Language facts primary resource

This primary resource features thirty facts about language and communication – both amongst humans and across the animal kingdom. How many languages are spoken worldwide? Which language has the world’s largest alphabet? How do octopuses ‘talk’ to each other? How do rabbits indicate that an item belongs to them?

As well as fascinating facts and statistics about spoken language, pupils will learn about the incredible ways different species communicate in this National Geographic Kids’ primary resource sheet.

Download the resource at the bottom of this page, together with a stimulus sheet featuring ideas for study group tasks and classroom activities!

N.B. The following information for mapping the resource documents to the school curriculum is specifically tailored to the English National Curriculum and Scottish Curriculum for Excellence. We are currently working to bring specifically tailored curriculum resource links for our other territories; including South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. If you have any queries about our upcoming curriculum resource links, please email: schools@ngkids.co.uk

This English primary resource assists with teaching the following Key Stage 1 English (Year 1) objectives from the National Curriculum: 

Pupils should be taught to:

• use spoken language to develop understanding through speculating, hypothesising, imagining and exploring ideas 

Pupils should be taught to: develop pleasure in reading, motivation to read, vocabulary and understanding by:

• being encouraged to link what they read or hear read to their own experiences

National Curriculum Upper Key Stage 2 English (Year 5 & 6) objective:

• Pupils should be taught to: retrieve, record and present information from non-fiction

This English primary resource assists with teaching the following Literacy and English Early level objectives from the Scottish Curriculum for Excellence:

• Within real and imaginary situations, I share experiences and feelings, ideas and information in a way that communicates my message.

Scottish Curriculum for Excellence First level Literacy and English objectives:

• I am exploring how pace, gesture, expression, emphasis and choice of words are used to engage others, and I can use what I learn.

Scottish Curriculum for Excellence Second level Literacy and English objectives:

• I can recognise how the features of spoken language can help in communication, and I can use what I learn.

• I can recognise different features of my own and others’ spoken language. 

Download primary resource

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