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)
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Note-Taking Practice Worksheets
Use this set of note-taking practice worksheets to help your students identify key facts, details and vocabulary when researching information.
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Biography Template Pack
Download this biography template pack to help students structure engaging biographies with differentiated layouts suited for various writing projects.
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Comprehension - Tia's Tantrum
A comprehension activity using a narrative text.
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Information Report Writing Template
Use this information report template to help your students correctly structure their informative writing.
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Writing Information Reports Teaching Slides
Teach your students the features of information reports using this detailed slideshow targeted at upper primary school students.
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Information Report Structure Worksheet – The Apple iPad
Teach your students about information report structure with this cut-and-paste sequencing worksheet.
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Plate Tectonics Cloze Activity
A cloze activity to use when learning about the layers of the Earth and plate tectonics.
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Year 5 Reading Worksheets - The Business of Bees
Read and learn about bees, pollination and honey production with a reading comprehension passage and worksheet pack.
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Comprehension - What are Earthquakes?
A comprehension activity about 'What are Earthquakes?'
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What are Bushfires? Cloze Worksheet
A cloze worksheet about bushfires.
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The Sinking of the RMS Titanic - Historical Recounts Comparison Task
A comprehension task to enable students to compare literary historical recounts and factual historical recounts.
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Narrative Writing Poster
A poster to encourage your students to think about narrative writing.
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Reflective Thinking Poster and Cards
A poster and cards to promote reflective thinking.
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Writing a Narrative – Template
A template for students to use when planning a narrative text.
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Introduction to Historical Recounts PowerPoint
A 17 slide editable PowerPoint template to use when teaching older students about the structure and language features of historical recounts.
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Fiction and Non-Fiction Cloze Activities
A set of 7 fiction and non-fiction cloze worksheets with answer sheets.
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Verb Grammar Card Game – Flip It!
A fun game for students to play in small groups to consolidate their understanding of verbs.
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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.
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Adjective Clause Digital Quiz
Teach your students about the adjective clause with this interactive digital quiz that helps them identify how these descriptive clauses add detail to sentences.
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Embedded Clause Worksheets
Teach the embedded clause with these engaging and easy-to-use worksheets designed to build understanding through clear examples and guided practice.
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Peer Editing Checklist Pack
Encourage thorough peer reviews by providing your students with printable peer review checklists for informative, persuasive, and narrative writing.
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Visual Comprehension Slide Deck
Bring visual comprehension to life in your classroom with this engaging slide deck designed to spark critical thinking and boost student engagement.
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When to Use Formal and Informal Language Teaching Slides
Teach your students when to use formal and informal language with this engaging set of teaching slides designed to help students confidently distinguish between language styles in real-world contexts.
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Cohesive Sentence Interactive Activity
Engage students with interactive slides that teach the features of a cohesive sentence through a variety of hands-on activities.
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Cohesive Paragraph Digital Quiz
Explore what makes a cohesive paragraph using this interactive digital quiz that helps students identify cohesive devices in context.
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Literary Context Task Cards
Explore literary context using this set of 36 engaging task cards designed to help students analyse the historical, social and cultural influences behind the texts they read.
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Formal vs Informal Language Worksheet Pack
Download this formal vs informal language worksheet pack to help students strengthen their understanding of language in real-world contexts.
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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.
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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.
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Cohesive Devices List
Download this cohesive devices list for your students to refer to when writing a variety of text types.
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Analysing News Articles Inquiry Project
Spark curiosity and critical thinking by analysing news articles through an engaging inquiry project that helps students understand how context shapes the news we read.
- Plus Plan
Analysing Advertisements Inquiry Project
Unlock critical thinking skills by analysing advertisements in different contexts with this engaging inquiry-based project designed to deepen students’ media literacy.