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P4 Literacy and English (First level): What to Teach (Scotland)

Your Teacher Information Pack for P4 Literacy and English (First level) in Scotland: the curriculum structure, our short summaries with links to the official wording, and key dates.

Country
Scotland
Stage
P4
Level
First level
Ages
7–8
Source
Curriculum for Excellence – experiences and outcomes (broad general education)
Last checked
2026-10-20

Usually P2, P3, P4 (a guide, not a fixed year group). Roughly US Grades 1–3 (approximate).

Curriculum for Excellence levels are a guide, not year groups: learners move through levels at their own pace. End of first level is usually expected by the end of P4.

Plan the whole year: open this course in the Year Planner – every lesson dated around your term dates, with a coverage check. Free.

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What to teach

Below are the experiences and outcomes with their official codes, in our own short summaries. Each code links to the official document.

Listening and talking: Enjoyment and choice

  • LIT 1-01a Regularly chooses enjoyable texts and creates own texts, explaining preferences.

Official wording

Listening and talking: Tools for listening and talking

  • LIT 1-02a Knows when and how to listen, talk, and respond respectfully.
  • ENG 1-03a Explores pace, gesture, expression and word choice to engage others.

Official wording

Listening and talking: Finding and using information

  • LIT 1-04a Identifies purpose, key words and main ideas; uses them.
  • LIT 1-05a Learning to make notes under given headings.
  • LIT 1-06a Selects ideas, organises them logically, uses interesting vocabulary.

Official wording

Listening and talking: Understanding, analysing and evaluating

  • LIT 1-07a Shows understanding by responding to and asking questions.
  • LIT 1-08a Learning to distinguish fact from opinion.

Official wording

Listening and talking: Creating texts

  • LIT 1-09a Exchanges information and opinions; clarifies by asking questions.
  • LIT 1-10a Communicates clearly with others, selecting resources as required.

Official wording

Reading: Enjoyment and choice

  • LIT 1-11a Regularly selects enjoyable texts and explains preferences for texts and authors.

Official wording

Reading: Tools for reading

  • ENG 1-12a Uses sight vocabulary, phonics and context clues to read with expression.
  • LIT 1-13a Learning strategies and resources to make meaning clear.

Official wording

Reading: Finding and using information

  • LIT 1-14a Finds, selects and sorts information for a specific purpose.
  • LIT 1-15a Learning to make notes under given headings.

Official wording

Reading: Understanding, analysing and evaluating

  • LIT 1-16a Identifies and considers purpose and main ideas of a text.
  • ENG 1-17a Responds to close reading questions; learning to create own questions.
  • LIT 1-18a Recognises the difference between fact and opinion.
  • ENG 1-19a Shares thoughts on structure, characters, setting; comments on word choice.

Official wording

Writing: Enjoyment and choice

  • LIT 1-20a Enjoys creating chosen texts, selecting subject, purpose, format and resources.

Official wording

Writing: Tools for writing

  • LIT 1-21a Spells common words; uses rules and resources for tricky words.
  • LIT 1-22a Writes independently, using punctuation and linking sentences sensibly.
  • LIT 1-23a Checks throughout that writing makes sense.
  • LIT 1-24a Presents writing legibly and attractively, combining words and images.

Official wording

Writing: Organising and using information

  • LIT 1-25a Uses notes and other writing to understand, explore and create text.
  • LIT 1-26a Selects ideas, sequences them logically, uses interesting vocabulary.

Official wording

Writing: Creating texts

  • LIT 1-28a / LIT 1-29a Conveys information, describes events, shares opinions, persuades readers.
  • ENG 1-30a Describes and shares experiences, expressing thoughts and feelings.
  • ENG 1-31a Creates stories, poems and plays with interesting structures and characters.

Official wording

Benchmarks (summary)

Guidance Benchmarks and guidance (our summaries)

  • Listening and talking: Choosing spoken texts, respectful turn-taking, identifying main ideas, notes, fact versus opinion (13 benchmark statements in the official document). (13 official benchmark bullets)
  • Reading: Selecting texts, reading with expression, finding information, answering questions, spotting opinion (17 benchmark statements in the official document). (17 official benchmark bullets)
  • Writing: Choosing text types, accurate spelling and punctuation, organised planning, views and imaginative stories (23 benchmark statements in the official document). (23 official benchmark bullets)

Official wording

Assessments and key dates

Qualifications Scotland exams 2027: Mon, 26 April 2027 to Thu, 3 June 2027 (timetable). There are no national tests of curriculum levels; teachers judge progress using the Benchmarks.

Trusted free resources

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More packs

Literacy and English – Early level · Literacy and English – First level · Literacy and English – Second level · Literacy and English – Third level · Literacy and English – Fourth level · P1 Literacy and English · P2 Literacy and English · P3 Literacy and English · All Scotland packs · Find another TIP

Codes and structure from Curriculum for Excellence experiences and outcomes and Benchmarks, Education Scotland (Crown copyright). Summaries are Classfern's own words – always read the official wording via the link.

No official wording is reproduced: codes and structure are facts, and the short descriptions are our own summaries. Always read the official wording via the links. Checked on 2026-10-20.

Classfern is not affiliated with or endorsed by Education Scotland, Qualifications Scotland (formerly SQA) or the Scottish Government.