IXL Skill Plan | Programme of Study: Key Stage 3, Year 8

Programme of Study: Key Stage 3, Year 8

Skills available for England year 8 English objectives

Dimension

Reading
Writing
Grammar and vocabulary

Print skill plan

Reading
Develop an appreciation and love of reading, and read increasingly challenging material independently through:
Develop an appreciation and love of reading, and read increasingly challenging material independently through:

Reading a wide range of fiction and non-fiction, including in particular whole books, short stories, poems and plays with a wide coverage of genres, historical periods, forms and authors. The range will include high-quality works from: English literature, both pre-1914 and contemporary, including prose, poetry and drama; Shakespeare (two plays); and seminal world literature		1. Analyse short stories 2. Read and understand informational passages 3. Trace an argument
Reading a wide range of fiction and non-fiction, including in particular whole books, short stories, poems and plays with a wide coverage of genres, historical periods, forms and authors. The range will include high-quality works from: English literature, both pre-1914 and contemporary, including prose, poetry and drama; Shakespeare (two plays); and seminal world literature
1. Analyse short stories 2. Read and understand informational passages 3. Trace an argument
Choosing and reading books independently for challenge, interest and enjoyment
Choosing and reading books independently for challenge, interest and enjoyment

Re-reading books encountered earlier to increase familiarity with them and provide a basis for making comparisons
Re-reading books encountered earlier to increase familiarity with them and provide a basis for making comparisons


Understand increasingly challenging texts through:
Understand increasingly challenging texts through:

Learning new vocabulary, relating it explicitly to known vocabulary and understanding it with the help of context and dictionaries		Context clues 1. Find words using context 2. Determine the meaning of words using synonyms in context 3. Determine the meaning of words using antonyms in context 4. Use context to identify the meaning of a word 5. Determine the meaning of domain-specific words with pictures Dictionary skills 6. Use dictionary entries 7. Use dictionary definitions
Learning new vocabulary, relating it explicitly to known vocabulary and understanding it with the help of context and dictionaries
Context clues 1. Find words using context 2. Determine the meaning of words using synonyms in context 3. Determine the meaning of words using antonyms in context 4. Use context to identify the meaning of a word 5. Determine the meaning of domain-specific words with pictures Dictionary skills 6. Use dictionary entries 7. Use dictionary definitions
Making inferences and referring to evidence in the text		Literary texts 1. Match the quotations with their themes 2. Determine the themes of short stories 3. Analyse short stories 4. Identify supporting details in literary texts Informational texts 5. Determine the main idea of a passage 6. Read and understand informational passages 7. Trace an argument 8. Identify supporting details in informational texts
Making inferences and referring to evidence in the text
Literary texts 1. Match the quotations with their themes 2. Determine the themes of short stories 3. Analyse short stories 4. Identify supporting details in literary texts Informational texts 5. Determine the main idea of a passage 6. Read and understand informational passages 7. Trace an argument 8. Identify supporting details in informational texts
Knowing the purpose, audience for and context of the writing and drawing on this knowledge to support comprehension		1. Identify the author's purpose
Knowing the purpose, audience for and context of the writing and drawing on this knowledge to support comprehension
1. Identify the author's purpose
Checking their understanding to make sure that what they have read makes sense
Checking their understanding to make sure that what they have read makes sense


Read critically through:
Read critically through:

Knowing how language, including figurative language, vocabulary choice, grammar, text structure and organisational features, presents meaning		Figurative language 1. Interpret figures of speech 2. Analyse the effects of figures of speech on meaning and tone Shades of meaning 3. Describe the difference between related words 4. Positive and negative connotation Homophones 5. Which definition matches the sentence? 6. Which sentence matches the definition? Text structure 7. Compare and contrast in informational texts 8. Match causes and effects in informational texts 9. Match problems with their solutions 10. Identify text structures
Knowing how language, including figurative language, vocabulary choice, grammar, text structure and organisational features, presents meaning
Figurative language 1. Interpret figures of speech 2. Analyse the effects of figures of speech on meaning and tone Shades of meaning 3. Describe the difference between related words 4. Positive and negative connotation Homophones 5. Which definition matches the sentence? 6. Which sentence matches the definition? Text structure 7. Compare and contrast in informational texts 8. Match causes and effects in informational texts 9. Match problems with their solutions 10. Identify text structures
Recognising a range of poetic conventions and understanding how these have been used
Recognising a range of poetic conventions and understanding how these have been used

