An A4 Help Sheet to support weaker KS4 students when writing Paper 2 Question 5 texts. Works as a quick reference sheet and includes connective, discourse markers and emotive language examples. Plus a reminder of DAFOREST with examples.

The resource includes a Help Sheet that helps students identify the different word classes and then 5 worksheets to support their writing of descriptive sentences and then descriptive paragraphs using heavily scaffolded word banks and images. This was made for my weak KS3 students and has also been used with developing E2L students. It is a great first teach for primary learning and also as a revision tool at KS3 for those students who need to revise their understanding of word classes and how to use them creatively.

The power point is a great way to get students to think about how to describe emotions and create their own poetry using metaphors, similes, emotive language etc. Works really well for paired or group work as well as individual work.

These task cards are writing stimuli they do not include any teaching resources. They are designed to challenge your stronger writers. They can be used as starters, home works or challenge cards for when classroom tasks are completed. The file includes 4 writing to describe cards and 4 writing to narrate. There is a power point to display in class and word document task cards (4 per A4 sheet) that can be laminated for everyday classroom use. Each card, which has an unusual image, asks students to write using a specific set of linguistic devices: juxtaposition, olfactory imagery, pathetic fallacy etc. in order to challenge them to really think about crafting their writing - not just writing the first thing that comes into their heads.

This power point is designed as a first teaching resource. Each slide has one stanza fully annotated along with differentiated questions. (Orange for lower ability, green for mid ability and blue for higher ability.) The first slide has a table for you to insert names of the students and what colour they ae working on. (Depending on your class you may not need three levels of questioning – or you may want to use a mix of all three – it depends on the nature and ability of your class. For my top set I asks them to only do green and blue – for my bottom set only orange and green. For my intervention group only orange.) The questions are based on analysing the poem as though it is an ‘unseen’ poem to best aid an initial detailed understanding of the techniques and tone of the poem. There is a starter which asks pairs to explore the connotation of the word ‘remains’ and a plenary that asks students to draw one image and think of one word that summarises the poem. At the end is an exemplar based on a first stanza question which uses P.E.E.D.Z.L. (Obviously adjust this slide if you use a different format for analytical writing.) The final slide asks a more holistic question based on the ‘power and conflict’ theme. This power point is designed to last two lessons and usually I get the class to peer assess – using the unseen marking criteria – their response.

A set of 8 task cards that focus on comma splices. Each card has a short extract and students have to identify and correct the comma splice. The task cards can be used as a starter or plenary or as an independent extension task.The cards can be laminated for repeated use. There is also a Help Card to encourage independent reflection. The Help Card allows you to ask students to reflect on their comma splice mistakes in their writing and correct them when doing red pen/ correction time.

A set of images with writing prompts. Each homework can be printed and then hand written or completed on a PC. Handy to upload on SMHW etc as it covers multiple weeks. Make great classroom displays - quick and easy to mark.

This resource is designed to help build the comparative and summary skills for Paper 2. The source texts are short and packed with content in order to make devices easy to spot but also to make the texts relatively quick to analyse. One set are fictional descriptions of a storm the other non-fiction descriptions of Blackpool. (Neither contain a 19th century text as the resource is an introduction to the skills and not meant as a representation of the actual exam texts.) There is also a self assessment sheet with the marking criteria and a place to reflect on WWW and EBI and set targets. The resource is great for homework as it is easy to upload to homework sites but also great as a whole class resource as the sources and the questions are all on one A4 sheet. There is a full set of Q1, Q2, Q3 and Q4 questions for each set of sources and an extension Q5 question linked to the themes (there is no mark scheme for Q5 on this resource.)

A set of 27 creative writing prompt cards that have 3 levels of differentiation. Higher ability students write 100 words describing the image on the card and must include at least named literary techniques e.g. personification, metaphor, semantic field. Middle ability students have to select appropriate vocabulary to describe the image e.g. adjectives, verbs, paint colours. Lower ability students are given 3 words for each image which they have to look up in a dictionary and then use in a sentence. They are ideal as starters or extension tasks. There are 9 A8 cards on each A4 sheet which are designed to be laminated for repeated use. I store mine in a card index box and students select the card they wish to work on - the cards are numbered so the students simply write the number of the card in their book. Because they are differentiated they are suitable for all KS3 and KS4 classes. (Paint colours - I have a full range of paint palette cards in the classroom so students can select appropriate colours to describe - so instead of black they will have various shades to choose from - e.g. licorice black.)

Ideal for practicing world level analysis for KS3 or weaker KS4 classes. Short original paragraph that then explains how to go about exploring the connotations of individual words and then gives an exemplar. Students then look at a marked response and try to work out why a ‘tick’ has been awarded before completing their own P.E.E.

Suitable for Year 7 or weak Year 8 students. A brilliantly, funny short story by Paul Jennings (not in the pack as still in copyright - available in the compilation of short stories ‘Unreal’) A great read for all students but especially for boys and reluctant readers - a great twist in the tale 7 page story. A 40 slide lesson by lesson power point (6 to 8 lessons depending on the speed and ability of the class) is accompanied by 3 graphic organizers and a marking criteria/rubric. The scheme focuses on building two specific reading skills - locating and selecting information and infer/deduce - reading between the lines. Students write P.E.E. (point, evidence, explanation) paragraphs and focus on improving their drafts. The word wall helps them build and develop vocabulary and the exemplars help them to recognize the standard they are aiming for. The graphic organizers help students to explore and formulate their ideas on characters and themes and the story structure organizer helps students recognize the structure of a story and identify exposition, climax, resolution etc. Also includes comma starters on the power point to help improve punctuation accuracy.

A purpose written, challenging, high interest reading comprehension for KS4 about TikTok (52.6 on the Flesch Reading Ease scale). The text is designed to create discussion as well as be used for answering comprehension questions. The article is supported by a series of questions and exemplar answers that can be shared with the class as feedback for marking, or to be used as examples of how to approach different styles of questions, or as support for marking the student’s work. There are 5 short answers questions, 5 vocabulary questions, 5 retrieval questions, 1 discursive essay question based on the text (with a detailed exemplar plan) and 1 differentiated question. All the questions have exemplar questions.

This bundle includes resources to support students who are learning to write newspaper articles. The resources and lesson ideas will cover 4 to 6 lessons. Students are introduced to headlines, opening paragraphs, the inverted pyramid structure, who, what, where, when, why and how. The bundle includes knowledge organisers, worksheets (with exemplar answers), a newspaper article exemplar, article planning notes, teacher notes and a possible teaching sequence. The possible sequence of lessons: reading comprehension on newspapers, research lesson (library or computer suite), headlines, inverted pyramid structure, analysing an article, planning an article, writing an article. The resources are suitable for KS3, but could also be used with high ability Year 6 students.

The teaching resource “Alliteration - Magic Potions” is an engaging resource designed to help students learn how to use alliteration and sensory language to create captivating descriptions. Through the exploration of magical potions, students will develop their understanding of the power of alliteration and how it can enhance their writing. The purpose of this resource is to engage students in a fun and imaginative way, while also teaching them important language techniques. By analysing the names of the potions, students will learn how alliteration can create a memorable and impactful description. They will discover how the repetition of consonant sounds, such as the ‘c’ in “Cackling Cursed Concoction” or the ‘w’ in “Whimsical Whisper Whirling Elixir,” can add depth and meaning to their descriptions. Furthermore, this resource encourages students to consider the sensory language used in the potion names. They will explore how words like “cackling,” “whisper,” “thunderous,” “torrent,” “venomous,” and “delicate” evoke specific emotions and imagery. By incorporating sensory language into their writing, students will be able to create vivid and engaging descriptions that captivate their readers. The resources includes a sensory word mat to help with vocabulary choices. Two worksheets: one analysing alliterated potion names, the second creating alliterated potion names. Teachers notes for a quick reference to analysis of worksheet 1, and a story exemplar using alliteration and sensory descriptions.

