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P6 Literacy and English (Second level): What to Teach (Scotland)

Your Teacher Information Pack for P6 Literacy and English (Second level) in Scotland: the curriculum structure, our short summaries with links to the official wording, and key dates.

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Country
Scotland
Stage
P6
Level
Second level
Ages
9–10
Source
Curriculum for Excellence – experiences and outcomes (broad general education)
Last checked
2026-10-20

Usually P5, P6, P7 (a guide, not a fixed year group). Roughly US Grades 4–6 (approximate).

Curriculum for Excellence levels are a guide, not year groups: learners move through levels at their own pace.

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 2-01a Regularly chooses enjoyable texts and creates own texts, explaining preferences.

Official wording

Listening and talking: Tools for listening and talking

  • LIT 2-02a Responds to role, values others' contributions, builds on thinking.
  • ENG 2-03a Recognises features of spoken language and their communicative effect.

Official wording

Listening and talking: Finding and using information

  • LIT 2-04a Identifies purpose, main ideas and supporting detail; uses for purposes.
  • LIT 2-05a Makes notes, organises under headings, uses own words.
  • LIT 2-06a Selects and organises ideas for purpose, uses suitable vocabulary.

Official wording

Listening and talking: Understanding, analysing and evaluating

  • LIT 2-07a Responds to literal, inferential and evaluative questions; asks own.
  • LIT 2-08a Distinguishes fact from opinion; judges source influence and usefulness.

Official wording

Listening and talking: Creating texts

  • LIT 2-09a Shares information, explains processes, summarises issues and findings.
  • LIT 2-10a Builds confidence communicating clearly, selecting and organising resources.

Official wording

Reading: Enjoyment and choice

  • LIT 2-11a Regularly selects enjoyable texts and explains preferences for texts and authors.

Official wording

Reading: Tools for reading

  • ENG 2-12a Uses context clues, punctuation, grammar and layout for fluent reading.
  • LIT 2-13a Selects and uses strategies and resources, giving reasons for choices.

Official wording

Reading: Finding and using information

  • LIT 2-14a Finds, selects and sorts information from a variety of sources.
  • LIT 2-15a Makes notes under suitable headings, using own words.

Official wording

Reading: Understanding, analysing and evaluating

  • LIT 2-16a Identifies purpose and main ideas, using supporting detail.
  • ENG 2-17a Responds to literal, inferential and evaluative questions; creates questions.
  • LIT 2-18a Explains fact versus opinion, recognises influence, assesses sources.
  • ENG 2-19a Discusses structure, characterisation, setting, theme and writer's style.

Official wording

Writing: Enjoyment and choice

  • LIT 2-20a Enjoys creating chosen texts, selecting subject, purpose, format and resources.

Official wording

Writing: Tools for writing

  • LIT 2-21a Spells most words, including specialist vocabulary, using self-correction.
  • LIT 2-22a Uses punctuation, varies sentences, and divides work into paragraphs.
  • LIT 2-23a Checks writing makes sense and meets its purpose.
  • LIT 2-24a Considers layout impact; combines lettering, graphics and other features.

Official wording

Writing: Organising and using information

  • LIT 2-25a Uses notes to develop ideas; acknowledges sources.
  • LIT 2-26a Selects and organises ideas for text type; uses suitable vocabulary.

Official wording

Writing: Creating texts

  • ENG 2-27a Learning to use language and style to engage or influence readers.
  • LIT 2-28a Conveys information, describes events, explains processes, combines ideas.
  • LIT 2-29a Persuades or argues using relevant supporting detail or evidence.
  • ENG 2-30a Describes experiences and feelings for different purposes and readers.
  • ENG 2-31a Creates stories, poems and plays with appropriate structure and convincing characters.

Official wording

Benchmarks (summary)

Guidance Benchmarks and guidance (our summaries)

  • Listening and talking: Contributing respectfully, noting main ideas, answering varied questions, judging sources, clear presentations (15 benchmark statements in the official document). (15 official benchmark bullets)
  • Reading: Reading fluently, skimming and scanning, making notes, questions, bias and writer's style (21 benchmark statements in the official document). (21 official benchmark bullets)
  • Writing: Accurate spelling and punctuation, paragraphing, citing sources, writing for purpose and persuasion (33 benchmark statements in the official document). (33 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

Links only: we don't copy their content and we aren't connected to these organisations.

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.