UK Curriculum · Year 3 English · KS2

Year 3 English Lesson Plan & Curriculum Map

A full-year Year 3 English scheme of work aligned to the UK National Curriculum (Key Stage 2). Week-by-week lessons for 1, 2 or 3 days a week, covering root words and affixes, comprehension, poetry, spelling, dictionary skills, planning and editing writing, and grammar.

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Year 3 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

September · Word Reading: Root Words, Prefixes & Suffixes

Year 3 English — September Lesson Plan

UK National Curriculum · English

Week	1 Day/Week	2 Day/Week	3 Day/Week
September 1st week (English)	Word Reading: Root Words, Prefixes & Suffixes 1: Apply Knowledge of Root Words to Decode & Understand New Words	Word Reading: Root Words, Prefixes & Suffixes 1: Apply Knowledge of Root Words to Decode & Understand New Words	Word Reading: Root Words, Prefixes & Suffixes 1: Apply Knowledge of Root Words to Decode & Understand New Words 2: Apply Prefixes to Decode & Understand New Words
September 2nd week (English)	Word Reading: Root Words, Prefixes & Suffixes 2: Apply Prefixes to Decode & Understand New Words	Word Reading: Root Words, Prefixes & Suffixes 2: Apply Prefixes to Decode & Understand New Words 3: Apply Suffixes to Decode & Understand New Words	Word Reading: Root Words, Prefixes & Suffixes 3: Apply Suffixes to Decode & Understand New Words 4: Read Further Exception Words, Noting Unusual Spelling-Sound Correspondences
September 3rd week (English)	Word Reading: Root Words, Prefixes & Suffixes 3: Apply Suffixes to Decode & Understand New Words	Word Reading: Root Words, Prefixes & Suffixes 4: Read Further Exception Words, Noting Unusual Spelling-Sound Correspondences	Word Reading: Root Words, Prefixes & Suffixes 5: Review & Consolidation 6: Practice Activities & Check
September 4th week (English)	Word Reading: Root Words, Prefixes & Suffixes 4: Read Further Exception Words, Noting Unusual Spelling-Sound Correspondences 5: Review & Consolidation 6: Practice Activities & Check	Word Reading: Root Words, Prefixes & Suffixes 5: Review & Consolidation 6: Practice Activities & Check	Word Reading: Root Words, Prefixes & Suffixes Applied Practice Activity

October · Comprehension: Listening & Reading Widely

Year 3 English — October Lesson Plan

UK National Curriculum · English

Week	1 Day/Week	2 Day/Week	3 Day/Week
October 1st week (English)	Comprehension: Listening & Reading Widely 1: Listen to & Discuss a Wide Range of Fiction, Poetry, Plays & Non-Fiction	Comprehension: Listening & Reading Widely 1: Listen to & Discuss a Wide Range of Fiction, Poetry, Plays & Non-Fiction	Comprehension: Listening & Reading Widely 1: Listen to & Discuss a Wide Range of Fiction, Poetry, Plays & Non-Fiction 2: Read Books Structured in Different Ways for a Range of Purposes
October 2nd week (English)	Comprehension: Listening & Reading Widely 2: Read Books Structured in Different Ways for a Range of Purposes	Comprehension: Listening & Reading Widely 2: Read Books Structured in Different Ways for a Range of Purposes 3: Use Dictionaries to Check Word Meanings	Comprehension: Listening & Reading Widely 3: Use Dictionaries to Check Word Meanings 4: Increase Familiarity with Fairy Stories, Myths & Legends & Retell Orally
October 3rd week (English)	Comprehension: Listening & Reading Widely 3: Use Dictionaries to Check Word Meanings	Comprehension: Listening & Reading Widely 4: Increase Familiarity with Fairy Stories, Myths & Legends & Retell Orally	Comprehension: Listening & Reading Widely 5: Review & Consolidation 6: Practice Activities & Check
October 4th week (English)	Comprehension: Listening & Reading Widely 4: Increase Familiarity with Fairy Stories, Myths & Legends & Retell Orally 5: Review & Consolidation 6: Practice Activities & Check	Comprehension: Listening & Reading Widely 5: Review & Consolidation 6: Practice Activities & Check	Comprehension: Listening & Reading Widely Applied Practice Activity

November · Comprehension: Themes, Poetry & Performance

Year 3 English — November Lesson Plan

UK National Curriculum · English

Week	1 Day/Week	2 Day/Week	3 Day/Week
November 1st week (English)	Comprehension: Themes, Poetry & Performance 1: Identify Themes & Conventions in a Wide Range of Books	Comprehension: Themes, Poetry & Performance 1: Identify Themes & Conventions in a Wide Range of Books	Comprehension: Themes, Poetry & Performance 1: Identify Themes & Conventions in a Wide Range of Books 2: Prepare Poems & Play Scripts to Read Aloud & Perform
November 2nd week (English)	Comprehension: Themes, Poetry & Performance 2: Prepare Poems & Play Scripts to Read Aloud & Perform	Comprehension: Themes, Poetry & Performance 2: Prepare Poems & Play Scripts to Read Aloud & Perform 3: Discuss Words & Phrases that Capture Interest & Imagination	Comprehension: Themes, Poetry & Performance 3: Discuss Words & Phrases that Capture Interest & Imagination 4: Recognise Different Forms of Poetry: Free Verse, Narrative Poetry
November 3rd week (English)	Comprehension: Themes, Poetry & Performance 3: Discuss Words & Phrases that Capture Interest & Imagination	Comprehension: Themes, Poetry & Performance 4: Recognise Different Forms of Poetry: Free Verse, Narrative Poetry	Comprehension: Themes, Poetry & Performance 5: Review & Consolidation 6: Practice Activities & Check
November 4th week (English)	Comprehension: Themes, Poetry & Performance 4: Recognise Different Forms of Poetry: Free Verse, Narrative Poetry 5: Review & Consolidation 6: Practice Activities & Check	Comprehension: Themes, Poetry & Performance 5: Review & Consolidation 6: Practice Activities & Check	Comprehension: Themes, Poetry & Performance Applied Practice Activity

December · Comprehension: Understanding & Discussion

Year 3 English — December Lesson Plan

UK National Curriculum · English

Week	1 Day/Week	2 Day/Week	3 Day/Week
December 1st week (English)	Comprehension: Understanding & Discussion 1: Check Text Makes Sense & Explain Meaning of Words in Context	Comprehension: Understanding & Discussion 1: Check Text Makes Sense & Explain Meaning of Words in Context	Comprehension: Understanding & Discussion 1: Check Text Makes Sense & Explain Meaning of Words in Context 2: Ask Questions to Improve Understanding of a Text
December 2nd week (English)	Comprehension: Understanding & Discussion 2: Ask Questions to Improve Understanding of a Text	Comprehension: Understanding & Discussion 2: Ask Questions to Improve Understanding of a Text 3: Draw Inferences About Characters' Feelings, Thoughts & Motives	Comprehension: Understanding & Discussion 3: Draw Inferences About Characters' Feelings, Thoughts & Motives 4: Justify Inferences with Evidence from the Text
December 3rd week (English)	Comprehension: Understanding & Discussion 3: Draw Inferences About Characters' Feelings, Thoughts & Motives	Comprehension: Understanding & Discussion 4: Justify Inferences with Evidence from the Text	Comprehension: Understanding & Discussion 5: Review & Consolidation 6: Practice Activities & Check
December 4th week (English)	Comprehension: Understanding & Discussion 4: Justify Inferences with Evidence from the Text 5: Review & Consolidation 6: Practice Activities & Check	Comprehension: Understanding & Discussion 5: Review & Consolidation 6: Practice Activities & Check	Comprehension: Understanding & Discussion Applied Practice Activity

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 with words

Start with a sound, spelling or vocabulary game that links today’s skill to what your child already knows.

25 minutes

Read, write and practise

Model the week’s reading or writing skill, then practise it together with plenty of encouragement and feedback.

10 minutes

Check for mastery

Finish with a short activity or quiz that shows what is secure and what to revisit next week.

Student learning toolkit

Resources for Year 3 English

Concept lessons

Clear, visual lessons on phonics, spelling, grammar and reading skills.

Practice activities

Short practice tasks and checks matched to each week’s focus.

Reading texts

Stories, poems and non-fiction for shared and independent reading.

Progress notes

A clear record of skills mastered, strengths and next steps after every lesson.

Free first lesson

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Tell us how your child is getting on with reading, spelling and writing and we will shape the first lesson around their goals and confidence.

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A recommended next-step study plan