It's simple really: English grammar can be a very dry subject, but this need not be the case. For a few years now, I have been developing a games-based approach to teaching important grammar concepts. It is amazing how the introduction of dice takes the learning into a new place - the element of chance making it seem less like work and more like play. Because I test my games extensively in the classroom, I get a feel for what works. Dump your boring worksheets and start dicing with grammar.
It's simple really: English grammar can be a very dry subject, but this need not be the case. For a few years now, I have been developing a games-based approach to teaching important grammar concepts. It is amazing how the introduction of dice takes the learning into a new place - the element of chance making it seem less like work and more like play. Because I test my games extensively in the classroom, I get a feel for what works. Dump your boring worksheets and start dicing with grammar.
Teach modal verbs in the context of the amazing 'Guinness surfer with horses' advert (young teachers: google it).
Assessment focus:
I know some modal verbs, and I can explain why they are useful.
I can use modal verbs statements and questions.
I can use modal verbs creatively to show possibility/likelihood.
In this fully resourced lesson, pupils learn about modal verbs and then use them in sentences about the doubts and worries of the surfer in the advert and the dangers he faces.
There is clear differentiation for high attainer, on track learners and SEN learners.
The powerpoint will guide you through.
Enjoy!
Here is a fun 2 player dice game to liven-up exploring silent letters. There is also a PowerPoint with plenty of activities and questions to get the session started. There is an extension task for speedy players who finish games quickly.
This session teaches children one way of structuring a biography paragraph. Prior to the session, children will need to have gathered some information for the biography they are going to write. Everything else you need is here!
You are buying:
- a detailed lesson plan;
- a 'paragraph party' resource, based on Anne Frank's life;
- a presentation, including suggested shared/modelled writing.
Fun dice activity exploring causal connectives, also warm-ups and model texts
Explanation writing is one of the trickier non-fiction genres in the primary curriculum. Although we rarely explain sequences using formal language, we often explain things in every day terms. How do you complete that level of the game? How do you do that magic trick? How did you solve that problem? There is a group of words and phrases that can help explain cause and effect more precisely. These can be called ‘causal connectives’. This is not a strictly defined group of words – more collection of conjunctions, adverbs and other cohesive devices that can be useful for this genre of writing.
Try the dice activity ‘Explain yourself’ and watch your class get comfortable using these connectives aloud as they explain diverse subjects including ‘how to take the perfect selfie’ and ‘how the digestive system works’. When they are ready, they can write some of their favourite explanations, using causal connectives with accuracy.
I have added 4 simple oral warm up activities. These encourage to children to rehearse useful vocabulary (consequently, as a result of this, so, so that, therefore, however) and add brackets to explanation sentences. Try that tricky language aloud before you get into any writing!
I have added an ‘eco-explanations’ activity.
I have also added 9 model explanations to give some ideas of things to write about.
Orally rehearse the language of persuasive writing and balanced discussion before writing using these dice games, model texts, planning frames and toolkits.
Throughout Key Stage 2, children are expected to take part in debates and compose one-sided arguments or balanced discussions.
To be successful at this, children need plenty of opportunities to use the language of argument. Connecting phrases such as ‘it is obvious that’, ‘other people claim that’ and ‘opponents of’ need to be orally rehearsed as children do not encounter them regularly in their daily lives.
This fully planned session, complete with a presentation and a fun dice game, will give children the experience of using the language of argument in a purposeful way.
Use this session prior to any ‘argument’ style writing and it will give children the tools to be successful.
*I have now added ‘Whose side are you on? Advanced’. This version is for 4 players and enables children to create full balanced discussions orally. The patterns they use exactly mirror the structure of a written balanced discussion.
**I have also added a model text, a planning frame and a self assessment sheet for persuasive writing and a model text, a planning frame and a self assessment sheet for discussion writing.
***I have also added:
a one sided model text in favour of Victorian style child punishment (for children to argue against!)
a one sided model against mobile phones in school for children to argue ‘for’
a mobile phone fact or opinion sorting activity
a one sided model for animals in circuses for children to argue against
a one sided argument against computer games for children to argue ‘for’
a computer games counter argument activity
a computer games fact or opinion sorting activity
a for and against sorting activity linked with space
a for and against sorting activity linked with aliens
Drama! Talk! Poetry map! Scavenger hunt! Reading skills! Team work! Creative writing! 13 resources included!
This is a seven day poetry unit exploring Alfred Lord Tennyson’s ‘The Kraken’. It has been planned in a lot of detail and is fully resourced. There is clear guidance all the way through, so if you’re in a rush, you can pick it up and use it! There is also a one-symbol-per-line story map to help children learn the poem off-by-heart with help from picture cues. All of the tricky words are also defined.
