English // Area
Vocabulary
Age coverage
Ages 5 to 14
Starts at age 5 // 5 topics
Starting at age 5
Your child is building their word knowledge — asking about unknown words, understanding opposites, recognising how word parts give clues to meaning, and using new vocabulary in their own speech and writing.
- Discussing and Questioning New Words
Ask and answer questions about unknown words in texts; discuss word meanings and link new vocabulary to words already known
Ages 5 to 11Language - Sorting & Categorising Words
Sort common objects and words into categories to understand how concepts relate; demonstrate understanding of opposites (antonyms) for common verbs and…
Ages 5 to 8Concept - Shades of Meaning
Distinguish shades of meaning among verbs describing similar actions and among adjectives differing in intensity; make real-life connections between words and…
Ages 5 to 9Language - Using New Vocabulary
Use words and phrases acquired through conversations, being read to, and responding to texts in own speech and writing
Ages 5 to 9Language - Word Parts as Clues
Use knowledge of common inflections and affixes (-ed, -s, un-, -er) as clues to the meaning of unknown words; understand how the prefix un- changes meaning
Ages 5 to 8Concept
Starts at age 6 // 2 topics
Starting at age 6
Your child is learning how words are built and connected — discovering how root words change with different endings (like look/looks/looked) and learning to define words by describing what category they belong to and their key features.
- Defining Words
Define words by category and by one or more key attributes (e.g., 'a duck is a bird that swims'), making real-life connections between words and their use
Ages 6 to 9Concept - Root Words & Inflections
Identify frequently occurring root words and their inflectional forms (e.g., look/looks/looked/looking), using affixes as clues to word meaning and…
Ages 6 to 9Concept
Starts at age 7 // 2 topics
Starting at age 7
Your child is learning how language changes depending on who they're speaking to and the situation, while exploring how words are connected through shared roots and parts.
- Formal and Informal English
Recognise and compare formal and informal uses of English, understanding that language choices vary based on audience, purpose and context
Ages 7 to 10Language - Word Families and Root Words
Explore word families based on common root words, understanding how words are related in form and meaning through shared roots, prefixes and suffixes (e.g…
Ages 7 to 9Concept
Starts at age 8 // 1 topic
Starting at age 8
Your child is learning to understand figurative language — recognising when words don't mean exactly what they say and interpreting common phrases and idioms in stories and conversation.
- Literal vs Figurative Language
Distinguish literal from nonliteral (figurative) language in context and interpret common idioms and phrases
Ages 8 to 9Concept
Starts at age 9 // 5 topics
Starting at age 9
Your child is developing sophisticated language skills — understanding figurative language like metaphors and similes, learning word relationships through synonyms and antonyms, and using Greek and Latin word parts to figure out unfamiliar words.
- Domain Vocabulary Across Subject Areas
Acquire and use accurately academic and domain-specific vocabulary relevant to grade-level topics, including words that signal precise meaning in informational…
Ages 9 to 11Language - Greek and Latin Roots for Word Meaning
Use knowledge of Greek and Latin affixes (prefixes and suffixes) and roots as clues to determine the meaning of unfamiliar words, building a bank of common…
Ages 9 to 11Concept - Similes & Metaphors
Understand and identify similes (comparisons using like or as) and metaphors (direct comparisons stating something is something else) in texts, explaining how…
Ages 9 to 11Concept - Antonyms & Synonyms
Demonstrate understanding of words by relating them to their antonyms (opposites) and synonyms (words with similar meanings), using synonym and antonym…
Ages 9 to 11Concept - Idioms & Proverbs
Recognise and interpret common idioms (break the ice, hit the nail on the head), adages (actions speak louder than words), and proverbs (a stitch in time saves…
Ages 9 to 11Concept
Starts at age 10 // 3 topics
Starting at age 10
Your child is expanding their vocabulary skills by learning to choose the right words for different situations, understanding how language changes depending on whether they're speaking formally or informally.
- Choosing Formal Vocabulary
Distinguish between formal and informal vocabulary, selecting words appropriate for formal speech and writing such as 'discover' instead of 'find out' and…
Ages 10 to 11Language - Using a Thesaurus to Choose Words
Use a thesaurus to find synonyms and extend vocabulary choices, selecting the most appropriate word based on context, connotation, and register
Ages 10 to 11Method - Dialects & Registers
Compare and contrast the varieties of English used in stories, dramas, or poems, including dialects and registers, understanding how language varies by region…
Ages 10 to 11Concept
Starts at age 11 // 3 topics
Starting at age 11
- Advanced Figurative Language
Understand and interpret figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meaning — including allusion, irony, pun, oxymoron, and extended metaphor…
Ages 11 to 14Concept - Academic Vocabulary
Acquire and use accurately a broad range of general academic vocabulary and domain-specific words — drawing new vocabulary from reading and listening and…
Ages 11 to 14Method - Vocabulary Strategies
Determine the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases using a flexible range of strategies — including context clues, Greek and Latin affixes…
Ages 11 to 14Method