Pick an age. See what children are usually learning to read and write at that point, each skill mapped to the UK National Curriculum and Common Core. Tap any card for something to try with your child tonight.
At age 5, children are working on 8 areas of English — tap any card to see what to look for.
Your child is learning the building blocks of writing — how to make complete sentences, use capital letters and punctuation marks correctly, and understand basic word types like nouns and verbs.
If your child says something like "The dog", can they tell you that's not a complete sentence — and add words to make it say something like "The dog ran fast"?
When your child writes a sentence like "the cat sat on the mat", do they remember to use a capital letter at the start and a full stop at the end — without needing a reminder?
When your child talks or writes about everyday things — like "the dog runs" or "Mum cooks dinner" — do they use the right kind of words for things (nouns) and actions (verbs) without mixing them up?
Your child is mastering the physical skills of writing — learning to form letters and numbers correctly, hold a pencil properly, and develop neat, legible handwriting.
When your child sits down to write, do they hold their pencil comfortably and form each letter the right way — starting from the right place and going in the right direction?
When your child writes numbers like 3, 5, and 7, are they formed the right way and clearly readable — not reversed or written in an unusual direction?
Can your child write all the capital letters clearly and legibly so that someone reading their work can easily tell which letter is which?
Your child is building the foundation for reading — learning how letters and sounds work together, recognizing common words by sight, and developing the skills to sound out new words independently.
When your child looks at a page in a picture book, do they know to start at the top-left and follow the words left to right, then move down to the next line?
Can your child point to any letter — capital or small — and tell you its name? And can they say the alphabet in order from A to Z?
Can your child look at a letter and quickly say its sound — like 's' makes /s/, 'a' can make a short /a/ as in 'apple' or a long /ā/ as in 'cake'?
Your child is building reading skills — understanding stories by identifying characters and events, asking questions about what they read, and connecting books to their own experiences.
After you read a story aloud to your child, can they answer questions about what happened — like who the main character was, where the story took place, and what the problem was?
After reading a fairy tale or story together, can your child retell it to you in order — saying who was in it, where it happened, and what the main events were?
After your child reads a short fact book — like one about animals or space — can they tell you what the main topic was and give you a few key facts they learned from it?
Your child is developing essential communication skills — learning to listen carefully, speak clearly, participate in conversations, and express their thoughts and ideas confidently with others.
When your child is in a group conversation at school or at the dinner table, do they listen while others are talking and wait for their turn before speaking?
When your child is trying to figure something out — like why something happened in a story or how something works — do they talk through their ideas out loud and explore possibilities before settling on an answer?
When your child is chatting with a friend or taking part in a group activity, can they keep a conversation going back and forth — listening, responding, and building on what the other person said?
Your child is learning to spell by connecting sounds to letters — building simple words, adding common endings like -ing and -ed, and memorising important words that don't follow regular spelling patterns.
Can your child listen to a simple word like "cat" or "ship" and write down the letters for each sound they hear?
When your child's teacher asks them to 'segment a word into phonemes' or spot a 'digraph', do they understand what those words mean and can they do the task without looking confused?
When your child writes about more than one dog or talks about something that is happening now, do they add the right ending — like "dogs" or "jumping" — without making spelling mistakes?
Your child is building their word knowledge — asking about unknown words, understanding opposites, recognising how word parts give clues to meaning, and using new vocabulary in their own speech and writing.
When your child comes across a word they don't know in a book, do they try to figure out what it means from the other words around it and connect it to words they already know?
Can your child sort a group of words into categories — for example, separating fruits from vegetables — and tell you the opposite of common words like "hot" or "fast"?
Does your child notice the difference between similar words — for example, knowing that "scorching" is stronger than "warm," or that "trotted" is different from "sprinted"?
Your child is learning to write their own stories and explanations — planning what to say, putting events in order, and sharing their writing with others for feedback.
Before your child starts writing a sentence, do they say it out loud first — testing how it sounds — before putting pen to paper?
If you asked your child to explain what they're doing when they write a story at school, could they walk you through each step using words like 'plan', 'draft', and 'revise' — showing they understand it's a process, not just one sitting?
Can your child write a short story about something that happened — with a clear beginning, middle, and end — so that someone who wasn't there could follow what happened and in what order?
At age 6, children are working on 8 areas of English — tap any card to see what to look for.
Your child is learning important grammar skills — understanding how to build more complex sentences, use punctuation correctly, and choose the right words to make their writing clearer and more interesting.
If your child says something like "The dog", can they tell you that's not a complete sentence — and add words to make it say something like "The dog ran fast"?
If your child is writing about something that happened yesterday versus something happening right now, do they change the verb — for example, writing "she jumped" for the past and "she is jumping" for right now?
When your child writes a sentence like "the cat sat on the mat", do they remember to use a capital letter at the start and a full stop at the end — without needing a reminder?
Your child is learning to join letters together when writing, developing smooth handwriting by connecting letters with diagonal and horizontal strokes while keeping letters the right size.
When your child sits down to write, do they hold their pencil comfortably and form each letter the right way — starting from the right place and going in the right direction?
When your child writes numbers like 3, 5, and 7, are they formed the right way and clearly readable — not reversed or written in an unusual direction?
Can your child write all the capital letters clearly and legibly so that someone reading their work can easily tell which letter is which?
Your child is learning to read more complex words by recognizing different letter patterns for the same sounds and breaking longer words into syllables, while also developing fluency and expression when reading aloud.
When your child looks at a page in a picture book, do they know to start at the top-left and follow the words left to right, then move down to the next line?
Can your child point to any letter — capital or small — and tell you its name? And can they say the alphabet in order from A to Z?
Can your child look at a letter and quickly say its sound — like 's' makes /s/, 'a' can make a short /a/ as in 'apple' or a long /ā/ as in 'cake'?
Your child is developing deeper reading skills — understanding how stories are structured, identifying main ideas in informational texts, comparing characters' perspectives, and recognising how different text features help organise information.
After you read a story aloud to your child, can they answer questions about what happened — like who the main character was, where the story took place, and what the problem was?
After reading a fairy tale or story together, can your child retell it to you in order — saying who was in it, where it happened, and what the main events were?
After your child reads a short fact book — like one about animals or space — can they tell you what the main topic was and give you a few key facts they learned from it?
Your child is building confidence in speaking aloud — memorising and performing poems with expression, and learning to speak clearly in complete sentences when presenting to others.
When your child is in a group conversation at school or at the dinner table, do they listen while others are talking and wait for their turn before speaking?
When your child is trying to figure something out — like why something happened in a story or how something works — do they talk through their ideas out loud and explore possibilities before settling on an answer?
When your child is chatting with a friend or taking part in a group activity, can they keep a conversation going back and forth — listening, responding, and building on what the other person said?
Your child is learning more advanced spelling rules, including how to add suffixes that change the root word, use apostrophes correctly in contractions and possessives, and spell words with alternative letter patterns for familiar sounds.
Can your child listen to a simple word like "cat" or "ship" and write down the letters for each sound they hear?
When your child's teacher asks them to 'segment a word into phonemes' or spot a 'digraph', do they understand what those words mean and can they do the task without looking confused?
When your child writes something belonging to one person or thing — like "the dog's lead" or "the girl's bag" — do they put the apostrophe in the right place?
Your child is learning how words are built and connected — discovering how root words change with different endings (like look/looks/looked) and learning to define words by describing what category they belong to and their key features.
When your child comes across a word they don't know in a book, do they try to figure out what it means from the other words around it and connect it to words they already know?
Can your child sort a group of words into categories — for example, separating fruits from vegetables — and tell you the opposite of common words like "hot" or "fast"?
Can your child explain what a word means by saying what type of thing it is and what makes it special — for example, "a penguin is a bird that can't fly but is great at swimming"?
Your child is learning to write for different purposes beyond stories — including opinions, explanations, and poetry — while developing planning skills, building writing stamina, and learning to revise and proofread their work.
Before your child starts writing a sentence, do they say it out loud first — testing how it sounds — before putting pen to paper?
If you asked your child to explain what they're doing when they write a story at school, could they walk you through each step using words like 'plan', 'draft', and 'revise' — showing they understand it's a process, not just one sitting?
Can your child write a short story about something that happened — with a clear beginning, middle, and end — so that someone who wasn't there could follow what happened and in what order?
At age 7, children are working on 7 areas of English — tap any card to see what to look for.
Your child is learning more sophisticated grammar — using irregular verbs and plurals correctly, punctuating speech, choosing the right pronouns and conjunctions, and understanding when to use different verb tenses.
If your child is writing about something that happened yesterday versus something happening right now, do they change the verb — for example, writing "she jumped" for the past and "she is jumping" for right now?
