Year 2 Curriculum

Year 2 English Curriculum

What are the objectives for the Year 2 English curriculum?

In Year 2, the curriculum stipulates that children must be taught English through spoken language, spelling, vocabulary, punctuation and grammar, as well as word reading, comprehension, transcription, handwriting and writing composition.

Spoken language (Year 1 to Year 6):

Pupils in Year 2 should be taught to:

• listen and respond appropriately to adults and their peers
• ask relevant questions to extend their understanding and knowledge
• use relevant strategies to build their vocabulary  articulate and justify answers, arguments and opinions
• give well-structured descriptions, explanations and narratives for different purposes, including for expressing feelings
• maintain attention and participate actively in collaborative conversations, staying on topic and initiating and responding to comments
• use spoken language to develop understanding through speculating, hypothesising, imagining and exploring ideas
• speak audibly and fluently with an increasing command of Standard English
• participate in discussions, presentations, performances, role play, improvisations and debates
• gain, maintain and monitor the interest of the listener(s)
• consider and evaluate different viewpoints, attending to and building on the contributions of others
• select and use appropriate registers for effective communication.

Reading - word reading

Pupils in Year 2 should be taught to:

• continue to apply phonic knowledge and skills as the route to decode words until automatic decoding has become embedded and reading is fluent
• read accurately by blending the sounds in words that contain the graphemes taught so far, especially recognising alternative sounds for graphemes
• read accurately words of two or more syllables that contain the same graphemes as above
• read words containing common suffixes  read further common exception words, noting unusual correspondences between spelling and sound and where these occur in the word
• read most words quickly and accurately, without overt sounding and blending, when they have been frequently encountered
• read aloud books closely matched to their improving phonic knowledge, sounding out unfamiliar words accurately, automatically and without undue hesitation
• re-read these books to build up their fluency and confidence in word reading.

Reading - comprehension

Pupils in Year 2 should be taught to:

• develop pleasure in reading, motivation to read, vocabulary and understanding by:
  • listening to, discussing and expressing views about a wide range of contemporary and classic poetry, stories and non-fiction at a level beyond that at which they can read independently
  • discussing the sequence of events in books and how items of information are related
  • becoming increasingly familiar with and retelling a wider range of stories, fairy stories and traditional tales 
  • being introduced to non-fiction books that are structured in different ways
  • recognising simple recurring literary language in stories and poetry
  • discussing and clarifying the meanings of words, linking new meanings to known vocabulary
  • discussing their favourite words and phrases  continuing to build up a repertoire of poems learnt by heart, appreciating these and reciting some, with appropriate intonation to make the meaning clear
• understand both the books that they can already read accurately and fluently and those that they listen to by:
  • drawing on what they already know or on background information and vocabulary provided by the teacher
  • checking that the text makes sense to them as they read and correcting inaccurate reading
  • making inferences on the basis of what is being said and done
  • answering and asking questions
  • predicting what might happen on the basis of what has been read so far
• participate in discussion about books, poems and other works that are read to them and those that they can read for themselves, taking turns and listening to what others say
• explain and discuss their understanding of books, poems and other material, both those that they listen to and those that they read for themselves.

Writing - transcription

Pupils in Year 2 should be taught to:

• spell by:
  • segmenting spoken words into phonemes and representing these by graphemes, spelling many correctly
  • learning new ways of spelling phonemes for which one or more spellings are already known, and learn some words with each spelling, including a few common homophones
  • learning to spell common exception words
  • learning to spell more words with contracted forms
  • learning the possessive apostrophe (singular) [for example, the girl’s book]
  • distinguishing between homophones and near-homophones
• add suffixes to spell longer words, including –ment, –ness, –ful, –less, –ly
• apply spelling rules and guidance, as listed in English Appendix 1 (see National Curriculum)
• write from memory simple sentences dictated by the teacher that include words using the GPCs, common exception words and punctuation taught so far.

Handwriting

Pupils in Year 2 should be taught to:

• form lower-case letters of the correct size relative to one another
• start using some of the diagonal and horizontal strokes needed to join letters and understand which letters, when adjacent to one another, are best left unjoined
• write capital letters and digits of the correct size, orientation and relationship to one another and to lower case letters
• use spacing between words that reflects the size of the letters.

Writing - composition  

Pupils in Year 2 should be taught to:

• develop positive attitudes towards and stamina for writing by:
  • writing narratives about personal experiences and those of others (real and fictional)
  • writing about real events
  • writing poetry
  • writing for different purposes
• consider what they are going to write before beginning by:
  • planning or saying out loud what they are going to write about
  • writing down ideas and/or key words, including new vocabulary
  • encapsulating what they want to say, sentence by sentence
• make simple additions, revisions and corrections to their own writing by:
  • evaluating their writing with the teacher and other pupils
  • re-reading to check that their writing makes sense and that verbs to indicate time are used correctly and consistently, including verbs in the continuous form
  • proof-reading to check for errors in spelling, grammar and punctuation [for example, ends of sentences punctuated correctly]
• read aloud what they have written with appropriate intonation to make the meaning clear.

