NZ Curriculum · Year 5 English · Primary

Year 5 English Lesson Plan & Curriculum Map

A full-year Year 5 English lesson plan for the New Zealand Curriculum (English learning area). 134 lessons across the school year from February to December, set out week by week for 1, 2, 3 or 4 lessons a week, covering narrative, point of view and imagery; publishing a narrative, and persuasive texts; persuasive writing, cohesion and text structure; and poetry, informative texts and complex sentences.

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Year 5 English learning map

Choose a term, then compare a lighter weekly plan with a more intensive schedule.

1 day/week · steady pace2–3 days/week · guided practice
February · Narrative, point of view and imagery

Year 5 English — February Lesson Plan

New Zealand Curriculum · English
Week1 Day/Week2 Day/Week3 Day/Week4 Day/Week
February 1st week
(English)		Exploring Narrative Texts & Historical/Cultural Context 1. Reading a narrative text by a Māori, Pasifika or diverse New Zealand/world authorExploring Narrative Texts & Historical/Cultural Context 1. Reading a narrative text by a Māori, Pasifika or diverse New Zealand/world author 2. Identifying details that represent historical context (the time period)Exploring Narrative Texts & Historical/Cultural Context 1. Reading a narrative text by a Māori, Pasifika or diverse New Zealand/world author 2. Identifying details that represent historical context (the time period) 3. Identifying details that represent social or cultural contextExploring Narrative Texts & Historical/Cultural Context 1. Reading a narrative text by a Māori, Pasifika or diverse New Zealand/world author 2. Identifying details that represent historical context (the time period) 3. Identifying details that represent social or cultural context 4. Discussing how these details shape the story
February 2nd week
(English)		Exploring Narrative Texts & Historical/Cultural Context 1. Identifying details that represent historical context (the time period)Exploring Narrative Texts & Historical/Cultural Context 1. Identifying details that represent social or cultural context 2. Discussing how these details shape the storyExploring Narrative Texts & Historical/Cultural Context 1. Discussing how these details shape the story Point of View in Narrative 1. Identifying whose point of view the story is told from 2. Discussing how that point of view affects how you interpret a characterPoint of View in Narrative 1. Identifying whose point of view the story is told from 2. Discussing how that point of view affects how you interpret a character 3. Discussing how point of view affects how you respond to an event 4. Practice: retelling a scene from a different character's point of view
February 3rd week
(English)		Exploring Narrative Texts & Historical/Cultural Context 1. Identifying details that represent social or cultural contextPoint of View in Narrative 1. Identifying whose point of view the story is told from 2. Discussing how that point of view affects how you interpret a characterPoint of View in Narrative 1. Discussing how point of view affects how you respond to an event 2. Practice: retelling a scene from a different character's point of view Imagery — Simile, Metaphor & Personification 1. Identifying simile in a narrative, poem or songImagery — Simile, Metaphor & Personification 1. Identifying simile in a narrative, poem or song 2. Identifying metaphor 3. Identifying personification 4. Discussing the effect each device has on the reader
February 4th week
(English)		Exploring Narrative Texts & Historical/Cultural Context 1. Discussing how these details shape the storyPoint of View in Narrative 1. Discussing how point of view affects how you respond to an event 2. Practice: retelling a scene from a different character's point of viewImagery — Simile, Metaphor & Personification 1. Identifying metaphor 2. Identifying personification 3. Discussing the effect each device has on the readerSound Devices in Narrative, Poetry & Songs 1. Identifying rhyme and its effect 2. Identifying rhythm and its effect 3. Identifying alliteration and onomatopoeia and their effect 4. Practice: finding one sound device in a song or poem and explaining its effect
March · Narrative, point of view and imagery

