Grammar
SPaG – or Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar – is a new set of tests which forms part of the SATs for end of Key Stage 2 (11 year olds) and from 2016, for Year 2 pupils as well.
The SPaG tests include a Grammar, Punctuation and Vocabulary test, as well as a separate Spelling test.
At Farndon, we believe it is very important that pupils leave our school with the necessary basic spelling and grammar skills to build on in order to use more advanced skills in secondary school. Teachers now actively teach these essential literacy skills at the start of the school day.
Some of the terminology and language building blocks children need to know and use for SPaG (and life!) are: nouns, verbs, pronouns, adjectives and adverbs; main and subordinate clauses, and connectives; statements versus questions and commands; synonyms and antonyms; and commas, semi-colons, question marks and speech marks. For more information, click on the document below that shows the end of year expectations.
How can parents help their children?
Always encourage good spelling and grammar, throughout the year, and not only before the tests! We all use slightly different and often grammatically-incorrect English when talking; that’s a natural part of informal speech. But make sure your children know the difference between the ways we informally chat to each other, and the more correct ways of writing English, and why.
Parents can also click on the document below that is a "jargon buster". There are lots of terms that may be unfamiliar and this document gives definitions and some much needed examples. Also, parents can access the progression of grammar across the different year groups. Finally, the spelling document shows the content of our spelling scheme as it progresses through each term.