Reading Targets for Children.
These targets are taken from the National Curriculum 2014. They have been listed in the Year groups so that
teachers can assess the progress that each child has made. Children who are working at ‘Age Related
Expectations’ should have achieved the vast majority of targets for their Year Group by the end of that School Year.
Some children may be working on targets from a previous Year Group, whilst others may work on targets from the following
Year, once the Age Related Targets have been mastered.
EYFS Reading Targets
I enjoy looking at books and other printed material with familiar people
I handle books and printed material with interest.
I am interested in books and rhymes and may have favourites.
I have some favourite stories, rhymes, songs, poems or jingles.
I can repeat words or phrases from familiar stories.
I can fill in the missing word or phrase in a known rhyme, story or game, e.g. ‘Humpty Dumpty sat on a …’.
I enjoy rhyming and rhythmic activities.
I show an awareness of rhyme and alliteration.
I can recognise rhythm in spoken words.
I can gain simple meaning by using illustrations, when not yet able to read the text.
I can listen to and join in with stories and poems, one-to-one and also in small groups.
I can join in with repeated refrains and anticipate key events and phrases in rhymes and stories.
I am beginning to be aware of the way stories are structured.
I can suggest how the story might end.
I can listens to stories with increasing attention and recall.
I can describe main story settings, events and principal characters.
I am interested in illustrations and print in books and print in the environment.
I can recognise familiar words and signs such as my own name and advertising logos.
I can read common exception words in Phonics Phase 2
I can read High Frequency Words in Stages 1 and 1+ of the reading scheme
I look at books independently.
I can handle books carefully.
I know information can be relayed in the form of print.
I hold books the correct way up and turns pages.
Can point to the correct word when ‘reading’ simple texts from memory making 1:1 correspondences
I know that print carries meaning and, in English, is read from left to right and top to bottom.
I can put the important parts of a story in order.
I can state simple likes/dislikes about familiar texts
I can continue a rhyming string.
I can hear and say the initial sound in words.
I can segment the sounds in simple words and blend them together (orally) and I know which letters represent some of them.
I can links sounds to letters, naming and sounding the letters of the alphabet.
I can blend sounds to read CVC words (e.g. bag, log, rip).
I can blend sounds together to read words including some long phonemes
I am beginning to blend sounds together to read words with adjacent consonants
I can read High Frequency Words in Stages 2 and 3 of the reading scheme
I can read common exception words in Phonics Phases 3
I can read words and simple sentences
I sometimes use vocabulary and forms of speech that are increasingly influenced by my experiences of books.
I enjoy an increasing range of books.
I can answer straightforward questions about a story
I can retell an event in a story or information from a non-fiction text
I can understand the terms book, cover, beginning, middle, end, page, word, letter, line.
I know that information can be retrieved from books and computers, posters
Children read and understand simple sentences.
They use phonic knowledge to decode regular words and read them aloud accurately.
They also read some common irregular words.
They demonstrate understanding when talking with others about what they have read.
Y1 Reading Targets
I can use picture clues to help in reading simple texts
I can blend sounds together to read CVC words
I can read the common exception words in Phonics Phase 2
I can read High Frequency Words in Stages 2 and 3 of the reading scheme
I can blend sounds together to read words including some long phonemes
I can read the common exception words in Phonics Phase 3
I can blend sounds together to read words with adjacent consonants
I can read the common exception words in Phonics Phase 4
I can re-read sentences to develop fluency with support
I can read High Frequency Words in Stage 4 of the reading scheme
I can read words with contractions and explain why an apostrophe is needed – (I’m, I’ll, we’ll, you’ll)
I can use phonic knowledge to blend sounds together to read words, including a range of different long phonemes
I can read the common exception words Phonics Phase 5
I can read familiar endings to words (-s, -es, -ing, -ed, -er, -est)
I can read words with more than one syllable
I can read High Frequency Words in Stage 5 of the reading scheme
I can identify the title, main events or key points in a text
I can answer straightforward questions about a story orally
I can read simple sentences and understand the meaning
I can pause at a full stop
I can find ! and ? in books I read
I can recognise the difference between fiction and non-fiction
I can self correct when I have read a word incorrectly
I can recognise why a character is feeling a certain way
I can express opinions about main events and characters in a story
I can make some inferences about what is said and done
I can make simple predictions about the characters based on what has been read so far
I can make simple predictions about the eventsbased on what has been read so far
I can recognise repetition of language in my reading
I can recognise obvious story language–Once upon a time, big bad wolf
I can discuss what new words mean, linking new meanings to those already known
I can talk about the things I like and dislike in a book
I can link what I read or hear read to my own experiences, with support
I can participate in discussions about what is read to me, taking turns and listening to what others say
I can understand and use these terms correctly: book, cover, beginning, middle, end, page, word, letter
I can appreciate rhymes and poems, and recite some by heart
I am becoming very familiar with key stories, fairy stories and traditional tales, and can retell them and consider their particular characteristics
Y2 Reading Targets
I can use my knowledge of phonics to read unfamiliar words in books I read
I can read familiar words quickly, without needing to sound them out
I can self-correct when I have read a sentence incorrectly
I can read words containing common suffixes: -ment, -ness, -ful, -less, -ly
I am beginning to read with fluency when I re-read texts
I am starting to use the context of the sentence to help me to read unfamiliar words
I can read common exception words for Year 2
I can use a range of decoding strategies
I can retell a story, referring to most of the key events and characters
I can respond to . ! and ? when I’m reading
I can use expression which matches the character and dialogue in books I read
I can discuss how events or items of information are related
I can find the answers to questions in non-fiction, stories and poems
I can locate key vocabulary and specific information in non-fiction, stories and poems
I can show I understand a story by discussing the plot, setting and characters
I can decide how useful a non-fiction text is for the purpose
I can make predictions based on what has been read so far
I can understand texts drawing on own knowledge, expreriences or vocabulary
I can recognise key themes and ideas within a text
I can use different clues from a book to express simple opinions
I can make simple inferences about what characters say, think and do.
