cultural groups, and classic and contemporary world literature, including texts from and about Asia.
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.
(source: www.australiancurriculum.edu.au)
Achievement Standard
Receptive modes (listening, reading and viewing)
By the end of Year 6, students understand how the use of text structures can achieve particular effects. They analyse and explain how language features, images and vocabulary are used by different authors to represent ideas, characters and events.
Students compare and analyse information in different and complex texts, explaining literal and implied meaning. They select and use evidence from a text to explain their response to it. They listen to discussions, clarifying content and challenging others' ideas.
Productive modes (speaking, writing and creating)
Students understand how language features and language patterns can be used for emphasis. They show how specific details can be used to support a point of view. They explain how their choices of language features and images are used.
Students create detailed texts elaborating on key ideas for a range of purposes and audiences. They make presentations and contribute actively to class and group discussions, using a variety of strategies for effect. They demonstrate an understanding of grammar, and make considered vocabulary choices to enhance cohesion and structure in their writing. They use accurate spelling and punctuation for clarity and make and explain editorial choices based on criteria.
(source: www.australiancurriculum.edu.au)
- Plus Plan
What Causes the Seasons? Explanation Text Writing Task
Use this scaffolded writing task to have students write about how seasons change.
- Plus Plan
Informative Writing Bump It Up Wall – Year 6
A visual display for your classroom to help students ‘bump up’ their informative writing.
- Plus Plan
Developing Narrative Features PowerPoint - Year 5 and Year 6
A 26 slide editable PowerPoint template to use when teaching your students about the features of narrative texts.
- Plus Plan
Emotive Language Task Cards
Get students exploring emotive language examples with this set of task cards perfect for your persuasive writing unit.
- Plus Plan
Prediction in Reading Comprehension Task
Help students to engage with prediction during reading with this predictions in reading comprehension task.
- Free Plan
Persuasive Topic Cards - Upper Grades
A set of persuasive topic cards for upper primary.
- Plus Plan
Cause and Effect - Sentence Sort Worksheet
A worksheet and answer sheet to use when teaching students the cause and effect comprehension strategy.
- Plus Plan
Reading Comprehension Strategies PowerPoint – Making Connections
A 14 slide editable PowerPoint template explaining the reading comprehension strategy of making connections.
- Plus Plan
5 Information Report Writing Prompts
Use this set of 5 writing prompts to assess your students’ informative writing skills.
- Plus Plan
Write a Biography Project
Engage students in an enriching biography project that guides them through researching and writing about a famous person.
- Plus Plan
Malala Yousafzai Biography for Students with Worksheets
Introduce young learners to an inspiring changemaker with this Malala Yousafzai biography for students with accompanying worksheets.
- Plus Plan
Interpreting Figurative Language - Worksheets
Explore figurative language in poetry with this age-appropriate poem and accompanying vocabulary questions.
- Plus Plan
Elements of Poetry Workbook
Explore the wonders of poetry with this set of poems and accompanying worksheets designed specifically for children.
- Plus Plan
Greek and Latin Roots Worksheet Set
Practise using vocabulary containing Greek roots and Latin roots with these weekly root word worksheets.
- Plus Plan
Peer Editing Checklist Pack
Encourage thorough peer reviews by providing your students with printable peer review checklists for informative, persuasive, and narrative writing.
- Plus Plan
Reading Making Predictions Worksheet Pack
Practise reading and making predictions with this Reading Making Predictions Worksheet Pack.
- Plus Plan
Grammar Practice Worksheets - Vocabulary Cut and Sort
Review parts of speech and vocabulary skills with a pack of cut-and-paste grammar practice worksheets.
- Plus Plan
Persuasive Text Type Poster With Annotations
Display this Persuasive text with annotations to help students identify the structure of this type of text.
- Free Plan
Healthy Body, Healthy Mind: Find Your Sport – Comprehension Worksheet
A comprehension worksheet for a comic about the importance of physical activity to a healthy lifestyle.
- Plus Plan
Digital Biography PowerPoint Template
Download this biography PowerPoint template, which helps students research and present facts about an influential person in a structured digital book.
- Plus Plan
Year 6 Magazine - What's Buzzing? (Issue 1)
A beautifully designed, 26-page reading magazine specifically designed for Year 6 students.
- Plus Plan
Greek and Latin Roots – Word Tree Anchor Charts
Encourage vocabulary development with 24 Greek and Latin root anchor charts.
- Plus Plan
NAPLAN-Style Assessment Rubric - Narrative Writing
A NAPLAN-style rubric designed to help teachers to assess students' narrative writing.
- Plus Plan
Explanation Text Writing Task – How Does a Plane Fly?
A scaffolded writing task for students to complete when learning about the explanation text type.
- Plus Plan
Summarising a Story Graphic Organisers
Use these graphic organisers to help students when summarising a story.
- Plus Plan
NAPLAN-Style Assessment Rubric - Informative Writing
A NAPLAN-style rubric designed to help teachers to assess students' informative writing.
- Plus Plan
Compound-Complex Sentence Test
Assess your students' understanding of compound-complex sentences with a printable Compound-Complex Sentence Test.
- Plus Plan
Grammar Conventions - Year 6 Grammar and Punctuation Test Pack
Assess student knowledge of grammar conventions with a printable Year 6 Grammar and Punctuation Test Pack
- Plus Plan
Biography Poster Project Cut-Outs
Download this biography poster project containing engaging cut-outs that help students design an eye-catching and informative display about a person of their choice.
- Plus Plan
Making Predictions PowerPoint
Use this Making Predictions PowerPoint to engage students in the learning of predicting during reading.
- Plus Plan
Read & Comprehend Worksheets - Celebrity Biography Passages
Download our celebrity biography reading comprehension worksheets to help your Year 4 and 5 students practise reading comprehension skills.
- Plus Plan
Narrative Text Type Poster With Annotations
Display this narrative text with annotations to help students identify the structure of a narrative.