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
Healthy Mind, Healthy Body: No Free Rides! – Worksheet
A comprehension worksheet for a comic from the Year 5 magazine (Issue 3).
- Plus Plan
Sound Devices PowerPoint
An editable PowerPoint to use when teaching sound devices to your students.
- Plus Plan
NAIDOC Week Connection to Country Word Search - Upper Primary
A NAIDOC Week Connection to Country Word Search suitable for upper primary school students.
- Plus Plan
Oral Presentation Assessment Rubric
A rubric designed to help teachers to assess students' oral presentations.
- Plus Plan
NAPLAN-Style Assessment Rubric – Biographical Texts
Use this NAPLAN-style rubric to assess students’ biography writing as you prepare students for Year 5 tests.
- Plus Plan
Fairy Tales Text Type Poster With Annotations
A poster about fairy tales, including an annotated example.
- Plus Plan
The Poet's Lament - Comprehension
A comprehension activity using a poem.
- Plus Plan
Recalling Facts - Letter to the Editor Activity
A worksheet to use when teaching students how to recall facts and details when reading.
- Plus Plan
Comprehension - King Tutankhamun
A comprehension activity about King Tutankhamun.
- Plus Plan
Perfect Punctuation Worksheet
Sort each punctuation concept using the definitions and examples.
- Plus Plan
Reading Detectives Posters and Banner
8 colourful reading detective posters and a banner to display in the classroom.
- Plus Plan
Comprehension - The Great Wall of China
A comprehension activity about The Great Wall of China.
- Plus Plan
Read and Roll - Comprehension Dice Game
A fun reading comprehension strategy game to play in the classroom during literacy groups.
- Plus Plan
Year 5 Reading Comprehension Worksheets - Superstitions
Learn about common superstitions and beliefs with a printable reading comprehenion passage for Year 5.
- Plus Plan
Recalling Facts - Comprehension Task
A task to use when teaching your students reading comprehension strategies.
- Plus Plan
5 Historical Recount Stimulus Sheets
Writing stimulus sheets with a historical recount focus.
- Plus Plan
Adjectival Clause Teaching Slides
Teach the power of the adjectival clause with this engaging slide deck designed to help primary school students boost their descriptive writing.
- Plus Plan
Formal vs Informal Language Sorting Activity
Engage students in identifying formal vs informal language with this sorting activity that helps build understanding through real-world sentence examples.
- Plus Plan
Language and Social Contexts Matching Game
Explore language and social contexts with this fun matching activity that helps students understand how our speech changes depending on the situation.
- Plus Plan
How to Identify Bias Teaching Slides
Teach your students how to identify bias in writing with this engaging slide deck, designed to help upper primary students develop critical reading skills.
- Plus Plan
Opinion Writing Worksheets — 'Life on the Road'
Contemplate life on the open road with these opinion writing worksheets that help students construct a piece of writing backed by their personal reasons and opinions.
- Plus Plan
Using Context Clues Worksheet
Try a ‘Using Context Clues’ Worksheet to help your students determine the meaning of unfamiliar words based on the surrounding text.
- 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
Using Context Clues to Determine Word Meaning Worksheet
Practise defining unfamiliar words by looking for context clues within a sentence.
- Plus Plan
Making Prediction Sentence Starter Flashcards
Use these Making Prediction Sentence Starter Flashcards to guide students in making accurate predictions using prompts.
- Plus Plan
Digital Vocab Log - Interactive Slides
Use a Digital Vocab log to record, track, and review new vocabulary words learned in the classroom.
- Plus Plan
Australian Conservationists: Tim Flannery – Comprehension Worksheet
Learn about Tim Flannery and his conservation work with this 2-page reading passage and accompanying comprehension questions.
- Plus Plan
My Strange Shrinking Parents – Literature Task Cards
Deep dive into the characters and themes of Zeno Sworder’s highly acclaimed book, My Strange Shrinking Parents, with this set of 12 literature task cards.
- Plus Plan
Reading Comprehension Worksheets - The History of Electricity
Read to learn about the history of electricity with printable reading comprehension worksheets.
- Plus Plan
Australia's Voting System – Comprehension Worksheets
Explore the history and systems of voting in Australia with this differentiated reading comprehension activity.
- Plus Plan
Debating and Scrutinising Bills - Comprehension Worksheets
Explore how bills are debated and scrutinised in the Australian Federal Parliament with this differentiated reading comprehension activity.
- Plus Plan
Inspirational Authors – Speechwriting Project
Get you students to research and celebrate an inspirational author with this speechwriting activity.