Autumn Term 

Are some parts of the world better than others? 

In English…

We will be studying Katherine Rundell’s ‘The Explorer’ throughout Autumn and creating our own setting descriptions. As the term progresses we will also be writing our own persuasive letters linked to ‘There’s an Rang-tan in my bedroom’ and looking at non-fiction when we write our own non-chronological reports about a rainforest animal.

How can I support my child in English?

By far, the most important thing to help support English is time spent reading. Reading is an essential part of your child’s learning and progress. It is vital that children discover books they enjoy and as their parents/carers you can support them in this. We have attached a list ‘100 books to try and read before you leave Y6’ to help children in their selection if they wish. Many of these books we have in school for the children to borrow, and many are available at their local library. The expectation is that children read at home at least 3 times a week. Please sign your child’s reading diary to confirm that this is taking place.

Your child's reading book level is based on our assessment of their comprehension abilities. Being able to decode the words in the text is only one part of their reading. Once they are able to do this they can work on reading with expression and on achieving a deeper understanding of the story. You can help your child to develop their comprehension abilities by asking them questions about the story as you listen to them read. For example:

What has happened so far?

Can you predict what will happen next?

What do you think about the characters?

Are there any words you don't know?

How do you think the characters feel?

Book Bands

Spellings

In Y5, children are expected to know how to spell all the Y3/4 spellings and begin to learn the Y5/6 spellings (see below). Please support your child in learning these words.