I am an experienced English teacher and Literacy Coordinator. All of my resources are organised, engaging, ready to teach and designed to save you - the teacher - your valuable time!
Please have a look at all of my resources - at least 20% of which are free.
I am an experienced English teacher and Literacy Coordinator. All of my resources are organised, engaging, ready to teach and designed to save you - the teacher - your valuable time!
Please have a look at all of my resources - at least 20% of which are free.
A detailed fully-resourced and ready to teach one hour lesson that supports students to analyse World War 1 propaganda posters using AFOREST devices and direct address.
After analysing posters as a class and in groups, students then create their own posters using AFOREST devices and direct address.
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A 22 page year 6 to year 7 transition guide containing discussion prompts, creative writing tasks and poetry to help year 6s navigate their journey to secondary school. This can be taken home by families to use with their children or it can be used within a year 6 or year 7 classroom.
The first section of this guide should be used as year 6s prepare to leave primary school and the second part should be used once they have started year 7.
Part of this guide involves discussion of poems from Steven Camden’s anthology Everything All At Once. This is widely available from bookshops and libraries.
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A full paper 1 for CIE 0500 IGCSE English Language. This resource includes a full practice paper for Language paper 1 with three texts, answers/marking guide and references.
All the questions and answer scheme have been based on the Cambridge IGCSE First Language English 0500 syllabus and the questions have been worded so that they are similar/identical to the specification paper.
The resource is included as a pdf for easy printing or as a word doc in case you wish to edit it.
This has been updated according to the 2024 change of specification.
Freebies:
A free lesson giving an overview of CIE 0500 Language Paper One here.
A free lesson giving an overview of CIE 0500 Language Paper Two here.
Free marking templates for CIE 0500 here.
If you find this lesson helpful, have a look at my CIE 0500 Language Paper 1 bundle here or the Language Paper 2 bundle here. If you’re interested in both, there is a combined bundle here which is cheaper than buying them separately.
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Two fully resourced and ready-to-teach one-hour lessons which introduce students to the skills of annotating a poem and then writing an analytical PEE paragraph about it. These lessons are designed so that they can be downloaded and taught immediately and all printing instructions are included. The poem used is ‘I am Offering this Poem’ by Jimmy Santiago Baca.
This lesson is aimed at KS3 and would be suitable for an introduction to poetry unit - but it could easily be adapted to younger or older students. Students will need to know what personification, similes, alliteration and repetition are already.
These lessons include:
A 22-slide Powerpoint
Differentiated learning outcomes
Copies of the poem with a glossary (in both word and pdf formats - for editing or printing).
Explanation of annotation
A model PEE paragraph
Structured peer assessment
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A fun and addictive ‘Of Mice and Men’ revision tool that lasts 20-40 minutes to help students revise themes and quotes. The game ends differently each time, so this can be played multiple times to support students in revising the themes and ideas in Of Mice and Men.
Students play as either George, Lennie, Candy or Curley and the aim is to achieve their dream. They play through 40 event cards, which will give them plus or minus DPs (dream points). If they can achieve positive DPs by the end of the game then they achieve their dream. If they don’t then they are doomed to a migrant worker life of working for other people.
This game helps students to revise key events in the book, important quotes and presses them to consider the challenges that characters face to achieve their dreams. Reflection questions for students are included.
It is a print and play game. It is quick and easy to cut out. I would suggest laminating for quick further use, however this is not required. The only additional materials you will need are one die per game and scrap paper for students to keep track of their scores.
Included:
How to play card
Character profiles sheet
Event cards
Reflection questions
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I have a whole range of Of Mice and Men revision resources available in the shop and a range of revision videos on my YouTube channel (this is linked to in my shop).
Two engaging and resourced hour-long lessons to teach students how to approach Internet research and identify reliable sources of information. This is applicable to any research topic and is suitable for key stage 3 or key stage 4.
Students will learn how to:
Identify relevant research questions.
Critically analyse the strengths and weaknesses of various sources
Identify key words to use in search engines
Choose what information to write down.
This resource includes:
A Powerpoint for two lessons including teaching and printing instructions
Worksheets/printouts for each lesson (included as part of the PowerPoint).
