As a parent and carer of a dyslexic child. You may worry that your child is falling behind in class. You maybe confused about what classwork your child is being taught. Unsure about what standards of English they should be achieving.

Below is an English checklist for children aged 6-7. Based on the national curriculum.

Who The Checklist Is For:

This is a guide to the expected standard of English levels, for U.K children aged 6-7. With advice about how to help a child that is struggling to meet these levels.

The checklist is for children aged 6-7 who are:

• In primary school year 2.
• Working at (KS1) key stage 1, Y2 level.
• Key stage levels are set by the national curriculum.

How The Checklist Works:

In year 2 the child should be learning the English work on the "KS1/ YR2 Checklist". Look through the checklist below. Ask yourself, "is the child able to do the task?".

Try to spot the gaps in their learning. In each of the 7 sections there are links to“Mooki” cards and blog posts. Which are there to help you help your child.

When going through the list remember:

• Children have a whole school year to learn the skills listed.
• Teachers may teach English by doing a History or an Art project.
• A child may be in year 2, yet could be catching up on “Year 1” level work.
• The checklist is a guide and it is not designed to replace formal education.
• Some of KS 1 has been simplified, to make it easier to understand.

The KS 1/ Yr 2 Checklist:

1. Handwriting  

Does The Child....

• Write letters in similar sizes. 
• Put equal spaces between words. 
• Sometimes write joined-up.

Dyslexic Mum Tips - Practise handwriting, use activities below:

• Practice Writing Card
• “Letter Sizes” BBC
• “Finger Spaces” BBC
• Muscle Memory Card

2. Reading Comprehension

The child should be reading a variety of fiction, non-fiction books. Poems, news articles, blog posts and text books.

They should reading various types of stories, poems. Fairy-stories, myths, legends and historical books. From different countries and cultures.

Does The Child....

• Read books and poems.
• Listen to books they can't yet read.
• Then talk about the books and poems.

• Read a book:‍
• Then say what happened in the correct order?
• Talk about how this led to the story outcome?

• Know simple literary language in stories, poems?
• Retell fairy stories and traditional tales?
• Talk about the meanings of words? ‍
• Guess the meaning of words, new to them?
• Talk about their favourite words and phrases?
• Learn poems by heart and say them with meaning? 
• Correct themselves when reading aloud?
• Understand what they have just read aloud?
• Answer and ask questions about a piece of writing?
• Give their opinion on what is happening in a book?
• Say what might happen next in a book?
  

Dyslexic Mum Tips - Use "Reading Champions" card, encourage reading.

3. Reading Words

Does The Child....

• Read words as Sounds? 
• Blend sounds to make a word?
• Read some words, without sounding out? 
• Read tricky words?
• Read words with 2 or more syllables?
• Read words with ending sounds?
• Read books out-loud without sounding out words?
• Read new books, sounding out “new” words?
• Re-read books to improve flow and confidence?

Dyslexic Mum Tip - Practise reading, use activities below:

• Word Sounds List
• Blending Sounds Card
• Tricky Words Card‍
• Clapping Syllables Card‍
• Start, End Sounds Card
• Learn “Suffixes” BBC

4. Writing Composition

Does The Child.....

• Write true and made-up stories? 
• Write poems?

• Write in different ways, see examples below? 
• Stories
• News articles
• Essays
• Letters

• Read aloud their write in appropriate tone?
• Plan writing by saying it out-loud?
• Write down ideas, using just keywords?
• Speak ideas in full sentences, before writing down?
• Read their own writing and say if it makes sense?
• Proof-read, correcting spelling, grammar, punctuation?
• Talk about their writing with teachers and classmates?

Dyslexic Mum Tip  - Practise, ask the child to write a short story or poem.

• Plan writing using Though Tree Card
• Learn about Punctuation‍
• Check writing using Grammarly
• Learn to write in different styles

5. Writing Transcription

• Spell words by sounding them out?
• Spell common tricky words?

• Use single apostrophes?
• For example, she's, cat’s nose.

• Spell words, made from two combined words?
• Do not = Don’t
• She is = She’s
• Is not = Isn't
• Can not = Can't

• Spell words with added end sounds?
• ment = Treatment‍
• ness = Kindness‍
• ful = Helpful‍
• less = fearless‍
• ly = wisely

• Spell words that sound the same, in different ways?
• witch, which 
• to, two
• flour, flower
• tail, tale
• rein, rain

• Spell similar sounding words correctly?
• Accept, except
• Quite, quiet
• One, won

Dyslexic Mum Tip - Practise spelling, use activities below:

• Hear Instructions
• Word Sounds List
• Blending Sounds Card
• Tricky Words Card‍
• Start, End Sounds Card

• Learn Homophones BBC
• Learn Possessive Apostrophes
• Learn Contracted Forms

6. Vocabulary, Grammar, Punctuation

Does The Child....

• Leave spaces between words?

• Write sentences using?
• Full-stops
• Capital letters
• Commas for lists
• Exclamation marks 
• Question marks.

• Use two words combined together?

• For example:‍
• Do not = Don’t
• She is = She’s
• Is not = Isn't

• Write different types of sentences? 
• Statements
• Questions
• Exclamations
• Commands

• Use present, past and future tenses correctly?

• For example:‍
• She went to the shop
• She is in the shop
• She is going to the shop

• Describes people, places, objects, concepts?

• For example:‍
• The blue butterfly.
• The shiny window.

• Joins two sentences together using word list below?

• For example:
• I like Dancing and Football.
• The bus is late because it snowed.‍

• when
• if 
• that
• or
• because
• and
• but

Dyslexic Mum Tip - Practise, ask child to write a short story. Use activities below to improve writing.

• Practice Writing Card
• Finger Spaces Guide
• Punctuation Guide
• Write in Different Styles
• Noun Phases
• Learn Tenses
• Learn Subordination

7. Spellings

The spelling lists on the "Mooki Cards" below. Include words from the national curriculum, key stage 1 spelling list. All children in year 2 are required to be taught these spellings.

• Rocky Foundations
• Word List Cards
• Tricky Words Card

8. Key Stage 1 Test

Once you are confident your child is able to complete the tasks above. Try doing a government "National Curriculum" test paper.

If your child is struggling with many items on the lists above. No matter what age they are, they many need to relearn the basics. Start by working first through the, "Checklist for Aged 5-6, Year 1 National Curriculum".

Teach at Home

For top tips on how to teach a child at home. See "How To Teach Dyslexic Child At Home, Step By Step Guide".

All the cards are available as part of a "Mooki Cards". Complete with 56 cards and storage wallet. Perfect for using at home or in the classroom. Order your "Mooki Cards" here!

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