Stage 5 of 5 · Ages 6–7

Ready for Class 1 at home.

The topics most Class 1 books open with — numbers to 100, equal groups, halves and quarters, time, money, and science units on ourselves, plants, materials, light, movement and sound — practised at home first.

Also called: Grade 1, Year 1.

What this stage covers

  • Building longer words from sounds (g-r-ow-l, rain + bow) and reading poems and stories
  • Signs, labels and non-fiction books
  • Numbers to 100, tens and ones, adding and subtracting within 100
  • Equal groups and sharing, halves and quarters, telling the time to the half hour, counting money
  • Science: our bodies, plants and animals, materials and magnets, light and colour, moving things, sound
Every day: 15 minutes of games, 20 minutes of one activity or workbook page, and 10 minutes of reading aloud together.
Ready to move on when: This is the last stage of the path. When most of it is ticked, your child is ready to start Class 1 with confidence.

This week's plan Skills checklist

The units, in order

Work on one unit from each strand at a time.

Start at the top of each list. When your child can do most of a unit's checklist, move on to the next one in that strand.

Reading & talking

  1. 1 Building Longer Wordsabout 4 weeks Build and read longer words from sounds and parts: g-r-ow-l, b-or-n, m-or-n-ing, and compound words like rain + bow. 🎮 Word Builder · Sound Hunt · Rhyme Time
  2. 2 A Vowel and Final eabout 2 weeks Read a few words with a vowel and final e, and hear matching word endings. 🎮 Sound Hunt · Rhyme Time
  3. 3 More Ways to Write Vowel Soundsabout 2 weeks Read ay, ea and two readings of ow in familiar words, noticing rhyming endings. 🎮 Sound Hunt · Rhyme Time
  4. 4 Reading ear and airabout 2 weeks Read familiar words with ear and air, and compare their rhyming endings. 🎮 Rhyme Time
  5. 5 Another Sound for c and gabout 2 weeks Recognise C/c and G/g and try their alternative sounds when reading a few familiar words. 🎮 Letter Match
  6. 6 y at the Endabout 2 weeks Read my and fly, then happy and sunny, noticing the vowel sound written with final y. 🎮 Sight Words
  7. 7 Double Letters at the Endabout 2 weeks Read words ending in ff, ll, ss and zz, treating each pair as one sound, and hear a rhyming pair. 🎮 Rhyme Families
  8. 8 Poems and Storiesabout 4 weeks Read and perform short poems, talk about stories and say how characters feel. 🎮 Story Steps · Listen & Remember · Rhyme Time
  9. 9 Question Words and Understandingabout 3 weeks Answer and ask who, what, where, when, why and how questions about what they read. 🎮 Listen & Remember · Story Steps · Sight Words
  10. 10 Signs, Labels and Listsabout 2 weeks Read the signs and labels around them and understand why they are there. 🎮 Sight Words · Letter Match · Helper Heroes
  11. 11 Reading for Informationabout 3 weeks Use the parts of an information book — contents page, headings, pictures with labels and a glossary — to find facts. 🎮 Living World · Sight Words · Listen & Remember

Writing & pencil control

  1. 1 Neat Handwritingabout 5 weeks Write all small and capital letters the right size, sitting on the line, with even spaces. 🎮 Trace It · Match Paths · Dot to Dot
  2. 2 Writing About My Dayabout 4 weeks Write a short recount of a real event in order, using time words and capital letters for names and days. 🎮 Story Steps · Word Builder · Trace It
  3. 3 Spelling Common Wordsabout 3 weeks Read and practise spelling useful words such as the, was, you and said, then use them in a short message. 🎮 Sight Words · Trace It
  4. 4 Writing Simple Instructionsabout 3 weeks Put a familiar task in order and write short instructions that another person can follow. 🎮 Story Steps · Trace It
  5. 5 Reread and Make It Clearabout 2 weeks Reread a short piece, put events in a clear order and revise a word or detail for the reader. 🎮 Story Steps · Trace It
  6. 6 Write an Invitationabout 3 weeks Write a short invitation that tells a reader what will happen, where and when. 🎮 Sight Words · Trace It
  7. 7 A Review to Help Someoneabout 3 weeks Write a short opinion with a reason, using familiar words to help someone choose a story or game. 🎮 Word Builder · Sight Words
  8. 8 A Letter with Newsabout 3 weeks Write a short personal letter that shares news and asks the reader a question. 🎮 Sight Words · Trace It
  9. 9 A No-Cook Recipe Cardabout 3 weeks Write a short recipe card with ingredients, amounts and ordered steps, then check that a reader can use it. 🎮 Story Steps · Trace It

Numbers & shapes

  1. 1 Numbers to 100: Tens and Onesabout 4 weeks Count to 100, show a number as tens and ones, and compare and order numbers. 🎮 Number Train · Counting Stars · Number Match · Ten-Frame Fill
  2. 2 Odd and Even Numbersabout 2 weeks Sort numbers to 20 into odd and even, and spot odd and even patterns to 100. 🎮 Counting Stars
  3. 3 Adding and Subtracting within 100about 5 weeks Add and subtract two-digit numbers using tens and ones, and solve word problems. 🎮 Add & Take Away · Make the Number · Ten-Frame Fill · Number Train
  4. 4 Equal on Both Sidesabout 2 weeks Explain that equals means the same value, and check both sides of a simple number statement. 🎮 Add & Take Away · Make the Number
  5. 5 Two Ways to Solve Itabout 2 weeks Solve a small addition or subtraction problem in two ways and explain how both methods can be checked. 🎮 Add & Take Away · Make the Number
  6. 6 Equal Groups (Multiplication)about 3 weeks Make equal groups, count them, and write them as repeated adding and as multiplication. 🎮 Share and Group · Counting Stars · Sort It Out · Add & Take Away
  7. 7 Sharing and Grouping (Division)about 3 weeks Share things equally between people and put things into equal groups. 🎮 Share and Group · Sort It Out · Counting Stars · Make the Number
  8. 8 Halves, Quarters and Turnsabout 3 weeks Find halves and quarters of shapes and amounts, and make half, quarter and whole turns. 🎮 Share and Group · Shape Detective · Shape Builder · Position Quest
  9. 9 Telling the Time: O'clock and Half Pastabout 3 weeks Read and show o'clock and half past times, and link times to the day's events. 🎮 Clock Steps · Day & Night · Story Steps
  10. 10 Coins and Notesabout 3 weeks Recognise coins and notes, count money, exchange coins for notes, and solve simple shopping problems. 🎮 Pay and Change · Make the Number · Add & Take Away · Counting Stars
  11. 11 Length and Massabout 3 weeks Measure length in centimetres with a ruler, and compare mass with a balance. 🎮 Size Safari · Number Train · Counting Stars
  12. 12 Volume and Picture Graphsabout 3 weeks Compare how much containers hold, and read and make picture graphs. 🎮 Size Safari · Sort It Out · Counting Stars

Science & our world

  1. 1 Ourselvesabout 3 weeks Name body parts and the senses, compare how people are alike and different, and describe how humans and animals grow. 🎮 Five Senses · Living World · Feelings Friends
  2. 2 Plants and Animalsabout 4 weeks Sort living and non-living things, tell plants from animals, and observe and care for a plant. 🎮 Living World · Eco Helpers · Weather Watch
  3. 3 Materials and Magnetsabout 3 weeks Describe how materials feel, say what things are made of, and test which things a magnet attracts. 🎮 Sort It Out · Sink or Float · Hot & Cold Lab
  4. 4 Colours and Shiny Thingsabout 2 weeks Mix colours, compare shiny and dull surfaces and explore reflections in a spoon. 🎮 Shapes & Colors · Five Senses · Day & Night
  5. 5 Moving Aroundabout 3 weeks Describe how animals and things move — roll, run, wriggle, slide, bounce — and how pushes and pulls start, stop and change movement. 🎮 Gravity Drop · Position Quest · Living World
  6. 6 Sound and Hearingabout 3 weeks Identify sounds, compare loud and quiet, near and far, and make musical sounds. 🎮 Listen & Remember · Five Senses · Living World
  7. 7 Our Neighbourhoodabout 3 weeks Describe familiar places and the people who help there, and follow a simple picture map. 🎮 Helper Heroes · Position Quest
  8. 8 Staying Safe Outsideabout 2 weeks Practise staying with a trusted adult near roads and asking for help if separated in a public place. 🎮 Helper Heroes · Story Steps
  9. 9 Special Days in Different Familiesabout 3 weeks Compare ways families mark special days and consider how to welcome someone with different preferences. 🎮 Feelings Friends
  10. 10 Messages Then and Nowabout 3 weeks Compare one person's memory of sending messages with a present-day example and describe a postal helper's role. 🎮 Helper Heroes

Thinking & feelings

  1. 1 Being a Good Learnerabout 2 weeks Keep trying when work is hard, learn from mistakes and ask for help in the right way. 🎮 Focus Farm · Odd One Out · Feelings Friends
  2. 2 Ready for School Routinesabout 2 weeks Manage their own things and routines: packing a bag, looking after belongings, getting ready on time. 🎮 Helper Heroes · Story Steps · Focus Farm
  3. 3 Hear Both Sidesabout 3 weeks Listen to two wishes in a disagreement and help choose a fair plan both people can accept. 🎮 Feelings Friends
  4. 4 Find a Way to Rememberabout 3 weeks Try a spoken or picture reminder, then explain what helped remember a few details. 🎮 Memory Match · Listen & Remember
  5. 5 Notice, Ask and Offer Helpabout 3 weeks Consider another person's feelings, ask what they want and offer help they can accept or decline. 🎮 Feelings Friends
  6. 6 Put a Small Mishap Rightabout 3 weeks Talk about an accidental mishap, consider its effect and choose a helpful repair. 🎮 Feelings Friends
  7. 7 Different Opinions Can Stay Differentabout 3 weeks Share a preference with a reason, consider feelings and reply kindly to a different opinion. 🎮 Feelings Friends
  8. 8 Pause and Return to a Small Jobabout 3 weeks Divide a small finding task into parts, choose a pause and use a marker to return to it. 🎮 Focus Farm

Moving & making

  1. 1 Design a Fair Movement Gameabout 3 weeks Plan a movement game with a repeating action sequence, safe spaces and a fair way for everyone to take part. 🎮 Pattern Parade · Position Quest
  2. 2 Design, Make and Displayabout 3 weeks Plan a small construction, use folding and joining to make it, and explain a choice of shapes or patterns. 🎮 Shape Builder · Pattern Parade
  3. 3 Create a Small Performanceabout 3 weeks Plan and perform a short original scene using ordered actions, a repeated rhythm and expressive choices. 🎮 Story Steps · Pattern Parade · Feelings Friends
  4. 4 Print a Cooperative Pictureabout 3 weeks Plan a shared picture using printed or drawn shapes, and communicate shape clues in an outdoor partner game. 🎮 Shape Builder · Shape Detective
  5. 5 Our Neighbourhood Sound Teamabout 3 weeks Coordinate contrasting instruments and everyday helper roles to create a short pretend neighbourhood soundscape. 🎮 Helper Heroes · Five Senses
  6. 6 Step, Hop and Repeatabout 3 weeks Build and repeat a short movement pattern, adapting jumps or skipping steps for comfort. 🎮 Pattern Parade
  7. 7 Sew a Line on Cardabout 3 weeks Coordinate both hands to pass a thread or paper strip through holes and make a repeating pattern. 🎮 Pattern Parade
  8. 8 Fold a Standing Paper Screenabout 3 weeks Use both hands to make alternating folds and decorate a small paper screen with a repeating pattern. 🎮 Pattern Parade
  9. 9 Tell a Scene Without Wordsabout 3 weeks Use controlled gestures and a brief still pose to suggest a scene and a character's possible feelings. 🎮 Feelings Friends
Guides for parents

For parents of children aged 6–7

All guides for parents →

All stages