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NSW Curriculum
NSW Education Standards Authority

K–10English K–10 Syllabus

Record of changes
Implementation for K–2 from 2023 and 3–10 from 2024
Expand for detailed implementation advice

Content

Stage 2

Vocabulary
Learning and using words
  • Build personal Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 3 vocabulary through social and learning interactions, reading and writing

  • Understand that Aboriginal English is a recognised dialect and that Aboriginal English words are used in multimodal, spoken and written texts

  • Identify and explain the difference between synonyms and antonyms

  • Describe how modal words indicate degrees of probability, occurrence, obligation and inclination

  • Identify and use terminology associated with figurative language encountered in texts

  • Recognise that words and phrases can have literal or implied meanings according to context

  • Understand that many words derive from other languages, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Languages, and that the pronunciation and spelling of words may reflect their etymology

  • Understand and use language associated with digital texts

Defining and analysing words
  • Use a thesaurus to locate synonyms and antonyms or to clarify dictionary meanings, to expand vocabulary

  • Define meanings for homonyms according to context

  • Understand and use word play including puns and spoonerisms

  • Apply morphemic knowledge to change word meanings by adding different prefixes and suffixes to a base word or root

  • Use word associations to build word knowledge

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