Can your child explain the difference between "I ate breakfast" (simple past) and "I have eaten breakfast" (present perfect) — knowing one means a finished action and the other links the past to right now?
When your child writes a sentence like "the cat sat on the mat", do they remember to use a capital letter at the start and a full stop at the end — without needing a reminder?
Your child is learning to read more complex words by understanding how prefixes, suffixes, and root words work together, helping them tackle unfamiliar words with confidence.
If you slowly say the sounds '/d/ /o/ /g/', can your child blend them together and say 'dog'? And if you say 'cat', can they tell you the three separate sounds: /k/ /a/ /t/?
When your child comes across a word they haven't seen before, can they sound it out bit by bit and blend the parts together to read it — even if it takes a moment?
Does your child know that the /j/ sound can be spelled different ways — like in 'jump', 'cage', and 'bridge' — and can they read words with these less common spellings?
Your child is developing deeper reading skills — identifying main ideas across multiple paragraphs, making inferences about characters and themes, and understanding how authors use language and text features to create meaning and effect.
After you read a story aloud to your child, can they answer questions about what happened — like who the main character was, where the story took place, and what the problem was?
After reading a fairy tale or story together, can your child retell it to you in order — saying who was in it, where it happened, and what the main events were?
After your child reads a short fact book — like one about animals or space — can they tell you what the main topic was and give you a few key facts they learned from it?
Your child is developing confidence as a speaker and listener — learning to engage their audience, consider different viewpoints, and choose appropriate language for different situations.
When your child is in a group conversation at school or at the dinner table, do they listen while others are talking and wait for their turn before speaking?
When your child is chatting with a friend or taking part in a group activity, can they keep a conversation going back and forth — listening, responding, and building on what the other person said?
Can your child tell you about something that happened — like a trip or a film — in enough detail that you could really picture it, speaking clearly so you can follow along?
Your child is learning important spelling rules — using apostrophes correctly for possession, distinguishing between words that sound the same, and understanding how prefixes and suffixes work.
Can your child listen to a simple word like "cat" or "ship" and write down the letters for each sound they hear?
When your child's teacher asks them to 'segment a word into phonemes' or spot a 'digraph', do they understand what those words mean and can they do the task without looking confused?
When your child writes something belonging to one person or thing — like "the dog's lead" or "the girl's bag" — do they put the apostrophe in the right place?
Your child is learning how language changes depending on who they're speaking to and the situation, while exploring how words are connected through shared roots and parts.
When your child comes across a word they don't know in a book, do they try to figure out what it means from the other words around it and connect it to words they already know?
Can your child sort a group of words into categories — for example, separating fruits from vegetables — and tell you the opposite of common words like "hot" or "fast"?
Can your child explain what a word means by saying what type of thing it is and what makes it special — for example, "a penguin is a bird that can't fly but is great at swimming"?
Your child is developing as a writer — learning to organize their ideas into paragraphs, write engaging stories with developed characters, and edit their work to make it clearer and more effective.
If you asked your child to explain what they're doing when they write a story at school, could they walk you through each step using words like 'plan', 'draft', and 'revise' — showing they understand it's a process, not just one sitting?
Can your child write a short story about something that happened — with a clear beginning, middle, and end — so that someone who wasn't there could follow what happened and in what order?
When your child finishes a piece of writing, do they proofread it for spelling mistakes, missing punctuation, and errors in grammar — and make corrections before handing it in?
At age 8, children are working on 6 areas of English — tap any card to see what to look for.
Your child is mastering more sophisticated grammar — learning to use different verb tenses correctly, understanding how adjectives and adverbs work, and using punctuation to make their writing clearer and more varied.
If your child is writing about something that happened yesterday versus something happening right now, do they change the verb — for example, writing "she jumped" for the past and "she is jumping" for right now?
Can your child explain the difference between "I ate breakfast" (simple past) and "I have eaten breakfast" (present perfect) — knowing one means a finished action and the other links the past to right now?
When your child writes about something that happened yesterday, something happening now, and something that will happen tomorrow, do they change the verb correctly for each time — like "I walked", "I walk", and "I will walk"?
Your child is learning to think deeply about texts — making connections between ideas, analysing characters' motivations, identifying central messages in stories, and distinguishing between their own viewpoint and that of authors or characters.
After you read a story aloud to your child, can they answer questions about what happened — like who the main character was, where the story took place, and what the problem was?
After reading a fairy tale or story together, can your child retell it to you in order — saying who was in it, where it happened, and what the main events were?
