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
Suffix Dominoes - Vocabulary Game
Identify new words that include common suffixes with a fun suffixes vocabulary game.
- Plus Plan
Words with Suffixes - Word Building Activity
Build words by matching the root word to suffixes and recording the new words on the answer sheet.
- Plus Plan
Suffix Saga - Vocabulary Game
Practise building and using words with common suffixes with a fun vocabulary game!
- Plus Plan
Printable Vocabulary Games - Playing with Prefixes
Practise building and using words with common prefixes with a fun prefix vocabulary game.
- Free Plan
Common Prefixes - Domino Game
Identify new words that include common prefixes with 28 prefixes and root word dominoes.
- Plus Plan
Greek and Latin Roots- Vocabulary Notebook
Enhance vocabulary containing Greek and Latin roots with a Google Slides Interactive vocabulary notebook. Also available in print format.
- Plus Plan
Building Words with Prefixes Sorting Activity
Build words by matching the root word to prefixes and recording the new terms on the answer sheet.
- Plus Plan
Greek and Latin Roots Poster Pack
Encourage vocabulary development with a set of 24 Greek and Latin Roots posters.
- Plus Plan
Dictionary Definitions Match Up Game
A set of 20 word cards for students to match to their definition.
- Plus Plan
Comprehension Worksheets - The Great Pacific Garbage Patch
Read to learn about the Great Pacific Garbage patch with a printable reading comprehension worksheet pack.
- Plus Plan
Roll to Create a Silly Book Title – Differentiated Writing Activity
Print a differentiated literacy activity using dice and a chart to create a silly book title and storybook.
- Plus Plan
Formation of Earth - Reading Comprehension Worksheet
Combine reading and science content with a reading comprehension worksheet that focuses on the formation of Earth.
- Plus Plan
Roll and Find – Figurative Language Worksheet
Explore, identify and interpret figurative language with this engaging roll and find activity.
- Plus Plan
Writing a Simile Poem - Worksheet
Experiment with similes by writing a simile poem about a special person.
- Plus Plan
Interpreting Figurative Language - Worksheets
Explore figurative language in poetry with this age-appropriate poem and accompanying vocabulary questions.
- Plus Plan
Earth Day Comprehension and Cloze Worksheets
Enhance your students' comprehension, vocabulary, and writing skills with this nonfiction Earth Day passage and accompanying activities.
- Plus Plan
Comprehension Task Cards - Identifying Author's Purpose
A set of comprehension task cards to help students identify the author's purpose when reading.
- Plus Plan
Persuasive Writing Bump It Up Wall – Year 6
A visual display for your classroom to help students ‘bump up’ their persuasive writing.
- Plus Plan
Greek and Latin Roots – Card Kaboom!
Explore Greek and Latin word origins with this hand-on card game.
- Plus Plan
Roots Graphic Organiser Template
Use this graphic organiser to explore roots and their origins.
- Plus Plan
Roots Window Graphic Organiser
Organise ideas about roots and their origins with this graphic organiser.
- Plus Plan
Greek/Latin Roots Posters
Encourage vocabulary development with a set of 23 Greek and Latin roots posters.
- Plus Plan
Prefixes, Suffixes and Roots - Dictionary Hunt Worksheet
Investigate the morphological meanings of word-parts with this dictionary hunt.
- Plus Plan
Year 6 Magazine – "What's Buzzing?" (Issue 3) Task Cards
A set of five literacy rotation task cards to be used in conjunction with Issue 3 of Teach Starter's Year 6 magazine.
- Plus Plan
Explanation Texts Writing Scaffold
A scaffolding sheet that can be used to write an explanation text.
- Plus Plan
Writing Explanation Texts PowerPoint
A 33-slide editable PowerPoint template to use when teaching your students about explanation writing.
- Plus Plan
Reading Response Journal Task Cards
9 reading comprehension task cards focusing on a different skill.
- Plus Plan
A Thinker Like Me - Read and Respond Worksheet
A comprehension activity related to a poem.
- Plus Plan
Halloween Reading Comprehension – Fiction Story and Task Cards
Practise reading comprehension skills with an exciting Halloween reading comprehension activity for Year 4 students.
- Plus Plan
Life Without Tacos – Comprehension Task
A comprehension passage and accompanying worksheet about cultural diffusion.
- 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
Figurative Language Flip Book
A flip book template for students to identify examples of figurative language.