Adapting Stage 1 for older learners
14/10/25
Written by Kate Percival
An overview of our stage 1 modules in the KS2 scheme
So you’re new to the PLN scheme, have switched to a different language or maybe recognised inconsistency in languages teaching in the past and you make the decision to start all of KS2 on the Stage 1 scheme of learning. A sensible choice. It will ensure gaps are filled, the basic building blocks of language are laid and is a great foundation to build on going forwards.
However, you also recognise that a Year 6 child can potentially have a very different cognitive ability, concentration span and interests than a Year 3 child. Again, a sensible observation and something PLN can support you to be able to adapt curriculum to your context. Here are six effective ways you can do this:
1 - ‘Plus’ worksheets
You will by now have seen the PLN Stage 1 workbooks, newly released this academic year. They are a great way of every child accessing the learning and demonstrating progress as well as reducing printing, photocopying and trimming worksheets for you and your colleagues. But did you know, there are now Stage 1 ‘Plus’ worksheets too found by clicking on the ‘Task +’ button on your lesson page?
The new plus tasks add extra challenge for those who need it in the classroom
Focusing on the same content but working at a slightly elevated level, these allow older children to tackle more questions, sometimes asking them to recall from memory a little more and with a more independent manipulation of language. Have a look at the example below:
In the standard worksheet, pupils create their fantastical animal based on the words they have learnt and then work on some translation from French to English. In the ‘plus’ worksheet, the same outcome is included but with an added challenge to write sentences in French, from memory, filling in the missing letters. In addition, pupils can take their learning even further by using a bilingual dictionary to look up animal nouns they haven’t learnt yet.
2 - Maximise mini whiteboard work
Whiteboard work is simple yet essential!
One readily available tool in most classrooms is the humble mini whiteboard. However, making effective use of them can really maximise opportunity to practise, learner confidence and teacher assessment of progress. If you are teaching Stage 1 in older year groups, you may have a higher expectation for retention of vocabulary and phrases and more independent manipulation of language so why not use a few minutes at the start or end of the lesson to see either how much pupils can remember (these can be timed challenges or lists ‘with conditions’ e.g. ‘Write a list of animals that can be pets’).
Overlearning is a great way to encourage practice of spelling patterns as well as syntax – word order – which can be different to spelling and grammar rules in English. Of course, support such as the PLN knowledge organisers or rainbow writing scaffolds can still be in place but for your most able pupils, they could challenge themselves to write from memory to start with, then to use supporting resources to check: a great strategy to increase self-efficacy as a language learner too!
To find out more about effective use of mini whiteboards in the primary language classroom, join our CPD Networking session on Thursday 11 th December, 4.15pm – 5.15pm where you will hear the theory behind individual whiteboard use as well as tried and tested techniques to take away into your own practice. Click the link to book your slot:
3 – Accelerate or supplement
If you’re finding that older year groups are progressing through Stage 1 at a quicker pace, it is possible to accelerate through the lessons as long as you’re sure the children have embedded the learning first before moving on. If you would prefer to supplement the lessons with something cross-curricular or something cultural don’t forget PLN’s Cross-curricular folder and Seasonal Specials folders – they are absolute treasure troves of ideas including fully resourced lessons, often songs or traditional events for pupils to add to their understanding about French, Spanish or German speaking countries.
Another way of supplementing and cementing learning is through the new PLN Language boosters web app which all members have free access to. Pupils have an individual username and password and are assigned booster quizzes which test their listening, reading and writing in the target language. Booster questions are all based on the content the children have met in the corresponding PLN unit. Children find out their individual score and teachers can analyse areas of strength and any gaps in understanding. Again, if you are teaching older learners, just five to ten minutes of the lesson spent on Language Boosters will allow retention to build and support individual study.
4 – Scan2Play
On a similar theme, don’t forget the Scan2Play QR codes which are accessible via a button at the bottom of each individual lesson page. Here you will find a variety of child-friendly online games which practise the language learnt in the lesson. From Whack-a-Mole to Matching Pairs and Maze Chase, Scan2Play games can be done as a whole class or on individual devices. They can be done separately at a point during the lesson or they can make a lesson itself where the focus is reinforcing language from the unit in a fun and gamified way.
5 – Dictionary exploration
One great use of time if you want to extend the potential of a Stage 1 lesson is to involve bilingual dictionary skills. How about introducing the new list of words in the target language without the English translation and in pairs, pupils look up their meaning in a dictionary? Can they order these words alphabetically? Can they distinguish which are masculine and feminine nouns given the abbreviation nm or nf next to the word? Once the lesson task has been completed, allow a few minutes for children to look up further words, synonyms or antonyms e.g. other colour words, words for other animals they haven’t learnt yet.
6 – Learner as facilitator
Many older children love the responsibility of running a game or activity for the rest of the class. How about flipping the learning so that instead of you as the class teacher leading every activity, you choose those children who are happy to do so or even your ‘Language Ambassadors’ (who can rotate every few weeks) to be the ‘teacher’. In games such as Bingo, Simon Says and Mind Readers, it is a great opportunity for those confident to do so to reinforce their own language ability and develop leadership skills too! In conversation and role-play activities, what better opportunity to put their speaking skills into practice than having members of the class demonstrate?
If you are a PLN member and need further support to adapt the scheme to your context or with anything else related to primary languages, don’t forget you can book a one-to-one zoom consultation with a member of the PLN team via this link: