CHANDRA KUSUMA ENGLISH LANGUAGE CURRICULUM

PRIMARY FOUR

USAGEphonics, spelling and vocabulary (A)learners should:

1. Use their experience and knowledge to help them learn new spellings and mis-spelt words2. Use known spelling strategies to help work out spellings of new vocabulary3. Begin to work with different spelling patterns used for pluralisation (e.g. s, es, y/ies, f/ves)4. Become familiar with common letter strings in words pronounced differently (e.g. though,

tough, through)5. Start working with more common prefixes (e.g. auto--, bi--, trans---)6. Identify word groups and derivations to continue progress with spelling skills (e.g. speak,

speech, speaker)7. Spell and effectively use progressive pronouns (e.g. their, theirs, my, mine)8. Become familiar with and identify unstressed vowels in polysyllabic words (e.g. carpet,

interest)9. Begin to work with spelling rules with words that end with 'e' and 'y' (hope/hoping,

move/moving, cry/cries, fly/flies)10. Investigate ways of creating antonyms by adding prefixes (e.g. 'un', 'im') or adding suffixes

to comparative adjectives (e.g. 'er', 'est')11. Look at the spelling patterns used with single and double consonants (e.g. full/ful)12. Continue to develop understanding of the use of adverbs to qualify verbs (e.g. in dialogue)13. Use dictionaries effectively14. Continue to expand range vocabulary (e.g. synonyms and antonyms)15. Start to become familiar with idiomatic phrases and use them appropriately16. Start working with metaphorical expressions and figures of speech17. Use a 'thesaurus' to help develop choice of vocabulary used in different situations18. Recognise unfamiliar words and continue to develop methods for working out their

meanings – try to use new words in the correct context

Grammar and punctuation (B)learners should:

1. Use pronouns effectively and be clear as to who or what they are referring to2. Identify prepositions in a text and use the term correctly3. Know the difference between 'direct' and 'indirect' speech4. Learn how dialogues are set out and how they should be punctuated5. Begin to use clauses in sentences and understand how they are connected6. Use commas to separate clauses in sentences7. Continue to develop their use of full stops; especially in complex sentences8. Look into different ways to connect simple sentences or re-arrange clauses in more complex

sentences9. Develop proof-reading skills by editing and correcting own work

Reading (C)learners should:

1. Develop their range of reading and familarise themselves with different fiction genres2. Identify the characteristics of myths, legends and fables3. Look into how different stories have different openings and compare their structures4. Identify the moral in a story that is being told or read5. Think about how different characters are introduced in a story 6. Make comparisons from a variety of poetry read in the class7. Continue to develop imagination by understanding text beyond its literal meaning8. Read non-fiction texts and evaulate for purpose and organisation9. Recognise how persuasive language words and phrases are used in print 10. Use information in non-fiction texts to extend what is already known11. Skim-read to gain an overall gist of a text and scan for particular information12. Continue to develop note making skills to locate key points in a text13. Begin to explore texts that talk about experiences (e.g. diaries, things done during a holiday)14. Learn about the use of impersonal style in explanations15. Look at the differences between writing that 'compares' and 'persuasive' writing

Writing (D)learners should:

1. Review, revise and edit own work, using IT as and when appropriate2. Create new scenes/characters in a familiar story or change the endings to some popular

children's stories3. Select words and phrases from known vocabulary to express feelings or atmospheres4. Use figurative language to get responses from others5. Write a play script and use production notes to help guide the performance6. Make notes for different purposes/situations using simple abbreviations7. Develop skills in structuring writing (e.g. paragraphs, sections, chapters)8. Keep a 'reading log' of books that have been read and write small reviews about them9. Continue to develop report writing skills (e.g. non-chronological reports or explanations)10. Assess and evaluate own and others' writing skills in different areas11. Make drafts and write letters for 'real' purposes12. Write a commentary on an issue showing personal opinions

Speaking and Listening (E)learners should:

1. Speak clearly/confidently and listen purposefully in a variety of different contexts2. Talk about events and show your opinions using a varied range of vocabulary3. Listen to, recall and discuss important features from talk/presentation 4. Ask relevant questions to increase understanding of a particular topic5. Develop confidence in performing (e.g. acting, singing, reading aloud)6. Report back to a group/class, using notes made about a topic studied7. Begin to develop 'debate' skills by preparing and presenting an argument using persuasive

language

GLOSSARY

Letter strings - words that have similar letter patterns but different pronunciations (e.g. tough, through,though)

Derivations - word 'derivations' tell us how the word developed and where it actually came from

Polysyllabic - polysyllabic words are words that have several, usually four or more syllables

Idiomatic phrases - Idioms are words, phrases, or expressions that are either grammatically unusual (e.g. “long time no see”) or their meaning cannot be taken literally (e.g. today I feel “over the moon”)

Metaphorical expressions - see IDIOMATIC PHRASESFigure of speech - expressions that are not literally trueClause - a group of words that contains a subject and a predicate (additional

information about the subject)Complex sentences - A complex sentence is formed when you join a main clause; a clause that

is independent and contains a subject and a predicate (e.g. she answered the phone) and a subordinate clause; a clause that is dependent of the main clause (e.g. when it rang). In the complete sentence “she answered the phone when it rang you can see that there is a MAIN clause and a SUBORDINATE clause.

Proof-reading - to check work for errors and then correct them Persuasive language - used to try to get someone to trust you or follow your beliefs or

opinionsLiteral - following the words of the original text very closely and exactly with no

abstract meaningsSkim-read - reading quickly to get the gist of somethingScan - reading for specific information figurative language - language used when we compare two different thingsImpersonal style - when the reader / writer is more interested in the action as opposed to who

or what performed the action. This is connected to the 'passive voice'Production notes - notes made for a play script to offer more clarity as to what is happening

and whyAbbreviations - words made shorter than they usually are (e.g. doctor – Dr, example - e.g.)Commentary - The expression of opinions or explanations about an event or situation