Writing - vocabulary, grammar and punctuation  

Pupils in Year 2 should be taught to:

• develop their understanding of the concepts set out in English Appendix 2 by: 
  • learning how to use both familiar and new punctuation correctly (see English Appendix 2), including full stops, capital letters, exclamation marks, question marks, commas for lists and apostrophes for contracted forms and the possessive (singular)
• learn how to use:
  • sentences with different forms: statement, question, exclamation, command
  • expanded noun phrases to describe and specify [for example, the blue butterfly]
  • the present and past tenses correctly and consistently including the progressive form
  • subordination (using when, if, that, or because) and co-ordination (using or, and, or but)
  • the grammar for year 2 in English Appendix 2
  • some features of written Standard English
• use and understand the grammatical terminology in English Appendix 2 in discussing their writing.

Year 2 Mathematics Curriculum

What are the objectives for the Year 2 Maths curriculum?

The focus for Maths teaching in Year 2 and across key stage 1 is to ensure that pupils develop confidence and mental fluency with whole numbers, counting and place value, as well as improving their ability to recognise, describe, draw, compare and sort different 2-D and 3-D shapes, and describing and comparing measures, including length, mass, capacity, time and money.

Number - number and place value

Pupils in Year 2 should be taught to:

• count in steps of 2, 3, and 5 from 0, and in tens from any number, forward and backward
• recognise the place value of each digit in a two-digit number (tens, ones)
• identify, represent and estimate numbers using different representations, including the number line
• compare and order numbers from 0 up to 100; use <, > and = signs
• read and write numbers to at least 100 in numerals and in words
• use place value and number facts to solve problems.

Number - addition and subtraction

Pupils in Year 2 should be taught to:

• solve problems with addition and subtraction:
  • using concrete objects and pictorial representations, including those involving numbers, quantities and measures
  • applying their increasing knowledge of mental and written methods
• recall and use addition and subtraction facts to 20 fluently, and derive and use related facts up to 100
• add and subtract numbers using concrete objects, pictorial representations, and mentally, including:
  • a two-digit number and ones
  • a two-digit number and tens
  • two two-digit numbers
  • adding three one-digit numbers
• show that addition of two numbers can be done in any order (commutative) and subtraction of one number from another cannot
• recognise and use the inverse relationship between addition and subtraction and use this to check calculations and solve missing number problems.

Number - multiplication and division

Pupils in Year 2 should be taught to:

• recall and use multiplication and division facts for the 2, 5 and 10 multiplication tables, including recognising odd and even numbers
• calculate mathematical statements for multiplication and division within the multiplication tables and write them using the multiplication (×), division (÷) and equals (=) signs
• show that multiplication of two numbers can be done in any order (commutative) and division of one number by another cannot
• solve problems involving multiplication and division, using materials, arrays, repeated addition, mental methods, and multiplication and division facts, including problems in contexts.

Number - fractions

Pupils in Year 2 should be taught to:

• recognise, find, name and write fractions 1/3 , 1/4 , 2 4and 3/4 of a length, shape, set of objects or quantity 
• write simple fractions for example, 1/2 of 6 = 3 and recognise the equivalence of 2/4 and 1/2 .

Measurement

Pupils in Year 2 should be taught to:

• choose and use appropriate standard units to estimate and measure length/height in any direction (m/cm); mass (kg/g); temperature (°C); capacity (litres/ml) to the nearest appropriate unit, using rulers, scales, thermometers and measuring vessels
• compare and order lengths, mass, volume/capacity and record the results using >, < and = 
• recognise and use symbols for pounds (£) and pence (p); combine amounts to make a particular value
• find different combinations of coins that equal the same amounts of money
• solve simple problems in a practical context involving addition and subtraction of money of the same unit, including giving change
• compare and sequence intervals of time
• tell and write the time to five minutes, including quarter past/to the hour and draw the hands on a clock face to show these times
• know the number of minutes in an hour and the number of hours in a day

Geometry - properties of shapes

Pupils in Year 2 should be taught to:

• identify and describe the properties of 2-D shapes, including the number of sides and line symmetry in a vertical line
• identify and describe the properties of 3-D shapes, including the number of edges, vertices and faces
• identify 2-D shapes on the surface of 3-D shapes [for example, a circle on a cylinder and a triangle on a pyramid]
• compare and sort common 2-D and 3-D shapes and everyday objects.

Geometry - position and direction

Pupils in Year 2 should be taught to:

• interpret and construct simple pictograms, tally charts, block diagrams and simple tables
• ask and answer simple questions by counting the number of objects in each category and sorting the categories by quantity
• ask and answer questions about totalling and comparing categorical data.

Year 2 Science Curriculum

What are the objectives for the Year 2 Science curriculum?

There are four different programmes of study that children in Year 2 must be taught, as well as the 'working scientifically' objectives, which should be embedded within the teaching of the knowledge-based programmes of study.

