NZ Curriculum · Year 2 English · Primary

Year 2 English Lesson Plan & Curriculum Map

A full-year Year 2 English lesson plan for the New Zealand Curriculum (English learning area). 113 lessons across the school year from February to December, set out week by week for 1, 2, 3 or 4 lessons a week, covering characters, places and listening; talking for different audiences and text purposes; text layouts, sentences and joining ideas; and punctuation, short talks, handwriting and spelling.

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Year 2 English learning map

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1 day/week · steady pace2–3 days/week · guided practice

February · Characters, places and listening

Year 2 English — February Lesson Plan

New Zealand Curriculum · English

Week	1 Day/Week	2 Day/Week	3 Day/Week	4 Day/Week
February 1st week (English)	Meeting Characters in Stories 1. Reading a story by a Māori, Pasifika or other New Zealand/world author	Meeting Characters in Stories 1. Reading a story by a Māori, Pasifika or other New Zealand/world author 2. Talking about the characters — who are they?	Meeting Characters in Stories 1. Reading a story by a Māori, Pasifika or other New Zealand/world author 2. Talking about the characters — who are they? 3. Talking about where the story happens (the setting)	Meeting Characters in Stories 1. Reading a story by a Māori, Pasifika or other New Zealand/world author 2. Talking about the characters — who are they? 3. Talking about where the story happens (the setting) 4. Seeing how the characters and setting fit together
February 2nd week (English)	Meeting Characters in Stories 1. Talking about the characters — who are they?	Meeting Characters in Stories 1. Talking about where the story happens (the setting) 2. Seeing how the characters and setting fit together	Meeting Characters in Stories 1. Seeing how the characters and setting fit together Telling Us What You Like 1. Picking out the parts of a story you liked — the characters, the setting 2. Saying why you liked them	Telling Us What You Like 1. Picking out the parts of a story you liked — the characters, the setting 2. Saying why you liked them How Words Show Us Characters 1. Looking at different stories and their characters 2. Noticing the words the author picked to describe a character
February 3rd week (English)	Meeting Characters in Stories 1. Talking about where the story happens (the setting)	Telling Us What You Like 1. Picking out the parts of a story you liked — the characters, the setting 2. Saying why you liked them	How Words Show Us Characters 1. Looking at different stories and their characters 2. Noticing the words the author picked to describe a character 3. Talking about how those words help you picture the character	How Words Show Us Characters 1. Talking about how those words help you picture the character How Words Show Us Places 1. Noticing the words the author picked to describe a setting 2. Talking about how those words help you picture the place 3. Comparing how 2 different stories describe their settings
February 4th week (English)	Meeting Characters in Stories 1. Seeing how the characters and setting fit together	How Words Show Us Characters 1. Looking at different stories and their characters 2. Noticing the words the author picked to describe a character	How Words Show Us Places 1. Noticing the words the author picked to describe a setting 2. Talking about how those words help you picture the place 3. Comparing how 2 different stories describe their settings	Listening & Joining In 1. Listening carefully when others are talking 2. Following instructions you are given 3. Adding your own ideas when it's your turn Talking Politely & Giving Instructions 1. Speaking in a way that suits the moment

March · Characters, places and listening

Year 2 English — March Lesson Plan

New Zealand Curriculum · English

Week	1 Day/Week	2 Day/Week	3 Day/Week	4 Day/Week
March 1st week (English)	Telling Us What You Like 1. Picking out the parts of a story you liked — the characters, the setting	How Words Show Us Characters 1. Talking about how those words help you picture the character How Words Show Us Places 1. Noticing the words the author picked to describe a setting	Listening & Joining In 1. Listening carefully when others are talking 2. Following instructions you are given 3. Adding your own ideas when it's your turn	Talking Politely & Giving Instructions 1. Sharing your opinion and listening to others' opinions 2. Giving clear instructions to a partner Working Out What a Story Really Means 1. Picturing the story in your mind as you listen or read 2. Guessing what might happen next
March 2nd week (English)	Telling Us What You Like 1. Saying why you liked them	How Words Show Us Places 1. Talking about how those words help you picture the place 2. Comparing how 2 different stories describe their settings	Talking Politely & Giving Instructions 1. Speaking in a way that suits the moment 2. Sharing your opinion and listening to others' opinions 3. Giving clear instructions to a partner	Working Out What a Story Really Means 1. Linking the story to something you already know 2. Retelling the main parts in order Making Up Our Own Story 1. Picking a story you know and changing it a little — a new character or a new ending 2. Drawing your story to help you plan it
March 3rd week (English)	How Words Show Us Characters 1. Looking at different stories and their characters	Listening & Joining In 1. Listening carefully when others are talking 2. Following instructions you are given	Working Out What a Story Really Means 1. Picturing the story in your mind as you listen or read 2. Guessing what might happen next 3. Linking the story to something you already know	Making Up Our Own Story 1. Telling your story out loud to a partner Writing Our Own Story 1. Writing your story down, using ideas from the story you started with 2. Using drawings, writing or a computer to show your story 3. Sharing your finished story with the class
March 4th week (English)	How Words Show Us Characters 1. Noticing the words the author picked to describe a character	Listening & Joining In 1. Adding your own ideas when it's your turn Talking Politely & Giving Instructions 1. Speaking in a way that suits the moment	Working Out What a Story Really Means 1. Retelling the main parts in order Making Up Our Own Story 1. Picking a story you know and changing it a little — a new character or a new ending 2. Drawing your story to help you plan it	Term 1 Check-In 1. Going over characters, settings and how words paint a picture 2. Going over listening and speaking skills 3. Term 1 check-in: telling or writing a short story 4. Talking about how it went and what to try next

April · Characters, places and listening

Year 2 English — April Lesson Plan

New Zealand Curriculum · English

Week	1 Day/Week	2 Day/Week	3 Day/Week	4 Day/Week
April 1st week (English)	How Words Show Us Characters 1. Talking about how those words help you picture the character	Talking Politely & Giving Instructions 1. Sharing your opinion and listening to others' opinions 2. Giving clear instructions to a partner	Making Up Our Own Story 1. Telling your story out loud to a partner Writing Our Own Story 1. Writing your story down, using ideas from the story you started with 2. Using drawings, writing or a computer to show your story	Talking Differently to Different People 1. Noticing that we talk differently to a teacher than to a friend 2. Noticing that we play different "roles" — like being the leader or the helper — in different conversations Choosing the Right Way to Talk 1. Practising talking politely to an adult 2. Practising talking casually to a friend
April 2nd week (English)	How Words Show Us Places 1. Noticing the words the author picked to describe a setting	Working Out What a Story Really Means 1. Picturing the story in your mind as you listen or read 2. Guessing what might happen next	Writing Our Own Story 1. Sharing your finished story with the class Term 1 Check-In 1. Going over characters, settings and how words paint a picture 2. Going over listening and speaking skills	Choosing the Right Way to Talk 1. Talking about why we change how we talk Saying Why We Like Something 1. Using words that show you like or appreciate something 2. Giving a reason for why you like a book, poem or story 3. Practice: telling a partner one thing you liked and why

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 2 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.

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