While reading a story, can your child answer questions like "Why did the character do that?" or "How do you think they felt?" — using clues from the text rather than just guessing?
Your child is developing stronger discussion and presentation skills — learning to prepare for conversations, share ideas clearly, and present information in an organised way.
When your child is in a group conversation at school or at the dinner table, do they listen while others are talking and wait for their turn before speaking?
When your child is chatting with a friend or taking part in a group activity, can they keep a conversation going back and forth — listening, responding, and building on what the other person said?
Can your child tell you about something that happened — like a trip or a film — in enough detail that you could really picture it, speaking clearly so you can follow along?
Your child is learning to spell words that come from other languages, understanding how Greek, French, and Latin origins affect the way English words are written.
When your child writes something belonging to one person or thing — like "the dog's lead" or "the girl's bag" — do they put the apostrophe in the right place?
When your child writes and comes across a word where the same sound can be spelled different ways — like "see" and "sea" — do they know which spelling to use?
Can your child spell words with endings like "-tion," "-ous," or "-ly" correctly — for example, "nation," "famous," or "quietly" — without needing to look them up?
Your child is learning to understand figurative language — recognising when words don't mean exactly what they say and interpreting common phrases and idioms in stories and conversation.
When your child comes across a word they don't know in a book, do they try to figure out what it means from the other words around it and connect it to words they already know?
Can your child sort a group of words into categories — for example, separating fruits from vegetables — and tell you the opposite of common words like "hot" or "fast"?
Can your child explain what a word means by saying what type of thing it is and what makes it special — for example, "a penguin is a bird that can't fly but is great at swimming"?
Your child is developing more sophisticated writing skills — choosing precise and vivid words to create specific effects, and learning to research topics and organise information from various sources.
If you asked your child to explain what they're doing when they write a story at school, could they walk you through each step using words like 'plan', 'draft', and 'revise' — showing they understand it's a process, not just one sitting?
When your child revisits a draft piece of writing, can they improve it — changing word choices to be more precise, fixing inconsistent tenses, and correcting spelling and punctuation errors?
Can your child read back something they've written — a story, a report, a letter — and spot a part that isn't quite right or could be better, all by themselves without you or a teacher pointing it out?
At age 9, children are working on 6 areas of English — tap any card to see what to look for.
Your child is mastering advanced grammar and punctuation — using complex sentence structures with relative clauses, understanding how to change word meanings with prefixes and suffixes, and creating cohesive, well-connected writing.
If your child is writing about something that happened yesterday versus something happening right now, do they change the verb — for example, writing "she jumped" for the past and "she is jumping" for right now?
Can your child explain the difference between "I ate breakfast" (simple past) and "I have eaten breakfast" (present perfect) — knowing one means a finished action and the other links the past to right now?
When your child writes about something that happened yesterday, something happening now, and something that will happen tomorrow, do they change the verb correctly for each time — like "I walked", "I walk", and "I will walk"?
Your child is developing sophisticated reading skills — analysing how authors structure texts, comparing different perspectives, understanding themes and literary devices, and integrating information from multiple sources.
After you read a story aloud to your child, can they answer questions about what happened — like who the main character was, where the story took place, and what the problem was?
While reading a story, can your child answer questions like "Why did the character do that?" or "How do you think they felt?" — using clues from the text rather than just guessing?
After your child reads a chapter of a novel, can they explain how a character was feeling and why — pointing to something the character said or did as their evidence?
Your child is developing critical listening skills, learning to identify key ideas from what they hear and evaluate whether speakers provide good reasons and evidence for their points.
When your child is in a group conversation at school or at the dinner table, do they listen while others are talking and wait for their turn before speaking?
When your child is chatting with a friend or taking part in a group activity, can they keep a conversation going back and forth — listening, responding, and building on what the other person said?
If your child doesn't understand something — like instructions for a game or an explanation from a teacher — do they ask a question to find out more rather than just guessing?
Your child is tackling challenging spelling patterns — distinguishing between confusing word pairs, understanding Latin and French word endings, and mastering silent letters and complex suffixes.
When your child writes and comes across a word where the same sound can be spelled different ways — like "see" and "sea" — do they know which spelling to use?
Can your child spell words with endings like "-tion," "-ous," or "-ly" correctly — for example, "nation," "famous," or "quietly" — without needing to look them up?
Can your child spell the tricky words on their school's Year 3 and 4 word list — like "enough," "believe," or "separate" — from memory when writing?
Your child is developing sophisticated language skills — understanding figurative language like metaphors and similes, learning word relationships through synonyms and antonyms, and using Greek and Latin word parts to figure out unfamiliar words.
When your child comes across a word they don't know in a book, do they try to figure out what it means from the other words around it and connect it to words they already know?
Can your child explain what a word means by saying what type of thing it is and what makes it special — for example, "a penguin is a bird that can't fly but is great at swimming"?
When your child is studying a topic in science or history, do they pick up and correctly use the specific vocabulary for that subject — like "erosion," "parliament," or "habitat"?
Your child is developing sophisticated writing skills — crafting clear, well-organised pieces for different audiences and purposes, and supporting their ideas with evidence from texts they've read.
When your child revisits a draft piece of writing, can they improve it — changing word choices to be more precise, fixing inconsistent tenses, and correcting spelling and punctuation errors?
Can your child read back something they've written — a story, a report, a letter — and spot a part that isn't quite right or could be better, all by themselves without you or a teacher pointing it out?
When your child is given a research project at school, can they look up information from books or websites, take organised notes, and then write it up in their own words?
At age 10, children are working on 5 areas of English — tap any card to see what to look for.
Your child is learning advanced grammar and punctuation skills — mastering complex sentence structures, sophisticated punctuation like colons and semi-colons, and formal writing techniques that will prepare them for secondary school and beyond.
If you ask your child to find the "subject" and "object" in a sentence, or to explain what a "semi-colon" or "ellipsis" does, can they give you a confident and accurate answer?
When your child wants to write about something without saying who did it — like in a science report — can they switch the sentence round to say "The experiment was carried out" instead of "We carried out the experiment"?
Can your child explain the difference between "I ate breakfast" (simple past) and "I have eaten breakfast" (present perfect) — knowing one means a finished action and the other links the past to right now?
Your child is developing sophisticated reading skills — comparing texts, analysing how authors use evidence and perspective, integrating information from multiple sources, and supporting their interpretations with quotes and reasoning.
After you read a story aloud to your child, can they answer questions about what happened — like who the main character was, where the story took place, and what the problem was?
When your child shares an opinion about a book — like "I think the villain had a point" — can they back it up with specific quotes or events from the text, rather than just saying how they feel?
While reading a story, can your child answer questions like "Why did the character do that?" or "How do you think they felt?" — using clues from the text rather than just guessing?
Your child is developing sophisticated communication skills — learning to adapt their speaking style for different audiences, participate thoughtfully in discussions, and create presentations that effectively combine spoken words with visual elements.
When your child is in a group conversation at school or at the dinner table, do they listen while others are talking and wait for their turn before speaking?
When your child is chatting with a friend or taking part in a group activity, can they keep a conversation going back and forth — listening, responding, and building on what the other person said?
If your child doesn't understand something — like instructions for a game or an explanation from a teacher — do they ask a question to find out more rather than just guessing?
Your child is expanding their vocabulary skills by learning to choose the right words for different situations, understanding how language changes depending on whether they're speaking formally or informally.
When your child comes across a word they don't know in a book, do they try to figure out what it means from the other words around it and connect it to words they already know?
When your child is studying a topic in science or history, do they pick up and correctly use the specific vocabulary for that subject — like "erosion," "parliament," or "habitat"?
Does your child understand the difference between how they'd write a text to a friend versus a formal letter — and can they explain why the language would be different?
Your child is developing advanced writing skills — planning stories with well-developed characters, organising information clearly with headings and layouts, and learning to research and summarise information from different sources.
When your child revisits a draft piece of writing, can they improve it — changing word choices to be more precise, fixing inconsistent tenses, and correcting spelling and punctuation errors?
When your child is given a research project at school, can they look up information from books or websites, take organised notes, and then write it up in their own words?
Before your child starts a piece of writing, do they think about who will read it and why — adjusting their tone, vocabulary, and format accordingly, like writing more formally for a teacher than for a friend?
This is a friendly self-check to help you know what to look for — not a formal assessment or diagnosis. Every child develops at their own pace, and these are typical stages, not deadlines. See our terms for more.
Skill areas, stage summaries and the “try tonight” checks are drawn from the open Marble Skill Taxonomy (v1, © Generative Spark, Inc.) — licensed under ODbL 1.0 (database) and CC BY-SA 4.0 (content), aligned to the UK National Curriculum and Common Core.