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Literacy and English – Third level (Curriculum for Excellence, Scotland): What to Teach (Scotland)

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

Country
Scotland
Level
Third level
Ages
11/12–14/15
Source
Curriculum for Excellence – experiences and outcomes (broad general education)
Last checked
2026-10-20

Usually S1–S3 (third and fourth levels are both covered in S1–S3) (a guide, not a fixed year group). Roughly US Grades 7–9 (approximate).

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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 3-01a Selects texts for enjoyment, gives evidence-based responses, develops own style.

Official wording

Listening and talking: Tools for listening and talking

  • LIT 3-02a Contributes relevantly, encourages others, accepts differing opinions.
  • ENG 3-03a Uses analysed spoken features with an appropriate register.

Official wording

Listening and talking: Finding and using information

  • LIT 3-04a Gives accurate account of purpose, makes inferences, compares text types.
  • LIT 3-05a Makes organised notes to develop thinking and create texts.
  • LIT 3-06a Independently selects and organises ideas, uses effective vocabulary.

Official wording

Listening and talking: Understanding, analysing and evaluating

  • LIT 3-07a Comments with evidence on content and form of texts.
  • LIT 3-08a Learns persuasion techniques and how to assess source value.

Official wording

Listening and talking: Creating texts

  • LIT 3-09a Communicates detailed information; explains with supporting detail; sums up.
  • LIT 3-10a Builds confidence communicating clearly, selecting and organising resources.

Official wording

Reading: Enjoyment and choice

  • LIT 3-11a Regularly selects texts for enjoyment and identifies sources to widen reading.

Official wording

Reading: Tools for reading

  • ENG 3-12a Uses context clues, punctuation, grammar and layout for fluent reading.
  • LIT 3-13a Selects most useful strategies to monitor and check understanding.

Official wording

Reading: Finding and using information

  • LIT 3-14a Finds, selects, sorts, summarises and links information from sources.
  • LIT 3-15a Makes organised notes to develop thinking and create new texts.

Official wording

Reading: Understanding, analysing and evaluating

  • LIT 3-16a States purpose and concerns, makes inferences, compares text types.
  • ENG 3-17a Comments with evidence on content and form; responds to close reading tasks.
  • LIT 3-18a Explores opinion-influencing techniques; recognises persuasion; assesses reliability.
  • ENG 3-19a Discusses and evaluates with evidence; identifies theme and style.

Official wording

Writing: Enjoyment and choice

  • LIT 3-20a Selects resources to suit audience and develops own writing style.

Official wording

Writing: Tools for writing

  • LIT 3-21a Uses strategies and resources to ensure accurate spelling.
  • LIT 3-22a Punctuates and structures sentences and paragraphs to suit purpose.
  • LIT 3-23a Reviews and edits so meaning is clear at first reading.
  • LIT 3-24a Selects layout features appropriate to purpose and audience.

Official wording

Writing: Organising and using information

  • LIT 3-25a Distinguishes quoting from paraphrasing; acknowledges sources.
  • LIT 3-26a Independently selects and orders ideas; uses suitable vocabulary.

Official wording

Writing: Creating texts

  • ENG 3-27a Engages or influences readers through language, style and tone for genre.
  • LIT 3-28a Conveys information, explains processes or concepts, combines ideas.
  • LIT 3-29a Persuades, argues or evaluates using a clear line of thought.
  • ENG 3-30a Recreates a convincing personal experience, with some reflection.
  • ENG 3-31a Creates genre texts using conventions, structures, characters and settings.

Official wording

Benchmarks (summary)

Guidance Benchmarks and guidance (our summaries)

  • Listening and talking: Relevant contributions, accurate accounts, comparing texts, spotting persuasion, structured talks (22 benchmark statements in the official document). (22 official benchmark bullets)
  • Reading: Reading widely, making inferences, combining sources, evaluating language, persuasion and reliability (21 benchmark statements in the official document). (21 official benchmark bullets)
  • Writing: Writing across genres, varied accurate sentences, sourcing material, persuasive and reflective texts (35 benchmark statements in the official document). (35 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.

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More packs

Literacy and English – Early level · Literacy and English – First level · Literacy and English – Second level · Literacy and English – Fourth level · P1 Literacy and English · P2 Literacy and English · P3 Literacy and English · P4 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.