Alphabet and Dictionary Skills Ladder

Can order the alphabet using concrete materials and a visual aid if necessary.
Can use a simple dictionary (to the first letter).

Can use a dictionary and order words to the second letter.

Can use a dictionary and order words to the third letter.

Learn to use a dictionary in conjunction with a thesaurus

Investigate synonyms and antonyms with the use of a thesaurus

Continue to investigate synonyms and antonyms through use of dictionary and thesaurus.

Speech Skills Ladder

Recognise that spoken words are marked off from the rest of a sentence by speech marks.

Can use speech marks in a simple sentence.

Can put speech marks into a piece of script

Know how dialogue is laid out and punctuated and employ this is their writing.
Recognise the difference between direct speech and reported speech.
Be able to change one form of speech into the other.
Know how to punctuate interrupted speech.

Sentence Construction Skills Ladder

Begin to understand that a sentence conveys a simple piece of information.
Begin to understand that a sentence begins with a capital letter and ends with a full stop

Understand that a sentence does not end at the end of a line.
Begins to use full stops more consistently.
Begins to use capital letters consistently to begin sentences.
Understands the importance of a capital letter and full stop in a sentence

Introduce idea of subject, verb and simple object eg: The dog (subject) ate (verb) the bone (object).

Introduce idea of subject and verb agreeing in a sentence.

Understand that adverbs and adverbial phrases can be used to open sentences eg. Quietly, he opened the door/ Holding his breath, he opened the door.
Can recognise sentences with more than one clause.

Recognise that sentences can have a main clause and a subordinate clause.

Identify where and why short sentences are used effectively to improve writing.
Identify sentences with three or more clauses.

Word Type Skills Ladder

Understand and recognise what a concrete noun is.
Understand and recognise what a simple verb is.
Understand and recognise adjectives.
Begins to use adjectives in writing.
Introduce the term proper noun.
Can recognise and categorise nouns (eg: nouns of food and transport)
Introduce the compound verb (was/were + participle eg was running)
Introduce personal pronouns (eg he, she, you, we, it) and can substitute these for nouns.
Introduce simple adverbs ending in –ly.
Revisit singular and plural nouns.
Introduce collective nouns and understand that a collective noun takes a singular verb.

Link with modern language teacher to ensure the understanding of the concept of masculine, feminine and neuter nouns

Understand the difference between active and passive verbs (teach in context where possible).
Understand subject and predicate.
Recognise and identify abstract nouns.

Tenses Skills Ladder

Introduce the past, present and future tenses of verbs.

Introduce conditional tense

Comma Skills Ladder

Understands how commas are used in lists.
Can use a comma to put additional information into a sentence. (eg: The dog, yelping in pain, licked his paw.).

Capital Letter Skills Ladder

Can form most upper case letters correctly.
Begins to use capital letters consistently to begin sentences.

Recognise that names begin with capital letters.
Recognise that capital letters are used for names, place names etc.

Use of capital letters in other instances (eg book title, film title)

Conjunctions Skills Ladder

Can use and and because to link two ideas.
May begin to recognise and use other connectives (eg: but, then, so)
Recognise and use more complex connectives (but, then, so, when) to join two sentences.
Can use connectives to clarify and extend a point (eg because, if after, while, also, as well).
Introduce connectives for time (sometimes, never, always, often, in addition).
Introduce more sophisticated connectives for formal writing eg on the contrary, moreover, nonetheless.
Understand that time connectives in writing communicate an order of events.

Other Punctuation Skills Ladder

Recognises the difference between a statement and a question.
Begins to recognise the purpose of a question mark.
Begins to use a question mark in writing.
Begins to recognise the purpose of an exclamation mark.
Recognises and uses question marks appropriately

Introduce the ellipsis.
Introduce apostrophe for possession.

Use of apostrophe with collective nouns eg the children's socks.
Understand the use of brackets and dashes to punctuate parenthesis.
Understand how to use semi-colons to balance a list.

Revisit semi-colon before introducing and beginning to use a colon for balance.