English in Year 1: what Lärkompis practises
In Year 1 of Swedish school (around age 7), Lärkompis practises 6 skills in English, linked to 7 of 11 items in the core content of Lgr22, the Swedish national curriculum, for Years 1–3. The areas are speaking, writing and conversation – production and interaction; listening and reading – reception; and communication content. Each skill has five difficulty levels, and the skills are practised in 8 mini-games, including Dörren med ordet (The Word Door), Minikorsordet (Mini Crossword) and Ordgåtan (The Word Riddle).
Lgr22 sets out core content for each stage (Years 1–3), not for each year. So Lärkompis spreads the skills across the years using its own time windows, and these are estimates. For Year 1, this means that 6 skills start this year. The figure 7 of 11 counts the items in the core content from Skolverket (the Swedish National Agency for Education) that at least one skill links to; it does not mean the whole item is covered.
What Lärkompis practises in Year 1
The 6 skills in English in Year 1 are grouped into 3 areas following Skolverket's syllabus. Under each skill you can see the first and the last difficulty level, so you know how far the exercises go.
Speaking, writing and conversation – production and interaction
- Greetings and introducing yourself Level 1: Understands “Hello”, “Thank you” and “Goodbye”. Level 5: Answers several different everyday questions correctly.
Listening and reading – reception
- Listening to words and simple instructions Level 1: Chooses the right picture for a word read aloud. Level 5: Understands several instructions in a row.
- Listening to and saying simple rhymes and songs Level 1: Listens to a short rhyme and chooses the right picture out of two. Level 5: Says several rhymes on their own.
Communication content
- Vocabulary: animals, colours and numbers 1–10 Level 1: Recognises the word with a picture and three options (“dog”, “red”, “three”). Level 5: Writes the word in English from the Swedish.
- Vocabulary: family and body parts Level 1: Recognises “mum”, “dad”, “head”, “hand” with a picture. Level 5: Writes the word in English.
- Vocabulary: summer, play and nature Level 1: Recognises “sun”, “sea” and “ice cream” with a picture. Level 5: Writes the word in English.
What the syllabus says, in short
The Lgr22 core content for Years 1–3 in English, summarised in our own words for the parts Lärkompis practises in Year 1. Read the full text in Skolverket's English translation of Lgr22.
- Subject areas that are familiar to the children, and everyday situations, interests, people and places.
- Clearly spoken English and simple texts that give instructions, describe things or make contact with someone.
- Simple dialogues, films and dramatised stories for children.
- Songs, rhymes, poems and fairy tales, plus words and phrases in the world around them (signs, adverts).
- Simple presentations, messages, descriptions and dialogues, spoken and written, as well as simple conversations, songs and dramatisations.
How to help at home with English in Year 1
Year 1 is very much about the basics, and much of the learning happens through talk, play and short moments. Ten minutes on several days a week sticks better than one long session a week, because practice spread out over time is remembered better than practice all in one go. Let English be part of everyday life: songs, TV programmes with subtitles and short conversations. Do not correct everything; respond to what your child says, so that they dare to speak.
- Children’s programmes in English. Watch a children’s programme in English with Swedish subtitles. Pause now and then and ask what happened. Children pick up a lot by listening when the context is clear. When reading: about 15 minutes.
- Sing songs and rhymes in English. Sing an English children’s song or nursery rhyme together (for example about the body or numbers). Actions help memory. It is about hearing and copying, not about understanding every word. As a game: about 5 minutes.
- Name things around the home. Put sticky notes with English words on a few things (door, table, cup). Use the words in everyday life, for example “pass me the cup”. Add a few words each week. Works in everyday life: about 5 minutes.
How you can tell it has clicked in Year 1
- Listening to words and simple instructions: Your child does the right thing when the teacher says “Stand up” or “Sit down”.
- Vocabulary: animals, colours and numbers 1–10: Your child can count to ten in English.
- Vocabulary: family and body parts: Introduces their family using English words.
- Vocabulary: summer, play and nature: Your child says “sun”, “sea” and “swim” when you are out together in the summer.
Common pitfalls in Year 1
- Vocabulary: animals, colours and numbers 1–10: Says numbers with a Swedish pronunciation.
- Vocabulary: family and body parts: Writes “foot” as “fot” (the Swedish word).
- Vocabulary: summer, play and nature: Mixes up “sea” and “see”, which sound the same.