Working scientifically

During years 1 and 2, pupils should be taught to use the following practical scientific methods, processes and skills through the teaching of the programme of study content:

• asking simple questions and recognising that they can be answered in different ways
• observing closely, using simple equipment
• performing simple tests
• identifying and classifying
• using their observations and ideas to suggest answers to questions
• gathering and recording data to help in answering questions.

Living things and their habitats

Pupils in Year 2 should be taught to:

• explore and compare the differences between things that are living, dead, and things that have never been alive
• identify that most living things live in habitats to which they are suited and describe how different habitats provide for the basic needs of different kinds of animals and plants, and how they depend on each other 
• identify and name a variety of plants and animals in their habitats, including microhabitats
• describe how animals obtain their food from plants and other animals, using the idea of a simple food chain, and identify and name different sources of food.

Plants

Pupils in Year 2 should be taught to:

• observe and describe how seeds and bulbs grow into mature plants
• find out and describe how plants need water, light and a suitable temperature to grow and stay healthy.

Animals, including humans

Pupils in Year 2 should be taught to:

• notice that animals, including humans, have offspring which grow into adults
• find out about and describe the basic needs of animals, including humans, for survival (water, food and air)
• describe the importance for humans of exercise, eating the right amounts of different types of food, and hygiene.

Uses of everyday materials

Pupils in Year 2 should be taught to:

• identify and compare the suitability of a variety of everyday materials, including wood, metal, plastic, glass, brick, rock, paper and cardboard for particular uses 
• find out how the shapes of solid objects made from some materials can be changed by squashing, bending, twisting and stretching.

Year 2 Art and Design Curriculum

In Year 2, children must cover the Key stage 1 Art and design curriuclum objectives. They should be taught:

• to use a range of materials creatively to design and make products
• to use drawing, painting and sculpture to develop and share their ideas, experiences and imagination
• to develop a wide range of art and design techniques in using colour, pattern, texture, line, shape, form and space
• about the work of a range of artists, craft makers and designers, describing the differences and similarities between different practices and disciplines, and making links to their own work.

Year 2 Design and Technology Curriculum

In Year 2, children must cover the Key stage 1 Design and Teachnology curriuclum objectives. They should be taught to:

Design:

• design purposeful, functional, appealing products for themselves and other users based on design criteria
• generate, develop, model and communicate their ideas through talking, drawing, templates, mock-ups and, where appropriate, information and communication technology

Make:

• select from and use a range of tools and equipment to perform practical tasks [for example, cutting, shaping, joining and finishing]
• select from and use a wide range of materials and components, including construction materials, textiles and ingredients, according to their characteristics

Evaluate:

• explore and evaluate a range of existing products
• evaluate their ideas and products against design criteria

Technical knowledge:

• build structures, exploring how they can be made stronger, stiffer and more stable
• explore and use mechanisms [for example, levers, sliders, wheels and axles], in their products.

Year 2 Geography Curriculum

In Year 2, children must cover the Key stage 1 Geography curriuclum objectives. They should be taught to:

Locational knowledge:

• name and locate the world’s seven continents and five oceans
• name, locate and identify characteristics of the four countries and capital cities of the United Kingdom and its surrounding seas

Place knowledge:

• understand geographical similarities and differences through studying the human and physical geography of a small area of the United Kingdom, and of a small area in a contrasting non-European country

Human and physical geography:

• identify seasonal and daily weather patterns in the United Kingdom and the location of hot and cold areas of the world in relation to the Equator and the North and South Poles
• use basic geographical vocabulary to refer to:
  • key physical features, including: beach, cliff, coast, forest, hill, mountain, sea, ocean, river, soil, valley, vegetation, season and weather
  • key human features, including: city, town, village, factory, farm, house, office, port, harbour and shop

Geographical skills and fieldwork:

• use world maps, atlases and globes to identify the United Kingdom and its countries, as well as the countries, continents and oceans studied at this key stage
• use simple compass directions (North, South, East and West) and locational and directional language [for example, near and far; left and right], to describe the location of features and routes on a map
• use aerial photographs and plan perspectives to recognise landmarks and basic human and physical features; devise a simple map; and use and construct basic symbols in a key
• use simple fieldwork and observational skills to study the geography of their school and its grounds and the key human and physical features of its surrounding environment.

Year 2 History Curriculum

In Year 2, children must cover the Key stage 1 History curriuclum objectives. They should be taught about:

• changes within living memory. Where appropriate, these should be used to reveal aspects of change in national life
• events beyond living memory that are significant nationally or globally [for example, the Great Fire of London, the first aeroplane flight or events commemorated through festivals or anniversaries]
• the lives of significant individuals in the past who have contributed to national and international achievements. Some should be used to compare aspects of life in different periods [for example, Elizabeth I and Queen Victoria, Christopher Columbus and Neil Armstrong, William Caxton and Tim Berners-Lee, Pieter Bruegel the Elder and LS Lowry, Rosa Parks and Emily Davison, Mary Seacole and/or Florence Nightingale and Edith Cavell]
• significant historical events, people and places in their own locality.