I have included an example use for the Holocaust, however the slides can be easily adapted to suit any relevant research topic. I have used these in my English lessons but they could be adapted to work in any subject which requires students to complete independent research.
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Two engaging and detailed lessons to teach students how to approach the narrative writing question in Language paper 2 of CIE 0500 English Language IGCSE.
This resource contains a ready-to-teach powerpoint with printing and teaching instructions. The first lesson covers structure and the students are guided towards completing a planning sheet for their story which includes hook, characterisation, development, climax and the resolution. The second lesson asks students to consider how to write an engaging hook and then to complete their piece of narrative writing.
LESSON ONE
Learning Objective: Plan our narrative writing for Paper 2.
Learning Outcomes:
Students will understand what the narrative questions look like and what is assessed on the mark scheme.
Students will be introduced to a recommended narrative structure and then will plan their own answer.
Lesson Outline:
Do it now: What is the difference between narrative and descriptive writing?
Starter: Overview of Language Paper 2 and the mark scheme.
Task one: A model plan for the five-part structure.
Task two: Students plan their own narrative piece of writing using the five part structure.
Peer assessment
Plenary: What questions do you have about creating effective narrative writing?
LESSON TWO
Learning Objective: Write an engaging narrative for paper 2.
Learning Outcomes:
Students will recall and revise the success criteria for narrative writing from the previous lesson.
Lesson Outline:
Do it now: What is the difference between narrative and descriptive writing?
Starter: Overview of Language Paper 2 and the mark scheme.
Task one: A model plan for the five-part structure.
Task two: Students plan their own narrative piece of writing using the five part structure.
Peer assessment
Plenary: What questions do you have about creating effective narrative writing?
Freebies:
A free lesson giving an overview of CIE 0500 Language Paper One here.
A free lesson giving an overview of CIE 0500 Language Paper Two here.
Free marking templates for CIE 0500 here.
If you find this lesson helpful, have a look at my CIE 0500 Language Paper 1 bundle here or the Language Paper 2 bundle here. If you’re interested in both, there is a combined bundle here which is cheaper than buying them separately.
Please leave a review as I value all the feedback I receive, and have a look at other resources available in my shop. **
Two engaging and detailed lessons to teach students how to approach the descriptive writing question in Language paper 2 of CIE 0500 English Language IGCSE.
This resource contains a ready-to-teach powerpoint with printing and teaching instructions.
LESSON ONE
Learning Objective: Plan a structure for descriptive writing for Language Paper 2
Learning Outcomes:
-Students will understand what the descriptive questions look like and what is assessed on the mark scheme.
Students will be introduced to a recommended descriptive structure and then will plan their own answer.
Lesson Outline:
Do it now: Quick recall – what skills are needed for descriptive writing? Share as part of a class discussion.
Starter: Overview of paper 2, descriptive writing and the mark scheme.
Task one: Outline of structure and students plan their structure.
Peer assessment
Plenary: Look at your zoom section and where your partner has added a ‘?’ Write a simile or metaphor to describe this feature.
LESSON TWO
Learning Objective: Improve our descriptive writing for Language Paper 2
Learning Outcomes:
Students will revise the recommended structure for descriptive writing.
Students will practise improving extracts using the success criteria.
Students will begin to write a piece of descriptive writing using their structure plan.
Lesson Outline:
Do it now: Quick recall on structure and length of exam
Starter: Gap fill exercise for descriptive writing success criteria
Task one: Improve three examples using the success criteria.
Task three: Write piece of descriptive writing.
Peer assessment
Plenary: After today’s lesson, what do you think are the top three rules for success in descriptive writing?
Freebies:
A free lesson giving an overview of CIE 0500 Language Paper One here.
A free lesson giving an overview of CIE 0500 Language Paper Two here.
Free marking templates for CIE 0500 here. #
If you find this lesson helpful, have a look at my CIE 0500 Language Paper 1 bundle here or the Language Paper 2 bundle here. If you’re interested in both, there is a combined bundle here which is cheaper than buying them separately.
Please leave a review as I value all the feedback I receive, and have a look at other resources available in my shop.
An engaging and detailed staff CPD session on explicit vocabulary instruction - this lasts between one hour and 90 minutes depending on whether departments are given time at the end to consider their tier 2 and tier 3 vocabulary words.