Studying setting, plot, and characterisation, and the effects of these		1. Analyse short stories
Studying setting, plot, and characterisation, and the effects of these
1. Analyse short stories
Understanding how the work of dramatists is communicated effectively through performance and how alternative staging allows for different interpretations of a play
Understanding how the work of dramatists is communicated effectively through performance and how alternative staging allows for different interpretations of a play

Making critical comparisons across texts		1. Compare passages for tone 2. Compare two texts with different genres 3. Compare illustrations of literary and historical subjects
Making critical comparisons across texts
1. Compare passages for tone 2. Compare two texts with different genres 3. Compare illustrations of literary and historical subjects
Studying a range of authors, including at least two authors in depth each year
Studying a range of authors, including at least two authors in depth each year

Writing
Write accurately, fluently, effectively and at length for pleasure and information through:
Write accurately, fluently, effectively and at length for pleasure and information through:

Writing for a wide range of purposes and audiences, including: well-structured formal expository and narrative essays; stories, scripts, poetry and other imaginative writing; notes and polished scripts for talks and presentations; and a range of other narrative and non-narrative texts, including arguments, and personal and formal letters
Writing for a wide range of purposes and audiences, including: well-structured formal expository and narrative essays; stories, scripts, poetry and other imaginative writing; notes and polished scripts for talks and presentations; and a range of other narrative and non-narrative texts, including arguments, and personal and formal letters

Summarising and organising material, and supporting ideas and arguments with any necessary factual detail		Organise writing 1. Order topics from broadest to narrowest 2. Organise information by topic 3. Transitions with conjunctive adverbs Develop and support arguments 4. Distinguish facts from opinions 5. Choose evidence to support a claim 6. Identify supporting details in informational texts 7. Identify supporting details in literary texts 8. Identify counterclaims
Summarising and organising material, and supporting ideas and arguments with any necessary factual detail
Organise writing 1. Order topics from broadest to narrowest 2. Organise information by topic 3. Transitions with conjunctive adverbs Develop and support arguments 4. Distinguish facts from opinions 5. Choose evidence to support a claim 6. Identify supporting details in informational texts 7. Identify supporting details in literary texts 8. Identify counterclaims
Applying their growing knowledge of vocabulary, grammar and text structure to their writing and selecting the appropriate form		Frequently confused words 1. Use the correct frequently confused word Homophones 2. Use the correct homophone Nouns 3. Form and use plurals: review 4. Form and use plurals of compound nouns 5. Form the singular or plural possessive Pronouns 6. Use the pronoun that agrees with the antecedent 7. Use reflexive pronouns 8. Use relative pronouns: who and whom 9. Use relative pronouns: who, whom, whose, which and that Verbs 10. Use the correct verb – with compound subjects 11. Form the progressive verb tenses 12. Form the perfect verb tenses Adjectives and adverbs 13. Order adjectives 14. Choose between adjectives and adverbs Comparative and superlative adjectives and adverbs 15. Form and use comparative and superlative adjectives 16. Good, better, best, bad, worse and worst 17. Form and use comparative and superlative adverbs 18. Well, better, best, badly, worse and worst Conjunctions 19. Use the correct pair of correlative conjunctions Text structure 20. Compare and contrast in informational texts 21. Match causes and effects in informational texts 22. Match problems with their solutions 23. Identify text structures
Applying their growing knowledge of vocabulary, grammar and text structure to their writing and selecting the appropriate form
Frequently confused words 1. Use the correct frequently confused word Homophones 2. Use the correct homophone Nouns 3. Form and use plurals: review 4. Form and use plurals of compound nouns 5. Form the singular or plural possessive Pronouns 6. Use the pronoun that agrees with the antecedent 7. Use reflexive pronouns 8. Use relative pronouns: who and whom 9. Use relative pronouns: who, whom, whose, which and that Verbs 10. Use the correct verb – with compound subjects 11. Form the progressive verb tenses 12. Form the perfect verb tenses Adjectives and adverbs 13. Order adjectives 14. Choose between adjectives and adverbs Comparative and superlative adjectives and adverbs 15. Form and use comparative and superlative adjectives 16. Good, better, best, bad, worse and worst 17. Form and use comparative and superlative adverbs 18. Well, better, best, badly, worse and worst Conjunctions 19. Use the correct pair of correlative conjunctions Text structure 20. Compare and contrast in informational texts 21. Match causes and effects in informational texts 22. Match problems with their solutions 23. Identify text structures
Drawing on knowledge of literary and rhetorical devices from their reading and listening to enhance the impact of their writing		1. Use personification
Drawing on knowledge of literary and rhetorical devices from their reading and listening to enhance the impact of their writing
1. Use personification

