Inspired by: How Dinosaurs Really Work - Curriculum Objectives

The curriculum objectives for Year 5 students include fostering a positive attitude towards reading and comprehension. Pupils are encouraged to read a diverse array of literature, including fiction, poetry, plays, and non-fiction texts, to broaden their understanding and appreciation of different writing styles and purposes. They are taught to discuss and recommend books, identify themes and conventions, and make comparisons within and across texts. By memorising poetry and preparing dramatic readings, they develop expressive skills that enhance the clarity and impact of the spoken word. Pupils are also guided to deepen their comprehension by checking understanding, asking insightful questions, drawing inferences, predicting outcomes, summarising key ideas, and evaluating language use, including discerning between fact and opinion.

In addition to reading, Year 5 pupils are instructed in a variety of writing techniques. They learn to apply advanced grammar and punctuation, such as using passive verbs, expanded noun phrases, perfect verb forms, modal verbs, and relative clauses. Spelling is enhanced through the study of morphology and etymology, and pupils are taught to use dictionaries and thesauruses effectively. Writing tasks involve planning, drafting, evaluating, and editing to produce coherent and engaging texts for different purposes and audiences. They also learn to write with legibility, fluency, and speed, selecting the most suitable writing implement for the task. Through these activities, pupils not only improve their writing skills but also their ability to critically analyse and present their ideas on a range of topics, including scientific themes such as the extinction of dinosaurs and the research of historical figures like Mary Anning.