A teacher and tutor with more than thirty years' experience working in both mainstream and independent schools. I have an Honours degree in English Literature and Linguistics from UEA and have written a dissertation about encouraging children to write. I am a mother of three and interested in all things green. I am in the process of setting up my TES shop and hope to launch my "Spagbag" resources which are suitable for both Primary and Secondary aged pupils.
A teacher and tutor with more than thirty years' experience working in both mainstream and independent schools. I have an Honours degree in English Literature and Linguistics from UEA and have written a dissertation about encouraging children to write. I am a mother of three and interested in all things green. I am in the process of setting up my TES shop and hope to launch my "Spagbag" resources which are suitable for both Primary and Secondary aged pupils.
This Power Point tests knowledge of nouns, adjectives and adverbs, prepositions, prefixes to form opposites, alphabetical ordering, homophones such as there/their and much more besides.
This is one of many similar resources to be found in my shop, which can be used to check knowledge and understanding of spelling and grammar.
I include a resource to encourage the use of a wider range of punctuation.
All answers provided to ensure ease of marking.
Suitable for ages 10+
I have bundled together four resources which concentrate on the use of adjectives and nouns, including abstract, concrete and proper.
A comprehensive collection ideal for revision purposes.
Suitable for ages 10+
I have bundled together four resources which focus on identifying sentence forms and structure and also strategies for improving students' knowledge of spelling , grammar and punctuation more widely.
You will find presentations,quizzes and comprehensions that will be useful for revision purposes.
Another in the series of quizzes to aid revision of spelling and grammar. This one looks at proper nouns and apostrophes, matching verbs with appropriate adverbs, adding prefixes to form opposites and paraphrasing well known similes. Another weirdly worded passage concerning the hapless Joe is included for good measure for pupils to decipher.
I include resources to encourage the use of a wider range of punctuation and opportunities for descriptive writing concerning people and animals.
All answers are provided for ease of marking.
Suitable for ages 10+
I have bundled together three of the popular Spagbag quizzes which can be used for revising all aspects of spelling, grammar and punctuation.
Answers are provided and the quizzes can be easily tweaked to meet specific needs.
Suitable for ages 10+
This animated Power Point tells the story of a broken pot, which despite its obvious flaw, enables wonderful flowers to grow along the path's edge. This is a heart warming story which will inspire students to accept their weaknesses but aspire to keep trying and fulfil their potential as life-long learners. There are activities included such as questions about the story, analysing and ordering the key words, some discussion opportunities about identifying our own potential and that of others. Words beginning with pot are introduced and students have to match these with their definitions. They will discover that certain words can mean different things according to whether they are used as a noun, a verb or even a proper noun.
Included is another resource about working hard to get results. Ideal when reviewing achievements and progression made so far.
This resource is suitable for ages 10+
This animated Power Point takes extracts from J.K.Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and removes the punctuation from them. Passages are deliberately chosen to test students’ knowledge of newspaper articles, leaflets, dialogue and informal letters. They are required to write out the words and are given clues how to organise the information. The corrected versions will magically appear. Finally students, inspired by the passages, are required to choose between two options to write about: designing a leaflet about defending your household against the threat of Death Eaters or designing a poster advertising an invisibility cloak for sale. Trivia questions regarding Potter are included along with a quiz to see who can make the most Muggle words out of the letters contained within some of the characters’ names. A further resource about ancient broomstick games is included with comprehension questions and answers.
This resource is intended to be a fun way of revising necessary language skills whilst encouraging wider reading at the same time.
Suitable for ages 10+
I have bundled together six of the popular Spagbag quizzes so that they can be used on a rotational basis on the approach to SATS and other assessments involving knowledge of spelling, grammar and punctuation.
Answers are included and the format for each quiz is similar and can be easily tweaked to meet specific needs within a class. Pupils will come to empathise with Joe who struggles with spelling and is prone to making silly mistakes.
I have bundled together five of the popular spelling, grammar and punctuation quizzes which can be used on a daily basis on the run up to SATS and/or assessment weeks. Answers are provided and questions can be easily tweaked to address specific problem areas. Pupils will find empathy with the hapless Joe who struggles with spelling. These quizzes could be used on a rotational basis during an assessment week and are designed for ease of marking. Also included is a resource outlining the dirty thirty: the** thirty** most common spelling errors and tips on how to learn them more reliably.
These resources are suitable for ages 10+
This animated Power Point asks pupils to identify adjectives and nouns, adverbs and abstract nouns. Pupils are given colour synonyms to sort into groups according to blue, green , yellow or red. They are given a poem about the sea to consider and also a poem about a lawn mower. Pupils are required to write their own descriptive passages or poems using techniques such as personification and alliteration.
Pupils are given a variety of scenes to describe such as an erupting volcano, a misty graveyard or a bat-infested cave. Finally, students are required to use literary devices to describe inanimate objects such as a kettle, washing machine, sewing machine, printer or phone.
I also include a resource which allows pupils to demonstrate their knowledge of punctuation by inserting a wide variety into lengthier paragraphs.This leads to an opportunity to write descriptively about a person they admire.
