* Where the unit title is asterisked, detailed planning exemplification has been produced and can be accessed by clicking on the title.

The combined content of these units, together with continuous and discrete work at word and sentence level, carries the learning that children can be expected to achieve in Year 2. Further work on presentational skills and speaking and listening will be ongoing throughout the year. Literacy learning in Year 2 is summarised in the objectives in the twelve strands. The year divides into 14 weeks on narrative, 15 weeks on non-fiction and 6 weeks on poetry but these timings and the ordering of many of the units can be flexible. This flexibility means that schools can position the units to create purposeful links across the curriculum. However care must be taken to maintain the progression in learning at text, sentence and word levels if these units are taught in a different order from the one suggested.

It is expected that the non-fiction units will take place before, after or alongside units from across the curriculum that will provide the content and purpose for speaking, listening, reading and writing. Many schools will also wish to link narrative, plays and poetry units across the curriculum.

See pages 29-36 of Learning and teaching in the primary years: Designing opportunities for learning (Ref: 0521-2004) to see how curriculum maps can be used to align units of study across curriculum areas.

See the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority's opportunities for and examples of embedding aspects of English in art and design, design and technology, geography, history, music, science and mathematics at Key Stages 1 and 2 (http://www.qca.org.uk/qca_5226.aspx).

Poetry block

The three poetry units are relatively free-standing and could be used at any stage of the year and in any order. Whenever their timing, the level of reading and writing expected and the word level and presentation skills integrated within them must clearly build on from previous learning and towards end-of-year expectations.

Although these units do not simply repeat the exemplified planning previously published, this remains relevant, and in some instances may be drawn upon for materials and approaches. The relationship between the two is shown in one of the tables below. The poetry block addresses the following learning objectives.

Poetry	UNIT 1	UNIT 2	UNIT 3
1. Speaking
Speak with clarity and use appropriate intonation when reading and reciting texts
Tell real and imagined stories using the conventions of familiar story language
Explain ideas and processes using imaginative and adventurous vocabulary and non-verbal gestures to support communication
2. Listening and responding
Listen to others in class, ask relevant questions and follow instructions
Listen to talk by an adult, remember some specific points and identify what they have learned
Respond to presentations by describing characters, repeating some highlights and commenting constructively
3. Group discussion and interaction
Ensure everyone contributes, allocate tasks, and consider alternatives and reach agreement
Work effectively in groups by ensuring each group member takes a turn challenging, supporting and moving on
Listen to each other's views and preferences, agree the next steps to take and identify contributions by each group member
4. Drama
Adopt appropriate roles in small or large groups and consider alternative courses of action
Present part of traditional stores, own stories or work from different parts of the curriculum for members of their own class
Consider how mood and atmosphere are created in live or recorded performance
5. Word recognition: decoding (reading) and encoding (spelling)
Read independently and with increasing fluency longer and less familiar texts
Spell with increasing accuracy and confidence, drawing on word recognition and knowledge of word structure and spelling patterns
Know how to tackle unfamiliar words which are not completely decodable
Read and spell less common alternative graphemes including trigraphs
Read high and medium frequency words independently and automatically
6. Word structure and spelling
Spell with increasing accuracy and confidence, drawing on word recognition and knowledge of word structure, and spelling patterns including common inflections and use of double letters
Read and spell less common alternative graphemes including trigraphs
7. Understanding and interpreting texts
Draw together ideas and information from across a whole text, using simple signposts in the text
Give some reasons for why things happen or characters change
Explain organisational features of texts, including alphabetical order, layout, diagrams, captions, hyperlinks and bullet points
Use syntax and context to build up their store of vocabulary when reading for meaning
Explore how particular words are used, including words and expressions with similar meanings
8. Engaging with and responding to texts
Read whole books on their own, choosing and justifying selections
Engage with books through exploring and enacting interpretations
Explain their reactions to texts, commenting on important aspects
9. Creating and shaping texts
Draw on knowledge and experience of texts in deciding and planning what and how to write
Sustain form in narrative, including use of person and time
Maintain consistency in non-narrative, including purpose and tense
Make adventurous word and language choices appropriate to style and purpose of text
Select from different presentational features to suit particular writing purposes on paper and on screen
10. Text structure and organisation
Use planning to establish clear sections for writing
Use appropriate language to make sections hang together
11. Sentence structure and punctuation
Write simple and compound sentences and begin to use subordination in relation to time and reason
Use tense consistently (present and past)
Use question marks and use commas to separate items in a list
12. Presentation
Write legibly, using upper and lower case letters appropriately within words, and observing correct spacing within and between words
Form and use the four basic handwriting joins
Word process short narrative and non-narrative texts

Match between current planning and the previous National Literacy Strategy planning materials