I can discuss my favourite words and phrases
I can identify and comment on vocabulary and literary features - ‘All fairy tales start with Once upon a time…’
I can discuss and clarify the meanings of words, linking new meanings to known vocabulary
I can identify how vocabulary choice affects meaning : ‘Crept lets you know that he is trying to be quiet’
I can take turns and listen carefully to what others say about books and poems
I can make choices about which texts to read, based on prior reading experience
I understand why a writer has written a text –‘She wants you to know how to make a kite’
I can participate in discussion about books, poems and other works that are read to me and those that I can read for myself
I can discuss ways different books are organised
I can relate what I read to my own experiences
I am aware that books are set in different times and places
I can give reasons for preferences between books I have read
I have continued to build up a repertoire of poems learnt by heart
I am becoming very familiar with key stories, fairy stories and traditional tales, and can retell them and consider their particular characteristics
Y3 Reading Targets
I can use the context of the sentence to help me to read and understand unfamiliar words
I can read aloud confidently and fluently, understanding how to use a range of punctuation
I can read with the correct intonation and expression
I can read, on sight, about half the words from Year 3 / 4 spelling list
I can use a glossary and dictionary to check the meaning of words that I read
I can use knowledge of root words, suffixes and prefixes to read aloud and make sense of new words that I meet.
I can use alphabetically ordered texts to find information
I can summarise the key points in response to questions
I can prepare and perform poems and playscripts, with intonation, tone, volume and action.
I can identify the features of different text types
I can use a range of organisational features to locate information, (such as labels, diagrams and charts) and present it with support.
I can check that the text makes sense to me by discussing with others
With a little help, I can ask questions to improve my understanding
I can make relevent notes from fiction and non-fiction books in response to questions
I can explain how paragraphs are used to order texts
I can identify main themes and ideas in a short text
I can justify predictions with evidence from the text (stated and sometimes implied)
I can make inferences about characters feelings and thoughts with evidence from the text
I can empathise with a character
I can discuss words and phrases that capture the reader’s interest and imagination
I can comment on the choice of language to create moods and build tension –
I am starting to understand how simple and complex sentences are used
I can discuss different books that I have read or have heard, taking turns and listening to what others say.
I understand what the writer might be thinking ‘He thinks they are being mean’
I can begin to identify and comment on different points of view in the text
I can evaluate specific texts with reference to text types
I can retell some of the stories that I am familiar with orally
I can start to recognise some features of the text that relate it to its historical setting or its social or cultural background –
I have continued to build up a repertoire of poems learnt by heart
I can start to make simple connections between books by the same author ‘Dick King-Smith often writes about animals’
Y4 Reading Targets
I can use my knowledge of root words, suffixes and prefixes to read aloud and understand new words.
I can read, on sight, all the words from Year 3 / 4 spelling list
I can use a dictionary or glossary to check the meaning of words that I read without prompting
I can recognise where words are an exception to the rule
I can locate information using skimming, scanning and text marking
I can identify features of different fiction genres
I can prepare and perform poems and playscripts, with intonation, tone, volume and action.
I can ask questions to improve my understanding of texts
I can compare, contrast and evaluate different non-fiction texts
I show that I understand by explaining the meaning of words in context.
I can make predictions with evidence from text and with knowledge of wider reading
I can make inferences abourt characters feelings, thoughts AND motives from their actions with evidence from the text.
I know how suspense is built up in a story, including the development of the plot
I can recognise the use and effect of patterned language in text
I can find and comment on examples of how authors express different moods, feelings and attitudes
I can identify themes and conventions in a wide range of books
I can identify main ideas drawn from more than one paragraph and can summarise these
I understand how the author wants the reader to respond
I can discuss different books that I have read or have heard, taking turns and listening to what others say.
I can make connections between books by the same author –
I can make simple comments on how the reader’s or writer’s context makes a difference to the social, cultural or historical setting
I can recognise some different forms of poetry
I have continued to build up a repertoire of poems learnt by heart
I am becoming very familiar with fairy stories and myths and legends, and can retell them orally
Y5 Reading Targets
I can respond to more sophisticated punctuation
I can maintain fluency and accuracy when reading complex sentences, with subordinate clauses
I can use my knowledge of root words, suffixes and prefixes to read aloud and understand new words.
I can read, on sight, about half of the words from Year 5 / 6 spelling list
I can work out the pronunciation of homophones, using the context of the sentence
I can prepare and perform poems and playscripts, with intonation, tone, volume and action.
I can explain the meaning of new words by using the context and grammar.
I can use well-thought out questions to improve my understanding of texts, take turns and respond to what others say,
I can summarise the main ideas drawn from more than one paragraph with references to the text
I can locate information ( using skimming, scanning and text marking) and retrieve and present information.
I can discuss complex narrative plots
with a little help, I can create presentations and formal debates that stay focussed on the topic being discussed
I can recognise different points of view
I can draw information from different parts of the text to infer meaning
I can discuss moods, feelings and attitudes and motives using inference
I can use language features of a range of non-fiction text types to support understanding
I can identify and describe the styles of individual writers and poets
I can identify and comment on expressive, figurative and descriptive language to create effect in texts
I am able to talk about themes in a story and recognise thematic links with other texts
I can talk about the author’s techniques for describing characters, settings and actions
I can recognise ways in which writers present issues and points of view in fiction and non:fiction texts I can express and justify my point of view with evidence
I can compare the openings of a particular novel with the beginnings of other novels read recently
I understand that texts reflect the time and culture in which they were written I have continued to build up a repertoire of poems learnt by heart
I can participate in discussions about books, building on my own and others’ ideas and challenging views courteously
Y6 Reading Targets
I can read, on sight, all the words from Year 5 / 6 spelling list
I can use connectives as signposts to indicate a change of tone
I can use my knowledge of root words, suffixes and prefixes to read aloud and understand new words
I can cope with different features of language used in poems and prose, e.g. dialect
I can cope with different features of language such as abbreviations, colloquialisms and specialist vocabulary
I can distinguish between statements of fact and opinion
I can prepare and perform poems and playscripts, with intonation, tone, volume and action so the meaning is clear to the audience
I can recognise texts that contain features of more than one text type (e.g. persuasive letter)
I can show I understand what I read by making notes and creating formal presentations
I can take part in presentations and formal debates that stay focussed on the topic being discussed
I can use PEE (Point, Evidence, Explain) to support predictions and inferences
I can make predictions using stated and implied evidence in texts
I can identify and comment on explicit and implicit points of view
I can use detailed knowledge of text types to make reasoned predictions
I know how style and vocabulary are linked to the purpose of the text :
I can comment on and explain the writer’s use of a language features –
I can compare and contrast the styles of individual writers and poets providing examples
I can express and justify my point of view with evidence
I can participate in discussions about books, building on my own and others’ ideas and challenging views courteously
I can recommend books to my peers, justifying my choices clearly
I can respond critically to issues in stories, locating evidence in text, explore other courses of action & evaluate the author’s solution
I can comment critically on the overall impact of poetry or prose, with reference to the text
I can identify and describe the key characteristics about a writer’s or a poet’s style
I can identify and discuss themes and conventions in and across a wide range of writing
I am beginning to evaluate texts by comparing how different sources treat the same information
I have continued to build up a repertoire of poems learnt by heart
I can recall and discuss a wide range of stories:
I understand that texts reflect the time and culture in which they were written I can identify different character types across a range of texts
I can identify themes across a range of texts (Social, cultural and historical)
Y7 Reading Targets
I can cope with different features of language used in poems and prose, e.g. dialect
I can cope with different features of language such as abbreviations, colloquialisms and specialist vocabulary
I can use connectives as signposts to indicate a change of tone
I can distinguish between statements of fact and opinion
I can recognise texts that contain features of more than one text type (e.g. persuasive letter)
I can prepare for factual research, considering what is known already
I can identify the writer’s viewpoint and explain the effect on the reader
I can uncover different layers of meaning
I can identify and evaluate techniques the author has used to create mood, feelings, messages and attitudes
I can analyse and evaluate the styles of individual writers and poets, providing evidence and justifying interpretations
I can show a confident awareness of the effect of the text, with explanation
I can articulate personal responses to literature, identifying how and why the texts affects the reader due to author intent
I can explain the impact of the context on the text