Year 5 English — March Lesson Plan

New Zealand Curriculum · English
Week1 Day/Week2 Day/Week3 Day/Week4 Day/Week
March 1st week
(English)		Point of View in Narrative 1. Identifying whose point of view the story is told fromImagery — Simile, Metaphor & Personification 1. Identifying simile in a narrative, poem or song 2. Identifying metaphorSound Devices in Narrative, Poetry & Songs 1. Identifying rhyme and its effect 2. Identifying rhythm and its effect 3. Identifying alliteration and onomatopoeia and their effectInteraction Skills — Discussing Texts 1. Practising paraphrasing another person's idea about a text 2. Practising asking questions to clarify meaning 3. Making connections between the text and your own experience 4. Presenting and justifying your own opinion or idea
March 2nd week
(English)		Point of View in Narrative 1. Discussing how that point of view affects how you interpret a characterImagery — Simile, Metaphor & Personification 1. Identifying personification 2. Discussing the effect each device has on the readerSound Devices in Narrative, Poetry & Songs 1. Practice: finding one sound device in a song or poem and explaining its effect Interaction Skills — Discussing Texts 1. Practising paraphrasing another person's idea about a text 2. Practising asking questions to clarify meaningComprehension Strategies While Reading 1. Using visualising and predicting while reading 2. Using connecting and summarising 3. Using monitoring and questioning 4. Practice: applying these strategies to build literal and inferred meaning
March 3rd week
(English)		Point of View in Narrative 1. Discussing how point of view affects how you respond to an eventSound Devices in Narrative, Poetry & Songs 1. Identifying rhyme and its effect 2. Identifying rhythm and its effectInteraction Skills — Discussing Texts 1. Making connections between the text and your own experience 2. Presenting and justifying your own opinion or idea Comprehension Strategies While Reading 1. Using visualising and predicting while readingPresenting an Opinion on a Literary Text 1. Forming an opinion about a literary text 2. Using specific terms about literary devices, text structures and language features to explain your opinion 3. Reflecting on and responding to someone else's viewpoint Planning an Original Narrative 1. Choosing storylines, characters and settings from texts you've experienced to experiment with
March 4th week
(English)		Point of View in Narrative 1. Practice: retelling a scene from a different character's point of viewSound Devices in Narrative, Poetry & Songs 1. Identifying alliteration and onomatopoeia and their effect 2. Practice: finding one sound device in a song or poem and explaining its effectComprehension Strategies While Reading 1. Using connecting and summarising 2. Using monitoring and questioning 3. Practice: applying these strategies to build literal and inferred meaningPlanning an Original Narrative 1. Planning your own narrative, adapting these elements 2. Deciding which figurative language techniques to include Drafting, Editing & Publishing the Narrative 1. Drafting the narrative, experimenting with figurative language 2. Editing for clarity and correct punctuation
April · Narrative, point of view and imagery

Year 5 English — April Lesson Plan

New Zealand Curriculum · English
Week1 Day/Week2 Day/Week3 Day/Week4 Day/Week
April 1st week
(English)		Imagery — Simile, Metaphor & Personification 1. Identifying simile in a narrative, poem or songInteraction Skills — Discussing Texts 1. Practising paraphrasing another person's idea about a text 2. Practising asking questions to clarify meaningPresenting an Opinion on a Literary Text 1. Forming an opinion about a literary text 2. Using specific terms about literary devices, text structures and language features to explain your opinion 3. Reflecting on and responding to someone else's viewpointDrafting, Editing & Publishing the Narrative 1. Publishing the final narrative Term 1 Assessment & Consolidation 1. Revision workshop — context, point of view and imagery/sound devices 2. Revision workshop — narrative writing techniques 3. Term 1 assessment: narrative writing piece
April 2nd week
(English)		Imagery — Simile, Metaphor & Personification 1. Identifying metaphorInteraction Skills — Discussing Texts 1. Making connections between the text and your own experience 2. Presenting and justifying your own opinion or ideaPlanning an Original Narrative 1. Choosing storylines, characters and settings from texts you've experienced to experiment with 2. Planning your own narrative, adapting these elements 3. Deciding which figurative language techniques to includeTerm 1 Assessment & Consolidation 1. Feedback session Language for Social Contexts & Roles 1. Identifying language that signals a formal social role (e.g. teacher to student, customer to business) 2. Identifying language that signals a friendly or equal relationship 3. Discussing why word choice changes depending on who you're speaking to
The learning framework

Anatomy of a focused lesson

Each session moves from a clear focus to guided practice and a quick check for understanding.

10 minutes

Warm up

Start with a quick sounds, spelling or vocabulary game that links to the last lesson and gets your child talking.

25 minutes

Read, model and write

Read a short text together, model the skill of the week, then have your child practise it in their own reading or writing.

10 minutes

Share and check

Finish with a read-aloud, retell or short writing check that shows what is secure and what to come back to.

Student learning toolkit

Resources for Year 5 English

Reading lessons

Guided lessons on the texts, genres and language features in each unit.

Writing practice

Planning frames, models and short tasks matched to each week’s focus.

Speaking and listening

Discussion, presentation and oral language activities built up through the year.

Progress notes

A clear record of what your child has mastered and what comes next.

Free first lesson

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