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Year 1 English

Year 1 English runs to 150 lessons across a 36 week year, for children aged 5 to 6 in Key Stage 1. Every lesson is listed below in teaching order.

The vocabulary a child meets this year includes speaking, listening, question, instructions, retelling, storytelling language, volume, noun, common noun, proper noun, singular, plural.

These lessons are written by Oak National Academy, the government-funded curriculum body, and are free to anyone. StudyDen sequences them, marks the answers and keeps the record.

Every Year 1 English lesson

In the order they are taught. 150 lessons.

Speaking and listening

  1. Asking and Answering Questions
  2. Giving and Following Instructions
  3. Retelling a Story: Humpty Dumpty

Word class

  1. Nouns: Common and Proper
  2. Nouns: Singular and Plural
  3. Adjectives: Words That Describe
  4. Adjectives: to compare
  5. Adjectives: Expanded Noun Phrases
  6. Verbs: Doing Words
  7. Verbs: Doing and Being Verbs
  8. Adverbs: Words That Describe How

Simple sentences

  1. Present Tense: Sentences That Happen Now
  2. Past Tense
  3. Present and Past Tense
  4. Statements and Questions
  5. Questions and Commands
  6. Joining using 'and'
  7. Co-ordination with 'and'

Writing lower case letters in print

  1. Introduction to Skills and Patterns
  2. Formation of i, l and t
  3. Formation of u, y and j
  4. Writing m, n and r
  5. Formation of h and k
  6. Forming the Letters b and p
  7. Formation of c, a and d
  8. Formation of o, g and q
  9. Formation of e, s and f
  10. Writing v, w, x and z
  11. Practice of x-height letters
  12. Letters with Descenders: g, q, f, y, p, j
  13. Tall Letters: Practising Letters with Ascenders

Capital letters

  1. Capital Letters: C, G, O and Q
  2. Capital Letters M, N, W and V
  3. Capital Letters B, D, P and R
  4. Capital Letters I, E, F and L
  5. Capital Letters A, H, K and T
  6. Capital Letters S, J and U
  7. Capital Letters X, Y and Z
  8. Capital Letters and Days of the Week
  9. Matching Lower Case Letters with Their Capital Letters

Numerals 0-10

  1. Writing Numerals 0 to 5
  2. Writing Numerals 6 to 10

'A Superhero Like You': reading and writing

  1. Superheroes and Predicting: A Superhero Like You
  2. The Theme of Community in 'A Superhero Like You'
  3. Characters in 'A Superhero Like You'
  4. Writing Captions About People Who Help Us
  5. Describing People Who Help Us: Introducing Adjectives
  6. Writing simple sentences about people who help us
  7. Describing Yourself
  8. Writing About Your Future Job

'The Three Billy Goats Gruff': reading and writing

  1. Reading and Responding to 'The Three Billy Goats Gruff'
  2. Introduction to Traditional Tales
  3. Imagining You Are the Characters: The Three Billy Goats Gruff
  4. Sequencing and Making a Story Mountain: The Three Billy Goats Gruff
  5. Describing the Troll in 'The Three Billy Goats Gruff'
  6. Describing the Goats in 'The Three Billy Goats Gruff'
  7. Writing About Characters, Setting and Plot: The Three Billy Goats Gruff
  8. Writing the End of 'The Three Billy Goats Gruff'

'The Magic Porridge Pot': reading and writing

  1. Reading and Responding to 'The Magic Porridge Pot'
  2. Comparing Fairy Tales
  3. Imagining You Are the Characters in 'The Magic Porridge Pot'
  4. Sequencing and Making a Story Mountain: 'The Magic Porridge Pot'
  5. Writing Descriptive Sentences
  6. Writing the Beginning of The Magic Porridge Pot
  7. Writing the Middle of 'The Magic Porridge Pot'
  8. Writing the End of the Story: The Magic Porridge Pot

Following and writing instructions to make a sandwich: reading and writing

  1. Designing a Sandwich
  2. Features of Instructions
  3. Following Instructions to Make a Sandwich
  4. Writing the Start of Sandwich Instructions
  5. Writing Instructions for How to Make a Sandwich

Nursery rhymes: reading poetry

  1. Little Bo Peep
  2. Hickory Dickory Dock
  3. Five Little Ducks Went Swimming One Day
  4. The Magic Porridge Pot
  5. Nursery Rhymes Performance

'Anna Hibiscus' Song': reading and writing

  1. Character, Setting and Plot in 'Anna Hibiscus' Song'
  2. The Theme of Happiness in 'Anna Hibiscus's Song'
  3. Thinking from Anna Hibiscus's Perspective
  4. Describing the Setting in 'Anna Hibiscus' Song'
  5. Writing Descriptive Sentences About the Setting in 'Anna Hibiscus' Song'
  6. Choosing Adjectives and Adverbs to Show Emotion
  7. Character Description of a Family Member
  8. Writing the Beginning of a Letter: Anna Hibiscus' Song
  9. Writing the Middle of a Letter: Anna Hibiscus' Song
  10. Writing the End of a Letter: Anna Hibiscus' Song