The unit begins with children performing and learning the poem through drama and then moves on to explore the imagery in the poem, including comprehension questions. Children then begin to use imagery of their own. They work collaboratively (using a’ jig-saw’ approach, explained in the plan), use language playfully and finally write their own poem.
It is a very enjoyable unit, which inspired some superb writing in my class. It could work with Year 4, Year 5 or Year 6.
Sessions cover these objectives:
1. I can recite one line of a poem from memory. (Drama)
I can recite a whole poem from memory.
I can find meaning within the puzzle of a poem.
2. I can understand wide range of imaginative and ambitious vocabulary. (Definitions scavenger hunt included)
I use a wide range of imaginative and ambitious vocabulary accurately and precisely.
3. I understand the term imagery. (14 comprehension questions included)
I can find examples of imagery in poem.
I can suggest reasons why a poet has used certain imagery.
4. I know what the terms metaphor and simile mean. (Group work activities creating new Kraken imagery)
I can use simile and metaphor (imagery) and magic!
I can play with the order of words to add impact.
5. I can draft a poem and develop my ideas by ‘magpie-ing’ from other writers and drawing on poems that I am reading. (Supportive writing frame included)
6. I can evaluate, edit and improve my own writing.
I hope your class love it and create some incredible poems.
There are two useful resources here:
1. A carefully planned lesson about parentheses using dashes, exploring how different types of extra information can be added to a sentence. This includes a detailed lesson plan and 3 activities (the final one is a team game, with clear differentiation). All resources are included. The lesson covers these Year 5/Year 6 objectives:
I understand the terms dash and parenthesis/parentheses;
I can explain some uses for parentheses;
I can use parentheses creatively for lots of different purposes.
This is perfect for a demonstration lesson or an observed session. There is minimal ‘teacher talk’ and lots of active pupil engagement.
2. I have also included a further punctuation game: ‘Punctuation show-offs’.
I can use brackets, dashes (parentheses) and semi-colons in my sentences.
Would you like the writers in your class to be ‘punctuation show-offs’? Me too. I created this dice activity to encourage children to add extra information to sentences using parentheses (brackets and dashes) and also to separate closely related main clauses using semi-colons.
I have also provided teacher and - more importantly - child friendly explanations and examples of all concepts.
Children may incidentally find out about Usain Bolt, Picasso, Stephen Hawking and a 1000kg bowl of cereal. Have I caught your interest yet?
This whole activity has a ‘show-off’ theme and it’s fun. After playing this, you can remind your class to be ‘punctuation show-offs’ in their own writing.
Finally, I have added a ‘Victorian’ version of the same game, to show how it can be adapted to different themes.
This is a one week (5 lesson) poetry unit inspired by a Simon Armitage poem. The unit is based on my popular free resource ‘First day back poetry’. I have spent some time developing that activity into five fully resources lessons. I hope your class enjoy it as much as mine did! Everything you need is here. All resources are fully editable (PowerPoint and Word). If you buy this unit, please please open the zip folder, containing lesson-by-lesson sub folders within. The PNG files are just to preview the unit.
Lesson 1 Reading fluency, vocabulary and comprehension
• I can read poem showing understanding through pace, tone and volume
• I can discuss a poem and discover its meaning
Activity 1 Model expressive reading of a line and then a verse.
Activity 2 Partner reading.
Activity 3 Discuss the poem and try some comprehension questions
Lesson 2 Exploring vocabulary
• I can explore the meaning of words (in context)
Activity 1 Reusing and defining
Activity 2 Sketchnoting
Lesson 3 Capturing ideas for poems of our own
• I can compose lines for a free verse poem using my own life experiences
Activity 1 Connect
Activity 2 Enjoy listening to poetry
Activity 3 Partner talk
Independent task Can you make the ordinary sound amazing?
Lesson 4 Arrange and edit for poetic techniques
• I can edit my poem for poetic techniques
Activity 1 Warm up
Activity 2 Listen
Activity 3 Arrange
Activity 4 Edit for poetic technique
Activity 5 Peer assess
Lesson 5 Present and perform!
• I can prepare a poem to be presented to an audience
Activity 1 Read your poem
Activity 2 Think of title for your poem
Activity 3 Prepare your poem to be read aloud
Activity 4 In groups of four, read your poems to each other
KS2 poetry with patterns - 4 lessons - fully resourced.
I love using ‘Amulet’ by the amazing Ted Hughes as a model for children’s poetry writing. Here are four sessions that explore this rich and powerful poem in creative ways. By the end of session 4, children will have created powerful poems of their own.