Plan, draft, edit and proof-read through:
Plan, draft, edit and proof-read through:

Considering how their writing reflects the audiences and purposes for which it was intended		1. Identify the author's purpose
Considering how their writing reflects the audiences and purposes for which it was intended
1. Identify the author's purpose
Amending the vocabulary, grammar and structure of their writing to improve its coherence and overall effectiveness		1. Correct errors with frequently confused words 2. Correct inappropriate shifts in pronoun number and person 3. Identify and correct inappropriate shifts in verb tense 4. Correct capitalisation errors
Amending the vocabulary, grammar and structure of their writing to improve its coherence and overall effectiveness
1. Correct errors with frequently confused words 2. Correct inappropriate shifts in pronoun number and person 3. Identify and correct inappropriate shifts in verb tense 4. Correct capitalisation errors
Paying attention to accurate grammar, punctuation and spelling; applying the spelling patterns and rules set out in English Appendix 1 to the key stage 1 and 2 programmes of study for English		Prefixes 1. Words with pre- 2. Words with re- 3. Words with sub- 4. Words with mis- 5. Words with un-, dis-, in-, im- and non- Suffixes 6. Words with -ful 7. Words with -less 8. Words with -able and -ible Plurals 9. Form and use plurals: review 10. Form and use plurals of compound nouns Possessive nouns 11. Form the singular or plural possessive 12. Identify and correct errors with plural and possessive nouns Pronouns and antecedents 13. Use the pronoun that agrees with the antecedent 14. Correct inappropriate shifts in pronoun number and person Pronoun types 15. Choose between subject and object pronouns 16. Compound subjects and objects with 'I' and 'me' 17. Compound subjects and objects with pronouns 18. Choose between personal and reflexive pronouns 19. Use reflexive pronouns 20. Is the pronoun reflexive or intensive? 21. Use relative pronouns: who and whom 22. Use relative pronouns: who, whom, whose, which and that Past, present and future tense 23. Irregular past tense: review 24. Simple past, present and future tense: review 25. Identify and correct inappropriate shifts in verb tense Progressive tense 26. Form the progressive verb tenses Perfect tense 27. Form the perfect verb tenses Subject-verb agreement 28. Correct errors with subject-verb agreement 29. Correct errors with indefinite pronoun-verb agreement 30. Use the correct verb – with compound subjects Comparative and superlative adjectives 31. Form and use comparative and superlative adjectives 32. Good, better, best, bad, worse and worst 33. Form and use comparative and superlative adverbs 34. Well, better, best, badly, worse and worst Adjectives and adverbs 35. Order adjectives 36. Choose between adjectives and adverbs Commas 37. Commas with non-restrictive elements 38. Commas with compound and complex sentences 39. Commas with direct addresses, introductory words, interjections and interrupters 40. Commas with coordinate adjectives Semicolons, colons and commas 41. Use semicolons and commas to separate clauses 42. Use semicolons, colons and commas with lists Dashes, hyphens and ellipses 43. Use dashes 44. Use hyphens in compound adjectives 45. Decide whether ellipses are used appropriately Conjunctions 46. Use the correct pair of correlative conjunctions Misplaced modifiers 47. Misplaced modifiers with pictures 48. Select the misplaced or dangling modifier 49. Are the modifiers used correctly?
Paying attention to accurate grammar, punctuation and spelling; applying the spelling patterns and rules set out in English Appendix 1 to the key stage 1 and 2 programmes of study for English
Prefixes 1. Words with pre- 2. Words with re- 3. Words with sub- 4. Words with mis- 5. Words with un-, dis-, in-, im- and non- Suffixes 6. Words with -ful 7. Words with -less 8. Words with -able and -ible Plurals 9. Form and use plurals: review 10. Form and use plurals of compound nouns Possessive nouns 11. Form the singular or plural possessive 12. Identify and correct errors with plural and possessive nouns Pronouns and antecedents 13. Use the pronoun that agrees with the antecedent 14. Correct inappropriate shifts in pronoun number and person Pronoun types 15. Choose between subject and object pronouns 16. Compound subjects and objects with 'I' and 'me' 17. Compound subjects and objects with pronouns 18. Choose between personal and reflexive pronouns 19. Use reflexive pronouns 20. Is the pronoun reflexive or intensive? 21. Use relative pronouns: who and whom 22. Use relative pronouns: who, whom, whose, which and that Past, present and future tense 23. Irregular past tense: review 24. Simple past, present and future tense: review 25. Identify and correct inappropriate shifts in verb tense Progressive tense 26. Form the progressive verb tenses Perfect tense 27. Form the perfect verb tenses Subject-verb agreement 28. Correct errors with subject-verb agreement 29. Correct errors with indefinite pronoun-verb agreement 30. Use the correct verb – with compound subjects Comparative and superlative adjectives 31. Form and use comparative and superlative adjectives 32. Good, better, best, bad, worse and worst 33. Form and use comparative and superlative adverbs 34. Well, better, best, badly, worse and worst Adjectives and adverbs 35. Order adjectives 36. Choose between adjectives and adverbs Commas 37. Commas with non-restrictive elements 38. Commas with compound and complex sentences 39. Commas with direct addresses, introductory words, interjections and interrupters 40. Commas with coordinate adjectives Semicolons, colons and commas 41. Use semicolons and commas to separate clauses 42. Use semicolons, colons and commas with lists Dashes, hyphens and ellipses 43. Use dashes 44. Use hyphens in compound adjectives 45. Decide whether ellipses are used appropriately Conjunctions 46. Use the correct pair of correlative conjunctions Misplaced modifiers 47. Misplaced modifiers with pictures 48. Select the misplaced or dangling modifier 49. Are the modifiers used correctly?

Grammar and vocabulary
Consolidate and build on their knowledge of grammar and vocabulary through:
Consolidate and build on their knowledge of grammar and vocabulary through:

Extending and applying the grammatical knowledge set out in English Appendix 2 to the key stage 1 and 2 programmes of study to analyse more challenging texts		Prefixes 1. Words with pre- 2. Words with re- 3. Words with sub- 4. Words with mis- 5. Words with un-, dis-, in-, im- and non- Suffixes 6. Words with -ful 7. Words with -less 8. Words with -able and -ible Plurals 9. Form and use plurals: review 10. Form and use plurals of compound nouns Possessive nouns 11. Form the singular or plural possessive 12. Identify and correct errors with plural and possessive nouns Sentence types 13. Is the sentence declarative, interrogative, imperative or exclamatory? 14. Is the sentence simple, compound, complex or compound-complex? Subjects and predicates 15. Identify the complete subject or complete predicate of a sentence 16. Identify the simple subject or simple predicate of a sentence 17. Identify the compound subject or compound predicate of a sentence Sentences, fragments and run-ons 18. Is it a complete sentence or a fragment? 19. Is it a complete sentence or a run-on? 20. Is it a complete sentence, a fragment or a run-on? Phrases and clauses 21. Is it a phrase or a clause? 22. Identify appositives and appositive phrases 23. Identify dependent and independent clauses Past, present and future tense 24. Irregular past tense: review 25. Simple past, present and future tense: review 26. Identify and correct inappropriate shifts in verb tense Progressive tense 27. Form the progressive verb tenses Perfect tense 28. Form the perfect verb tenses Commas 29. Commas with non-restrictive elements 30. Commas with compound and complex sentences 31. Commas with direct addresses, introductory words, interjections and interrupters 32. Commas with coordinate adjectives Semicolons, colons and commas 33. Use semicolons and commas to separate clauses 34. Use semicolons, colons and commas with lists Dashes, hyphens and ellipses 35. Use dashes 36. Use hyphens in compound adjectives 37. Decide whether ellipses are used appropriately Conjunctions 38. Use the correct pair of correlative conjunctions Prepositions 39. Identify prepositional phrases Pronouns 40. Use reflexive pronouns 41. Use relative pronouns: who and whom 42. Use relative pronouns: who, whom, whose, which and that Adjectives and adverbs 43. Identify adjectives 44. Order adjectives 45. Identify adverbs 46. Choose between adjectives and adverbs 47. Is the word an adjective or adverb? 48. Form and use comparative and superlative adjectives 49. Good, better, best, bad, worse and worst 50. Form and use comparative and superlative adverbs 51. Well, better, best, badly, worse and worst
Extending and applying the grammatical knowledge set out in English Appendix 2 to the key stage 1 and 2 programmes of study to analyse more challenging texts
Prefixes 1. Words with pre- 2. Words with re- 3. Words with sub- 4. Words with mis- 5. Words with un-, dis-, in-, im- and non- Suffixes 6. Words with -ful 7. Words with -less 8. Words with -able and -ible Plurals 9. Form and use plurals: review 10. Form and use plurals of compound nouns Possessive nouns 11. Form the singular or plural possessive 12. Identify and correct errors with plural and possessive nouns Sentence types 13. Is the sentence declarative, interrogative, imperative or exclamatory? 14. Is the sentence simple, compound, complex or compound-complex? Subjects and predicates 15. Identify the complete subject or complete predicate of a sentence 16. Identify the simple subject or simple predicate of a sentence 17. Identify the compound subject or compound predicate of a sentence Sentences, fragments and run-ons 18. Is it a complete sentence or a fragment? 19. Is it a complete sentence or a run-on? 20. Is it a complete sentence, a fragment or a run-on? Phrases and clauses 21. Is it a phrase or a clause? 22. Identify appositives and appositive phrases 23. Identify dependent and independent clauses Past, present and future tense 24. Irregular past tense: review 25. Simple past, present and future tense: review 26. Identify and correct inappropriate shifts in verb tense Progressive tense 27. Form the progressive verb tenses Perfect tense 28. Form the perfect verb tenses Commas 29. Commas with non-restrictive elements 30. Commas with compound and complex sentences 31. Commas with direct addresses, introductory words, interjections and interrupters 32. Commas with coordinate adjectives Semicolons, colons and commas 33. Use semicolons and commas to separate clauses 34. Use semicolons, colons and commas with lists Dashes, hyphens and ellipses 35. Use dashes 36. Use hyphens in compound adjectives 37. Decide whether ellipses are used appropriately Conjunctions 38. Use the correct pair of correlative conjunctions Prepositions 39. Identify prepositional phrases Pronouns 40. Use reflexive pronouns 41. Use relative pronouns: who and whom 42. Use relative pronouns: who, whom, whose, which and that Adjectives and adverbs 43. Identify adjectives 44. Order adjectives 45. Identify adverbs 46. Choose between adjectives and adverbs 47. Is the word an adjective or adverb? 48. Form and use comparative and superlative adjectives 49. Good, better, best, bad, worse and worst 50. Form and use comparative and superlative adverbs 51. Well, better, best, badly, worse and worst
Studying the effectiveness and impact of the grammatical features of the texts they read
Studying the effectiveness and impact of the grammatical features of the texts they read