I delivered this in my role as Literacy Coordinator and was told by the headteacher that it was the best internal CPD that he had seen delivered.
This session covers:
Why you need a whole-school approach to vocabulary
The Matthew Effect
Tier 1, 2 and 3 words and what this means.
Approaches to vocabulary instruction - morphology, etymology and the Frayer model.
Modelled examples of how to teach new vocabulary.
Advice for further reading.
Please note that I have provided some suggestions in the notes section of the slides about how to guide discussion.
Similar Resources
* Staff CPD on Whole-School Reading Strategies
* A bundle of whole-school literacy resources including this CPD, CPD on Reading Strategies and resources for implementing a Word Root of the Week in your school.
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An engaging and detailed staff CPD session on whole-school reading strategies that lasts one hour.
This session covers:
Why you need a whole-school approach to reading.
The Matthew Effect
Tier 1, 2 and 3 words and what this means.
Orthography and background of English spelling
Five strategies for struggling readers that can be used across subjects.
Time for staff to consolidate their learning and discuss how they will apply what they have learned to their subject and upcoming units.
Please note that I have provided some suggestions in the notes section of the slides about how to guide discussion as well as the answers to some questions.
Similar Resources
* A Whole-School Approach to Explicit Vocabulary Staff CPD
* A bundle of whole-school literacy resources including this CPD, CPD on Reading Strategies and resources for implementing a Word Root of the Week in your school.
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A detailed 100 question quiz for GCSE/IGCSE Of Mice and Men revision with all answers included. The quiz includes the following rounds (round one is available for free):
1. Context (free)
2. Setting, Structure and Symbols
3. Literary Devices
4. Descriptions - Name the Character
5. Animals
6. Character Names and First Lines
7. George and Lennie
8. Chapter One
9. Chapter Two
10. Chapter Three
11. Chapter Four
12. Chapters Five and Six
I have an Of Mice and Men resources bundle available here. . I have a whole range of Of Mice and Men revision resources available in the shop and a range of revision videos on my YouTube channel (this is linked to in my shop).
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One academic year’s worth of Word Root of the Week slides (36 weeks) for displaying in during assembly and/or form times. These are very effective for normalising the breaking down of words into their component parts and digging deeper into how they affect the word’s meaning.
Each slide displays the definition of the word root followed by three examples of words containing it which are broken down into their component parts.
These words correspond with this free Excel file which provides a yearly plan with 36 word roots and example words.
For more Word Root of the Week resources, have a look at this bundle.
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Two engaging and fully-resourced back to school English lessons with PowerPoints and worksheets which support students to write a slam poem about their identity. This allows the class to get to know each other, reminds students of poetic techniques and analysis and gives them the opportunity to do some creative writing through writing a slam poem.
I have used it regularly with key stage 3 and key stage 4 classes as it can be easily adapted to the poetic knowledge and ability of each class.
LESSON ONE
Learning Objective: Analyse the effect of poetic techniques used in a slam poem.
Learning Outcomes:
Bronze: Identify poetic techniques in a slam poem.
Silver: Explain the effect of vocabulary and poetic techniques in a slam poem.
Gold: Explain how the poet uses rhythm and structure for effect in a slam poem.
Lesson Overview:
Do it now: Vocabulary stretcher: how would you describe yourself in three words? Talk to the person next to you and share examples on a post-it note.
Starter: Think – pair- share: discuss images and techniques used in lines of poetry followed by teacher modelling.
Activity one: Watch example slam poem and discuss meaning and techniques. Teacher leads discussion and models some answers.
Activity two: Based on the slam poem you’ve watched, what would you say are some of the main features of slam poetry?
Plenary: Class tries to match the post-it note from the ‘do it now’ exercise to the correct student.
LESSON TWO
Learning Objective: Write a Slam Poem about your Identity
Learning Outcomes:
Bronze: Use a range of vocabulary and poetic techniques in your slam poem.
Silver: Use rhyme and rhythm to achieve a desired effect.
Gold: Write powerful stand-out lines that get stuck in the listeners’ minds.
Lesson Overview:
Do it now: What features of slam poetry do you remember from the previous lesson?
Starter: Think – pair- share: what language techniques can you identify in quotes from last lesson’s poem? Can you explain the effect?
Activity one: Use the graphic organiser to start planning your slam poem and then begin to write it.
