Five-Week Plan
The sequence moves from comprehension to analysis to production. It can run as a standalone unit or be spread across a term, with each week attached to a text the class is reading.
The shape of the unit
| Week | Focus | Core moves | Formative evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Reading for meaning | Predict, question, visualise, summarise and monitor. | Annotated text and a summary. |
| 2 | Inference and evidence | Distinguish literal and inferred meaning; build claim-evidence-explanation. | An inference table. |
| 3 | Close reading and paragraphs | Annotate a short passage; write one analytical paragraph. | Annotated passage and paragraph. |
| 4 | Sentence craft and vocabulary | Combine clauses; use semicolons and dashes; build word families. | A revised paragraph and a word map. |
| 5 | Structure, multimodality and process | Compare text structures; read a visual text; revise and edit a piece. | A revised draft and a reflection. |
A typical lesson
| Time | Routine | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| 5 minutes | Read a short passage aloud. | Build fluency and attention. |
| 10 minutes | Notice one thing and name it. | Move from impression to vocabulary. |
| 10 minutes | Teach one strategy or sentence move. | Make the skill visible. |
| 20 minutes | Apply it to a real text. | Practise in context. |
| 10 minutes | Compare two responses. | Make quality concrete. |
| 5 minutes | Record one next step. | Build independence. |
Week by week
Week 1: Reading for meaning
Model the inner conversation of a reader. Before reading, predict from the title and opening. During reading, pause to question, visualise and check understanding. After reading, summarise in one sentence and identify what remains unclear. Use a short text the class can finish in one sitting, then repeat the routine with a harder text.
Week 2: Inference and evidence
Teach the difference between what a text says and what it implies. Give students a short passage and ask what they know that the text does not state directly. Then ask them to prove it with a word, phrase or detail. A useful frame is: I can infer ... because the text says ... which suggests ....
Week 3: Close reading and paragraphs
Students annotate for diction, imagery, syntax, tone and shifts. They choose one short piece of evidence and write a paragraph that explains its effect. The emphasis is on explanation, not technique naming. Compare a summary sentence with an analytical sentence so the difference is visible.
Week 4: Sentence craft and vocabulary
Students combine simple sentences into complex ones, use semicolons and dashes to extend ideas, and experiment with nominalisation. They build word families and choose academic vocabulary that fits the context. The goal is control, not display: a clear sentence with one precise word beats a crowded sentence with five impressive ones.
Week 5: Structure, multimodality and process
Students compare how a narrative, an informative text and a persuasive text organise ideas. They read a visual text and discuss layout, colour and image. They then take one piece of writing through planning, drafting, revising and proofreading. The week ends with a short reflection on what changed and why.
Materials
- Short texts at two levels of difficulty.
- Printed passages for annotation, or a digital annotation tool.
- Sentence strips for clause combining.
- A visual text: advertisement, poster, infographic or book cover.
- Drafting paper or a shared document.
Use the class text. The best skills unit is not a separate curriculum. Apply each strategy to the novel, play, film or poem students are already studying.