These resources will be useful when revising descriptive techniques and offer students plenty of ideas and opportunities to hone their writing skills.
Suitable for ages 10+
This Power Point will test knowledge of plurals, capitals, prefixes, alphabetical ordering, apostrophes, verbs and adverbs, common spelling errors and much more. There are deliberate spelling mistakes to identify and correct as well as a weirdly worded passage to decipher featuring Joe who is busy revising for his egzams! This resource is intended for revision on the run up to SATS and assessment weeks and can be dropped into lessons intended for exam preparation in general.
All answers are provided allowing pupils to quickly identify where extra revision is needed.
I include a resource to promote informal letter writing.
Suitable for ages 10+
This set of four worksheets accompanies the Waverley Manor Mystery Power Point Presentation but equally they could be used in isolation. Pupils are required to read the short chapters which focus in turn on different grammatical features. They will become intrigued with the characters and want to find out what happens next. Your pupils will be revising without realising it!
This resource is one of several based on the Waverley Manor Mystery which can be found in my shop.
I include a more general quiz on spelling, punctuation and grammar , all answers provided at the end.
Suitable for ages 10+
This Power Point uses a story, poem and graphics to illustrate the similarities between humans and the properties of glass. Pupils are asked to compare the similarities between broken glass and fractured personalities and how we need to be more resilient in our everyday lives. This resource could be used throughout the year but would be particularly appropriate during anti-bullying week.Students discuss phrases such as “don’t bottle it up” and “glass half empty”. Pupils may like to do further research into the breaking of a glass as part of the Jewish wedding ceremony.
This resource is intended to provoke discussion and could be used in tutor time, as an assembly or for times of reflection. Alternatively, It could be used to inspire creative writing.
Suitable for ages 10+
I have bundled together ten resources which investigate some of the wondrous creatures that inhabit the seas and oceans and use bioluminescence to their advantage. I include two quizzes about the properties of water which include inspiring quotes and poetry which will prompt further investigation into and discussion about the natural world. Other resources take inspiration from David Attenborough and focus on the problem of plastic waste within our seas and oceans.
Suitable for ages 10+
This animated Power Point has twenty questions all to do with water and its properties. The questions test scientific and geographical knowledge. This resource includes a poem about the sea which is told rather like a riddle.
This quiz can be dropped into any lesson concerning water and could be used as a resource for revision or to kick start further investigation and independent research. I include a word document about the problem of plastic waste in our seas and oceans which includes some advice from Greenpeace. Students are invited to contribute ideas of their own to help solve this growing problem and they are encouraged to design a poster outlining the issue.
Suitable for ages 8+
This animated Power point contains twenty questions about water and tests scientific and geographical knowledge. All answers are included. A poem is revealed in the form of a riddle about the sea and inspirational quotes are included to get pupils thinking more about conservation.
This quiz could be dropped into any lesson when investigating the properties of water, or more generally seas and oceans.
Suitable for ages 10+
I have bundled together four resources which will be useful as a means of revising aspects of grammar whilst also reading a mystery story set in the grounds of a Victorian Manor House. The story is told in short episodes or chapters that focus on a different aspect of grammar such as verbs , adjectives, proper nouns etc. This bundle contains both a PowerPoint Presentation and word documents so that worksheets can be used in isolation if necessary. I have included a spelling, grammar and punctuation quiz which is more general and can be used as a stand alone item. This resource is suitable for age 10+
This word document accompanies the PowerPoint presentation on bioluminescence which can be found in my shop. This resource can be used together with the Power Point or as a stand alone activity. Pupils are given detailed information explaining what bioluminescence is and, in particular, how marine creatures such as the firefly squid use it to their advantage. Pupils are asked comprehension questions and invited to explore further by drawing diagrams or , more generally, investigating Japan and engaging in their own independent research.
This resource is suitable for ages 10+ and contains scientific terminology which may require further explanation. Links are given to useful websites.
This Power Point explains what bioluminescence is and explores in particular how the firefly squid exhibits this strange phenomenon. Detailed information is given in a fifteen slide presentation. Pupils are asked questions about the information given and asked to make further investigations, including drawing diagrams to show where the photophore cells might be found on the squid or, more generally, about Japan itself.
This resource will promote discussion and further scientific exploration whilst testing comprehension skills. Included is a worksheet to aid independent research.
Suitable for ages 10+
This Power Point resource takes extracts from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets and asks pupils to identify deliberate spelling errors in the text. The words are everyday words but the passages will inspire discussion, further reading and creative writing. The correct answers will magically appear. Pupils will need to use their comprehension skills to answer the questions at the end. There is an extended writing exercise where pupils need to decide what they would fix if they had their own roll of Spellotape . There is an exercise to do involving choosing the correct homophone from the brackets to make the sentences correct. There is also a task in which pupils are required to substitute more powerful verbs in order to make the passage more dramatic. Included is a comprehension about ancient broomstick games played around the world which will appeal to those interested in Quidditch.
This resource is one of many to be found in my shop and will appeal to Potter fans. Prior knowledge of the book is not necessary but the aim is to encourage pupils to explore further into this world of magic.
Suitable for ages 8+