Drawing on new vocabulary and grammatical constructions from their reading and listening, and using these consciously in their writing and speech to achieve particular effects		Shades of meaning 1. Describe the difference between related words 2. Positive and negative connotation Sentence types 3. Is the sentence declarative, interrogative, imperative or exclamatory? 4. Is the sentence simple, compound, complex or compound-complex? Dashes 5. Use dashes Context clues 6. Find words using context 7. Determine the meaning of words using synonyms in context 8. Determine the meaning of words using antonyms in context 9. Use context to identify the meaning of a word 10. Determine the meaning of domain-specific words with pictures
Drawing on new vocabulary and grammatical constructions from their reading and listening, and using these consciously in their writing and speech to achieve particular effects
Shades of meaning 1. Describe the difference between related words 2. Positive and negative connotation Sentence types 3. Is the sentence declarative, interrogative, imperative or exclamatory? 4. Is the sentence simple, compound, complex or compound-complex? Dashes 5. Use dashes Context clues 6. Find words using context 7. Determine the meaning of words using synonyms in context 8. Determine the meaning of words using antonyms in context 9. Use context to identify the meaning of a word 10. Determine the meaning of domain-specific words with pictures
Knowing and understanding the differences between spoken and written language, including differences associated with formal and informal registers, and between Standard English and other varieties of English		1. Which sentence is more formal?
Knowing and understanding the differences between spoken and written language, including differences associated with formal and informal registers, and between Standard English and other varieties of English
1. Which sentence is more formal?
Using Standard English confidently in their own writing and speech		Plurals 1. Form and use plurals: review 2. Form and use plurals of compound nouns Possessive nouns 3. Form the singular or plural possessive Pronoun-antecedent agreement 4. Use the pronoun that agrees with the antecedent Reflexive pronouns 5. Use reflexive pronouns Relative pronouns 6. Use relative pronouns: who and whom 7. Use relative pronouns: who, whom, whose, which and that Subject-verb agreement 8. Use the correct verb – with compound subjects Progressive tense 9. Form the progressive verb tenses Perfect tense 10. Form the perfect verb tenses Comparative and superlative adjectives and adverbs 11. Form and use comparative and superlative adjectives 12. Form and use comparative and superlative adverbs Conjunctions 13. Use the correct pair of correlative conjunctions Semicolons, colons and commas 14. Use semicolons and commas to separate clauses 15. Use semicolons, colons and commas with lists Dashes and hyphens 16. Use dashes 17. Use hyphens in compound adjectives
Using Standard English confidently in their own writing and speech
Plurals 1. Form and use plurals: review 2. Form and use plurals of compound nouns Possessive nouns 3. Form the singular or plural possessive Pronoun-antecedent agreement 4. Use the pronoun that agrees with the antecedent Reflexive pronouns 5. Use reflexive pronouns Relative pronouns 6. Use relative pronouns: who and whom 7. Use relative pronouns: who, whom, whose, which and that Subject-verb agreement 8. Use the correct verb – with compound subjects Progressive tense 9. Form the progressive verb tenses Perfect tense 10. Form the perfect verb tenses Comparative and superlative adjectives and adverbs 11. Form and use comparative and superlative adjectives 12. Form and use comparative and superlative adverbs Conjunctions 13. Use the correct pair of correlative conjunctions Semicolons, colons and commas 14. Use semicolons and commas to separate clauses 15. Use semicolons, colons and commas with lists Dashes and hyphens 16. Use dashes 17. Use hyphens in compound adjectives
Discussing reading, writing and spoken language with precise and confident use of linguistic and literary terminology
Discussing reading, writing and spoken language with precise and confident use of linguistic and literary terminology