Looking for a resource to help inspire and guide students love of Halloween and spooky stories? Trying to avoid the often cliched graphic narratives full of blood and gore? This resource (a power point, Knowledge Organiser and short video) will help students to understand the conventions and style of the genre and how to create the more subtle Gothic style instead of the more gory horror. The Knowledge Organiser helps to explain the difference between the two genres and the structure of a Gothic narrative. The power point starts with a short exemplar to display to the class and discuss why it is Gothic and not Horror. The power point also includes three tasks: 1 - identifying descriptions that are either Horror or Gothic. 2 - changing typical Horror vocabulary to a more Gothic style. 3 - two short examples of Horror descriptions that students need to edit to create a Gothic style - and exemplars to use after the writing tasks. The power point finishes with some knowledge checker slides to asses and reinforce learning and then final a picture of a typical Gothic setting for students to use to as inspiration for their own Gothic setting descriptions.

Support your students with this word mat tailored specifically for describing haunted houses. The resource includes examples of figurative techniques, an extensive vocabulary list, and practical examples of sensory descriptions and extended noun phrases. The mat will support students in enhancing their descriptions by including rich, varied language to create immersive and atmospheric settings and experiment with figurative language and extended noun phrases to add depth and complexity to their writing. There is a short video to set the scene for describing a haunted house and highlighting what students can do to write more evocative descriptions.

A word mat to help students create more sensory descriptions of an underwater setting. The word mat includes several picture prompts to help with description ideas. The word mat contains lists of adjectives, adverbs, verbs, ideas for similes, metaphors and personification, and a reminder to use ISPACE sentence openers to help with sentence variety. There are also prompts to help students think about how to use the senses for this kind of setting. There is also a power point with further picture prompts for the genre.

A word mat to help students create more detailed descriptions in their adventure stories. The word mat includes several picture prompts to help with story ideas. The word mat contains lists of words to describe sights, sounds, smells, sensations and feelings to support making writing more sensory. There is also a powerpoint with further picture prompts for the genre. Tes paid licence

This reading comprehension text delves into the fascinating history of Halloween, tracing its origins back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain and its evolution through Roman and Christian influences. Unlike traditional Halloween comprehension exercises that tend to focus solely on modern customs, this text provides a rich historical context, making it both cross curricular and engaging. Purpose: Educational Enrichment: To provide students with a deeper understanding of Halloween’s historical and cultural significance. Skill Development: To enhance reading comprehension, critical thinking, and inferencing skills. There are a variety of questions to challenge all abilities, from basic comprehension to more complex inference questions. Questions are presented on either a single page, making it easy for students to answer in their books, or printable worksheets are provided for students to complete their answers on paper. One worksheet come with allocated marks to guide students on the depth of their answers, while the other has no marks allocated. Teachers notes, and detailed exemplar answers are provided to help teachers guide discussions and assess student understanding. Three engaging extension activities suitable for library or computer suite lessons are also suggested.

A fun twist on Halloween - the science behind our enjoyment of the spooky holiday. This resource is a two page reading comprehension with comprehension questions. It provides an overview of Halloween’s origins, tracing back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain and its evolution into the modern celebration. It explains the science behind why people enjoy fear, discussing the role of adrenaline and the fight-or-flight response. The question sheet includes vocabulary, comprehension, and an inference question to test students understanding of the text and encourage critical thinking. There are two extension tasks offering additional tasks for deeper exploration such as inferring why Halloween has become popular in Japan and researching the traditions and customs of the Day of the Dead and comparing the Mexican festival with Halloween. [computer suite or library lesson to enable students to do independent research] The questions are presented in 3 ways: a one sheet printout - students can then write answers in their books. A two page printout with marks given for each question and space for students to write their answers. A two page printout with no marks given for each question and space available for students to write their answers.