Objectives covered:
Part 1 Understanding a poem
I can discuss a poem in a group, listen carefully to others and build on my own ideas.
I can explore the meaning of tricky words and phrases.
I can infer what the poet may have been thinking.
Part 2 Reciting a poem
I can read using intonation to add meaning
I can visualise a poem
I can recite a poem from memory
Part 3 Exploring nouns and noun phrases and gathering ideas
I understand the terms noun and noun phrase
I can use precise nouns and rich descriptive language
Part 4 Creating poems of our own
I can create a magical poem with patterns
Your class will love creating poems in the style of Ted Hughes!
Here are seven sessions inspired by Louis Sachar’s ‘Holes’ (or the film of the same name) pitched at Year 5 or Year 6. First, children write an informal letter from Stanley to a member of his family back home. After that, they write a formal letter of complaint from Mrs. Yelnats to Warden Walker. There are also optional cold task and hots tasks (Pizza Problems!) if you need them.
It’s all in Powerpoint and Word, so edit as you wish. Absolutely everything you need is in the zip folder. Models and planning are frames included along with many other supporting resources (word banks, text extracts and information pages). Get stuck in!
Here is an overview of the six sessions:
OPTIONAL COLD TASK
Pizza problems! Write an informal email to a friend. Use the planning frame and the word bank if you need them.
Reading fluency and tricky vocabulary
Look at tricky words and rank them. Use synonyms and paraphrases to replace tricky words. Improve reading fluency through modelled and paired reading.
• I can explore unfamiliar vocabulary in context
• I can read a story fluently
Plan an informal letter to Mom **
Read the start of Stanley’s letter and Mom’s reply. Discuss how Stanley is creative with the truth. Focus on planning structure – give each paragraph a theme. Share read an example letter before starting.
• I plan an informal letter
• I can use informal language and sentence structures
Write a letter to Mom
Explore the difference between formal and informal. Identify formal and informal language. Revisit contractions and dashes – they are common in informal writing. Write a letter home.
• I can make contractions by dropping letters and using an apostrophe in their place
• I can add chatty afterthoughts using dashes
Plan a formal letter
Explore formal language choice. Get into role as one of Stanley’s parents. Pick three key points to complain about. Read information relating to your three points and plan your letter.
• I can use precise language (limited, inadequate, insufficient) and write in a formal style
Write a formal letter
Share read a formal letter paying close attention to grammar features. Spend time exploring word banks. Write formal letters, maintaining an appropriate register throughout.
• I can write maintain a formal style throughout my writing
• I can use a range of (upper KS2) punctuation
OPTIONAL HOT TASK
Pizza problems 2! Write a letter of complaint. Use the planning frame and the word bank if you need them.
Reading comprehension! Drawing! Drama! High quality writing! Newspaper reports! These five fully resourced sessions aimed at Year 5 or Year 6 give children an opportunity to produce excellent non-fiction using a fiction context - no research required! Available in Word and PowerPoint so that you can edit and adjust to suit your needs.
Through these 5 sessions, children will explore 3 news reports about heroes; generate their own toolkits; strip a fiction text (Beowulf) back to its bare bones; create captions and draw scenes from the story; take part in drama activities and finally write news reports using a consistent style and appropriate register. I have recently added useful editing questions for children to ask each other - I would suggest a final session for editing and improving.
It is helpful (though not essential) if the children have previously explored the story of Beowulf. If they have not heard the story before, allow a little extra time to get familiar with the text (included).
These sessions could make up a one week unit or be run over one day, as a writing workshop.
Enjoy!
Use the excellent ‘paragraph party’ approach to explore the concept of non-fiction paragraphing in a fun and engaging way.
Here are 4 different paragraph parties on a wide variety of non-fiction subjects. The skills are transferrable. I use this approach everytime I teach the idea of paragraphing to young writers and it does get the message across very well.
Try it!
These resources are designed to promote the teaching and learning of basic number facts across primary school. If children are fluent they do not need to keep going back to inefficient counting methods! Many of the fluency skills promoted here may be the same in Key Stage 1 as they are in Key Stage 2. This is because for many children it is just as important to learn root addition and subtraction facts in Year 6 as it is in Year 1.
These number facts will support children when facing the very large numbers they have to deal with at primary school, so it is well worth promoting fluency across your school…and I’m not just talking multiplication tables! Everything is fully editable, so adapt it to make it work for your school.
Resources included:
A whole school fluency map, showing the number facts that must be learned from Y1 to Y6 ( a lot of skills are repeated across every year group. This is intentional!
Fluency guides for each year group, linked to the whole school map
Fluency guides for parents (please make sure you send out with the ‘addition and subtraction roots on one page’ document copied onto the back of the sheet)
Addition root facts
Subtraction root facts
Optional reward chart for parents to use at home, linked to parent guides
Multiplication facts pre and post assessment sheet
Division facts pre and post assessment sheet
In the zip folder: Multiplication and division - bronze, silver and gold timed challenges, including medal chart and medals. We give out a times tables wristband anytime a child gets a gold medal - this has proved a big hit.
Bronze - times table in order, 30 seconds
Silver - times table out of sequence, 40 seconds
Gold - times table with division facts, 80 seconds
Good luck! I hope your fluency work has a positive impact on mathematics teaching and learning at your school. And remember explicit teaching of fluency skills is just as important as practising and rapid recall.
This is a five session writing workshop designed to support Y6 writers achieve their age related expectation. It could easily be adapted by other KS2 classes for use as news report unit.
During the project, children pick events from the story of Theseus and retell them in a journalistic style. They explore topic sentences, direct speech, reported speech, passive voice and many other skills. All resources are included.
I ran this as a one-day writing workshop for writers who were a little off track.
It could easily be adapted for use in any KS2 setting - everything is fully editable.
I had some great outcomes - I’m sure you will too.
Two engaging dice games exploring two different functions of colons (lists and explaining the previous clause). Better than worksheets!
I have also included a two useful resources about dashes too.
Six poetry lessons for upper KS2 with a focus on performance and creative writing. All plans and resources included - everything you need is here. All work is produced using Word and Powerpoint, so edit as you wish. Most of all… enjoy. This is a fun unit!
Overview of unit
Session 1 Explore tricky vocabulary
I can explore the meaning of words
Session 2 Read, discuss, perform
I can bring a poem to life using my voice
**Session 3 Explore, map, recite **
I can visualise a poem and recite it from memory
Session 4 Comprehension
I can explain the meaning of words in context
I can find information in poetry
I can justify inferences with evidence
Session 5 Create poetry
I can write a free verse poem using a familiar theme and structure
Session 6 Peer edit for impact + perform
I can choose verbs and nouns phrases to create imagery
I can perform my own composition fluently
This one week KS2 English unit has a focus on performance and art (instead of writing). Over five sessions, children learn about intonation and perform two poems expressively. Both poems retell famous Greek myths (‘The Minotaur’ and ‘Icarus’). Children also present lines from a poem through art and book making. A highly enjoyable unit!
Here is a brief overview of each session. Detailed plans and all resources are included.
Session 1 Watch and evaluate
• I can say which poetry performance I enjoyed the most
• I can evaluate a poetry performance
Open questions
You are the judge!
Convince another
Session 2 Performing poetry
• I can show understanding through tone, volume and action
Ping pong!
What does Michael Rosen have to say about performance poetry?
Explore the model
Perform – small groups
Peer assessment
Perform – whole class
Session 3 Applying our new skills and knowledge to a new poem
• I can show understanding through tone, volume and action (revisit)
• I can prepare a poem to read aloud and to perform
“Rock… paper… anything!”
Let’s perform
Introducing a new poem
Can we use our new knowledge and skills for a different poem?
Perform – whole class
Session 4 Presenting a poem through book making and art (part 1)
• I can discuss words and phrases that capture the reader’s interest and imagination
Performance poetry!
Windows and words
How will we show the meaning of each line through pictures?
Session 5 Presenting a poem through book making and art (part 2)
• I can discuss words and phrases that capture the reader’s interest and imagination
Warm up: Ping-pong
Activity 1: Capturing a poem in pictures
This is a one day greater depth writing workshop aimed at upper KS2. There are 13 resources attached and a detailed plan of the day. Children have a complete piece of writing by the end of the workshop. Here is a brief summary of the day:
Part 1 Get to know the model
Reading as reader: How did the story make you feel?
Reading as writer: How did the author do that?
Drama (pairs) – bring the text off the page
Part 2 Know your animal!
Part 3 Know your mysterious object!
Part 4 Quick plan
Part 5 Parentheses activity
Part 6 Extended writing time
Success criteria for extended writing
I can organise my story creatively and keep the reader in suspense (withholding vital information and using flashbacks)
I can create suspense using modal verbs and rhetorical questions
I can interrupt my sentences using ‘dramatic dashes’ (parentheses)
I can use technical language appropriately in my creative writing (precise language around my animal’s physical features, habitat, behaviour and offspring)
I can use figurative language
Teach children the important skill of organisation within a paragraph. Essential for non-fiction writing. This bundle is suitable for information writing, persuasive and biography writing.