'The Three Little Pigs': reading and writing

  1. The Three Little Pigs: A Traditional Tale
  2. Thinking from different perspectives in 'The Three Little Pigs'
  3. Describing the Wolf in 'The Three Little Pigs'
  4. Describing the Three Little Pigs' Houses
  5. Sequencing and Retelling 'The Three Little Pigs' Using a Story Mountain
  6. Writing the Beginning of 'The Three Little Pigs'
  7. Writing the Middle of 'The Three Little Pigs'
  8. Writing the End of 'The Three Little Pigs'

Looking after pets: reading and writing

  1. Exploring Illustrations in 'Lulu Gets a Cat'
  2. Reading and Responding to 'Lulu Gets a Cat' by Anna McQuinn
  3. The Theme of Responsibility in 'Lulu Gets a Cat'
  4. Thinking from Lulu's Perspective and Asking Questions
  5. Using Non-Fiction Books to Learn Facts About Cats
  6. Fiction or Non-Fiction? Spotting the Difference
  7. Writing Facts About Cats
  8. Writing Instructions: How to Look After a Cat
  9. Writing Facts on an Information Page
  10. Writing an Information Report with Commands

'Zim Zam Zoom' by James Carter: reading poetry

  1. Introduction to Poetry: 'Zim Zam Zoom' by James Carter
  2. Reading 'Firework Poem' by James Carter
  3. Reading 'Splish! Splash! Splosh!' by James Carter
  4. Reading 'BEwARe!' by James Carter
  5. Performing James Carter Poems

'Paddington': reading and writing

  1. Characters, Setting and Plot in 'Paddington'
  2. Comparing 'Coming to England' to 'Paddington'
  3. Writing Facts About Floella Benjamin
  4. The Theme of Identity
  5. Thinking from Paddington and Floella Benjamin's Perspectives
  6. Comparing Emotions and Feelings in 'Paddington'
  7. Writing a Character Description of Paddington
  8. Describing the Setting of 'Paddington'
  9. Writing a Postcard from Paddington
  10. Writing a Postcard from Paddington

'Wild': reading and writing

  1. Characters, Settings and Plot in 'Wild'
  2. The Theme of Belonging in 'Wild'
  3. Describing the Setting of 'Wild'
  4. Thinking from the Girl's Perspective in 'Wild'
  5. Sequencing and Making a Story Mountain for 'Wild'
  6. Writing the Beginning of 'Wild': Introducing Characters and Settings
  7. Writing the Middle: Describing the Problem in 'Wild'
  8. Writing the Ending of 'Wild'

'Jack and the Beanstalk': reading and writing

  1. Exploring Fairy Tales: Jack and the Beanstalk
  2. Describing the Giant in 'Jack and the Beanstalk'
  3. Character Description of Jack in 'Jack and the Beanstalk'
  4. Thinking from Different Perspectives: Jack and the Beanstalk
  5. Expressing an Opinion About Events and Themes in 'Jack and the Beanstalk'
  6. Retelling 'Jack and the Beanstalk' and Using a Story Mountain
  7. Writing the Beginning of 'Jack and the Beanstalk'
  8. Writing the Middle: Jack and the Beanstalk
  9. Writing the End of Jack and the Beanstalk

School trip: writing a recount

  1. What is a Recount?
  2. Using Question Prompts to Plan a Recount
  3. Sequencing Events in a Recount
  4. Writing the Beginning of a School Trip Recount
  5. Writing the Middle and End of a School Trip Recount

'Ada Twist Scientist': reading and writing

  1. Characters and Plot in 'Ada Twist, Scientist'
  2. The Theme of Resilience in 'Ada Twist, Scientist'
  3. Writing About Ada Twist: What She Looks Like and What She's Like Inside
  4. Using Descriptive Language to Describe Yourself
  5. What Do You Want to Be? Exploring Aspirations with Ada Twist

Speaking loud and proud

  1. Standing to Speak in Show and Tell
  2. Performing a Poem for an Audience
  3. Our Likes and Dislikes
  4. Sharing Our Opinions About a Story

Each of the 21 units has a free printable Year 1 English worksheet, with the answers on a separate page.

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Common questions

What does Year 1 English cover?
Year 1 English runs to 150 lessons across a 36 week year, covering speaking, listening, question, instructions, retelling, storytelling language and more.
How many English lessons are in Year 1?
150 lessons, sequenced in teaching order across the school year.
How old is a child in Year 1?
Children in Year 1 are 5 to 6 years old during the school year in England and Wales.