Plenary: Share your most powerful line
Homework: Complete your slam poem
More Resources:
Check out this lesson which explores writing slam poems in more detail.
If you find this lesson useful, have a look at other resources available in my shop. .
Leave a review and choose any other resource of up to the same value for free from my shop.
This resource includes:
* A 1 hour lesson on complex sentences
* A 1 hour lesson on compound sentences and FANBOYS
* A writing skills knowledge organiser
* A 1 hour assessment that questions students on sentence types.
* Images that can be used to teach sentence structures using dual coding.
All lessons are designed to be one hour long, easily adaptable and contain teacher instructions.
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This bundle includes:
2 lessons analysing Anthem for Doomed Youth
1 lesson analysing propaganda posters
A war poetry knowledge organiser
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A mini bundle containing my four most downloaded reading resources for secondary students!
This bundle contains:
A resuable lesson that embeds close reading skills. Just choose a text (fiction or non-fiction) and students work through the steps to improve their comprehension and analysis of it (although sample texts are also provided to get you started).
TES recommended book club discussion questions, which also work very well in English lessons.
A quiz made for World Book Day which quizzes students on a range of secondary age books.
A support mat/knowledge organiser for developing students’ independent textual analysis.
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Two engaging and ready to teach one hour lessons to cover chapters 17 - 20 of ‘The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas’ by John Boyne. The first lesson (chapters 17 - 18) requires students to use a range of reading skills and techniques - they read independently and in pairs to practise their comprehension and inference skills. The second lesson (chapters 19 - 20) requires students to think about the effects of pathetic fallacy and dramatic irony in the penultimate chapter and then to reflect on how they feel about the ending.
LESSON ONE
Learning Objective: Practise a range of reading skills.
Learning Outcomes:
Bronze: Read in pairs and individually, and use skimming, scanning and inference skills.
Silver: Support your partner by correcting them constructively in paired reading.
Gold: Make a perceptive prediction about what will happen at the end of the book.
Lesson Outline:
Do It Now: Match the reading term to the definition.
Starter: Paired reading of chapter 17 followed by comprehension and inference questions.
Activity 1: Chapter 18 individual comprehension questions and marking.
Activity 2: What do you predict will happen at the end of the book?
Plenary: How has Bruno changed over the course of the book?
LESSON TWO
Learning Objective: Reflect upon the story.
Learning Outcomes:
Bronze: Understand the terms pathetic fallacy and dramatic irony.
Silver: Explain how pathetic fallacy and dramatic irony are used to create tension.
Gold: Reflect upon the end of the novel.
Lesson Overview:
Do It Now: What are your expectations for finishing the book?
Starter: Explanation of pathetic fallacy and dramatic irony– how does that impact your expectations?
Activity 1: Reading focus for chapter 19.
Activity 2: Chapter 19 reflection followed by class questions for teacher.
Activity 3: Chapter 20 reflection.
Plenary: Questions on a post-it note.
Freebies:
Two pre-reading lessons to introduce students to the context of The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas is available for free here.
A lesson on chapter 1 of The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas is available for free here.
A scheme of work for teaching the entire novel is available for free here.
If you find this lesson useful, please consider purchasing this ‘The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas’ Bundle or have a look at other resources available in my shop. .
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This bundle contains:
A scheme of work overview for this three lesson unit.
A detailed ready-to-teach lesson preparing students for the transition to year 7.
A detailed ready-to-teach lesson which specifically focuses on the organisational skills required for secondary school such as using a planner, making a homework plan etc.
A detailed ready-to teach lesson which focuses on the changes in friendships and prepares students for how to manage this in year 7.
A transition guide that can be used by parents and/or teachers to support students emotionally as they prepare for the transition to secondary school.
I really value all the feedback I receive. Leave a review and choose any other resource of up to the same value for free from my shop.
This bundle contains three of my most popular English resources, which can be used multiple times and are easily adaptable to different classes.
The bundle contains:
A 40 question quiz on Shakespeare with questions on his plays, his life and the Globe Theatre.
A 40 question quiz on poetry - covering poetic forms, poetic techniques, famous poets and iconic lines of poetry.
A general knowledge reading quiz - great for World Book Day or for any literacy activities throughout the school year.
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