- Listening to and saying simple rhymes and songs: Joins in with the tune but does not know what the words mean.
If English practice in Year 1 often ends in tears or takes far too long, stop for the day and write a few lines to the teacher about what was hard. That is useful information for the school, not a failure.
Games that practise it
In Year 1 English, Lärkompis uses 8 mini-games. In these games, playing is the practice, so your child learns while they play. There are no points or streaks, and no ads.
Dörren med ordet (The Word Door)
The picture and the word belong together, and every finished word opens a plank in the door. In Year 1, the game practises 4 skills: listening to words and simple instructions; vocabulary: animals, colours and numbers 1–10; vocabulary: family and body parts; and vocabulary: summer, play and nature.
Minikorsordet (Mini Crossword)
A small crossword made from the skill’s own words, with pictures or meanings as clues. The crossing letters show whether the spelling is right. In Year 1, the game practises 3 skills: vocabulary: animals, colours and numbers 1–10; vocabulary: family and body parts; and vocabulary: summer, play and nature.
Ordgåtan (The Word Riddle)
Guess the hidden word letter by letter, with no time pressure and clues that light up one by one. In Year 1, the game practises 3 skills: vocabulary: animals, colours and numbers 1–10; vocabulary: family and body parts; and vocabulary: summer, play and nature.
Ordsökaren (Word Search)
A word hunt in a letter grid, with a picture or a translation as the clue. In Year 1, the game practises 3 skills: vocabulary: animals, colours and numbers 1–10; vocabulary: family and body parts; and vocabulary: summer, play and nature.
Vändspelet (The Flip Game)
A memory game where two cards that go together stay face up, for example 3 + 4 and 7. In Year 1, the game practises 3 skills: vocabulary: animals, colours and numbers 1–10; vocabulary: family and body parts; and vocabulary: summer, play and nature.
Glosjakt (Vocab Hunt)
Creatures carry words, and your child catches the right creature or matches words with their translations. In Year 1, the game practises 2 skills: greetings and introducing yourself; and vocabulary: animals, colours and numbers 1–10.
Sorteringsbandet (The Sorting Belt)
A calm conveyor belt of things that your child puts in the right box by following a rule. In Year 1, the game practises 2 skills: vocabulary: animals, colours and numbers 1–10; and vocabulary: family and body parts.
Kunskapsjakten (Knowledge Hunt)
A quiz show in a TV studio, where Vera leads the questions up a ladder. There are lifelines but no points: the ladder fills up with the questions your child has worked through. In Year 1, the game practises 1 skill: listening to and saying simple rhymes and songs.
Questions about English in Year 1
What does Lärkompis practise in English in Year 1?
Lärkompis has 6 skills in English in Year 1, for example “Greetings and introducing yourself”; “Listening to words and simple instructions”; “Vocabulary: animals, colours and numbers 1–10”; “Vocabulary: family and body parts”; and “Vocabulary: summer, play and nature”. Each skill has five levels. In “Greetings and introducing yourself”, for example, level 1 is “Understands ‘Hello’, ‘Thank you’ and ‘Goodbye’” and level 5 is “Answers several different everyday questions correctly”. The app adjusts the level to how your child is doing.
What comes after Year 1 in English?
In Year 2, Lärkompis practises 9 skills in English, and new that year are “Building simple sentences in English”; “Vocabulary: food, drink and clothes”; and “Vocabulary: school things and weather”. Most of it builds on what your child practised in Year 1.
Which mistakes are common in English in Year 1?
Common mistakes that Lärkompis covers include “Says numbers with a Swedish pronunciation” in “Vocabulary: animals, colours and numbers 1–10” and “Writes ‘foot’ as ‘fot’ (the Swedish word)” in “Vocabulary: family and body parts”. When an answer is wrong, the app shows how to think it through instead of just marking it wrong, and the parent panel shows what your child is practising right now.
Does Lärkompis follow Lgr22 in English in Year 1?
Yes. Every exercise in English in Year 1 is linked to an item in the Lgr22 core content for Years 1–3; 7 of 11 items in English have at least one linked skill. Lärkompis is a complement at home and does not replace teaching.
How much does it cost to practise English in Year 1 with Lärkompis?
Lärkompis costs SEK 49, once, for all subjects and every child in the family, with future updates included. You can try English in Year 1 for free first, without an account.
More years and subjects
The same year in other subjects:
